We can’t afford any leaders like Blago

The second Blagojevich trial is thankfully less complicated than the first, and better understood.

Rod Blagojevich knows that he is in serious trouble and his antics and loud claims of innocence cannot erase them. In the last trial 11 jurors thought him guilty on multiple accounts, but one determined juror did not agree, resulting in a hung jury. Large sums of money are spent to learn the psychology and prejudices of and to pick the best jurors for their cause. Just as a

chain’s strength is only as strong as it’s weakest link, the defense has to convince only one juror in 12 to accomplish their job.

Blagojevich wisely offered to accept a guilty verdict for the one of over 20 charges last time to avoid this second trial, which the government promptly rejected. That trial was terribly expensive and had too many and too complicated prosecution charges. Indeed after the last trial, where one person can void opinions of 12 honest people made me wonder if our jury system may be flawed, requiring a unanimous verdict.

Whether one likes him or not I believe most people will agree Blagojevich is guilty of many things that he was accused of. He was elected (twice) for a job he was not capable of doing. For this we can thank both the blind political loyalty of many (vote party line, not for the best people) and the lazy or uninformed citizens who do not vote at all.

Whether or not he broke legal laws while in office or not is up to the new jury, but if he did do so he does not deserve a political free ride. Business as usual in Springfield cannot go on. We the taxpayers can no longer afford it and are sick of it.

William McNutt

Des Plaines