Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post — something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show.

Burris acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.

The affidavit is dated Feb. 5 — three weeks after Burris was sworn in to replace President Obama in the Senate.

Burris — who did not give money to the Blagojevich campaign fund in response to the previously undisclosed solicitation — provided a copy of the sworn statement to the Chicago Sun-Times Friday in response to questions about his contacts with the Blagojevich camp about fund-raising.

Remember, Burris submitted a affadavit early on that he had absolutely NO contact with Blago….this affadavit was supplied because the the House was investigating a Pay-To-Play scheme for the seat he was given. Being asked for 10 grand just prior to being named to the seat would qualify as a element in the Pay-To-Play crime don’t ya think?

But he forgot…..

And that swamp of corruption grows.

Now that Obama is the President-elect of the US, Americans must assume that he is automatically invested with the implied virtue and high moral standing of the office he will soon occupy. We must also assume his proposed solutions to America’s problems are grounded in reality and common sense. In other words, we must ignore the evidence of his actions.

We must ignore his consorting with America haters and domestic terrorists. We must overlook his 20 year acceptance and endorsement of a hate-whitey and damn America ideology spewed by his mentor and pastor. We must avert our eyes from the legitimate questions arising from his convoluted purchase of additional acreage for his home in Chicago from Tony Rezko.

And questioning how a political novice managed to rise to the top of the corrupt Chicago machine without being part of it is considered evidence of either racism or hate.

Obama’s former colleagues and current political appointees continue to bite the dust, being indicted and/or being investigated for corruption at an alarming rate, yet we are to assume all this corruption happened without Obama either noticing it or being a part of it. Americans are now required to ignore the evidence of their own eyes, ignore common sense conclusions, and give this man the benefit of the doubt.

Presumption of innocence is one thing, ignoring facts and common sense is quite another.

Despite what the media and political elites would have us believe, a man can and may be judged by who he chooses to associate with. If a kid hangs with a gang, its reasonable to assume he agrees and accepts the actions of his fellows. If a politician associates with fellows that continue to be exposed as corrupt, it is reasonable to assume that he is, at the very least, a willing participant.

Despite what the media and political elites would have us believe, character counts. Character affects every area of decision making a president is involved in. Appointing heads of agencies, cabinet members and leaders of our military based on political considerations instead of merit, as Obama seems to be doing, undermines and weakens our system of government. And it is not ‘change.’

‘Pay to play’ is a new term, coined by the outrageous actions of Illinois Governor Blagojevich’s blatant auctioning Obama’s former senate seat to the highest bidder. And pay to play is emerging as the dominant feature of Obama’s new administration.

Consider: When Obama is asked to comment on the Israeli/Gaza conflict, he has repeatedly stated that there can only be one president at a time. Thus, he has neatly avoided being forced to publicly choose between Israel and the Palestinians terrorists.

Obama’s ‘only one president at a time’ explanation, however, didn’t stop him from proclaiming “We must close Guantanamo”, thereby rendering illegitimate America’s right to remove our enemies from the battlefield. Payback to the far left who were responsible for his election?

Despite the economic crisis facing our economy, the very first legislative action of the newly elected 111th Congress was approving a bill making clear that women who are victims of gender-based discrimination can sue for compensatory and punitive damages. Payback to the trial lawyers and feminists?

Was Obama’s proposal of adding 600,000 new government jobs a payback to the unions?

Was opening the floodgates of the US Treasury to arbitrarily hand-picked winners of the bail-out lotto a payback to campaign supporters? Was the promise that the 3 million, (oops, now 4 million) new ‘green’ jobs he has promised to create a payback to the powerful environmental lobby? Maybe, maybe not. We’ll never know, because none of these questions are being asked.

Every question posed above might not stand on its own. After all, there is a powerful presumption of innocence and, by the way, we must not be judgemental. But taken together, Obama’s actions, not his words, paint a picture of business as usual. His actions point to a pattern of payback to political factions. Translation: Pay to play or you’re toast.

Barack Obama is my president. The respect I have for the office and the institution requires that I give him every opportunity, every benefit of the doubt, every encouragement. But the same respect I hold for the presidency requires, demands, that the president act in the best interest of the country. And judging by his actions to date, I regretfully conclude that Obama’s decisions reflect instead the ‘pay-to-play’, business as usual mode of governance. And I don’t expect this will change.

Ed – Comments Closed 01-17-09

From Huffpo: Dem Aide: Obama Team Pushed To Seat Burris

From Breitbart: Senate Dems retreat on Burris; Obama steps in

From Yahoo News: Senate Democrats yield to Obama, retreat on Burris

Same story… different eye catcher headline. But regardless of the soundbyte education for the average scan vs read American, the story remains the same. Obama is hailed as the fence mending hero of the day for putting “pressure” on the Senators to seat Burris.

So here we are… ignoring current events once again. It was only one day shy of a month ago that all 50 Dems signed a letter to Blagojevich asking him to resign, and ” under no circumstance make an appointment to fill the vacant Illinois Senate seat.”

Blagojevich ignored both Senate demands, of course… instead dug his heels in for the long run and appointed former AG Burris to replace Obama in the Senate. In another show of defiance, he began furiously issuing pardons… without explanations.

Nothing has transpired between that letter and now to see Blagojevich’s behavior – or perceived innocence – in any better light. Indeed, if you read BarbaraMD’s post over at Daily KOs (yup… you read that right), Burris isn’t looking so good either after the impeachment hearings…

At one point during his testimony, Burris was asked a simple question: Had he known that Blagojevich was attempting to sell the Senate seat, would he have reported it to federal authorities. Oddly enough, Burris refused to answer. Hopefully someone will press him on that refusal.

Ms. MD’s KOs post is a must read. Ouch… all that rubbing of your eyes at what I just said has gotta hurt, eh? LOL

Days after Blago’s pardons, Obama echoed the Senate’s convictions of the day.

CHICAGO, Dec. 30 (UPI) — President-elect Barack Obama said Tuesday he agrees the U.S. Senate shouldn’t seat the ex-Illinois attorney general Gov. Rod Blagojevich picked to replace him.

~~~

Obama issued a statement making it clear he had nothing against former state Attorney General Roland Burris but supports Senate Democrats’ decision not to seat him, CNN reported.

“Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat,” Obama said.

“I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Gov. Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it.”

Obama also repeated his call for Blagojevich to resign.

The lawsuits were filed, rhetoric flew. Still Reid remained defiant, saying on Meet the Press just five days ago:

SEN. REID: Blagojevich obviously is a corrupt individual. I think that’s pretty clear. And the reason that he’s done what he’s done is to divert attention from the arrest that was just made of him and the indictment which will be coming in a few days, according to the U.S. attorney in Illinois. That’s why President-elect Obama agreed with us that Mr. Burris is tainted. Not as a result of anything that he’s done wrong. There’s–I don’t know a thing wrong with Mr. Burris. It’s not the person that has been appointed, it’s the appointee. If Blagojevich would do the right thing, that is step down, or he’ll probably be impeached. And he gave us Mr. Burris, he gave us Jesse Jackson Jr., Danny Davis, Madigan, all the fine people who we have from Illinois, they would be taken care of just like this.

~~~

SEN. REID: It–Danny Davis, a fine congressman from the state of Illinois, was offered, by Blagojevich, the job.

MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.

SEN. REID: He said, “I can’t accept this because my constituents, the people state of Illinois, would never accept me based on the cloud you have over you.” And that’s the problem we have. Now, what we’re going to do is I’m, I plan on meeting with him and Senator Durbin on Wednesday. That’s my understanding. We’re going to visit with him.

MR. GREGORY: Roland Burris, you’re talking about?

SEN. REID: That’s right, Roland Burris.

MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.

SEN. REID: And we would hope that in the meantime Blagojevich, with the impeachment proceedings that are ongoing against him, would do the right thing, step down. And then if Pat Quinn–who I’ve spoken to, a very fine man who’s the lieutenant governor–would become the acting governor or the governor, he wants to appoint Burris or anyone else, that would be fine. There is a cloud over Blagojevich, and at this stage a cloud over the state of Illinois. They don’t have a vote. And if–as long as Blagojevich has done the appointing, it’s really a tainted appointment.

Oh what a difference five days makes… Diane Feinstein, miffed at being ignored as a vital consultant for the CIA Director appointee, got the rebellion ball rolling and announced her change of convictions … er, heart… towards Burris. And a few other notable Dems, all of whom had boldy and defiantly put their signatures to a letter dictating their demands and convictions to Blagojevich just weeks before, started nodding their heads in agreement with la femme Diane.

Then comes yesterday’s Laurie Kellman AP article… with PEBO riding to the rescue on his white horse to “pressure” the Senate into seating Burris. One might wonder what has transpired behind the scenes? It was Feinstein who decided to lead the charge, not Obama. He was in johnny-come-lately agreement.

And what of their moral convictions against an appointee, “tainted” by the appointer and the process? Evidently such high morals and convictions are expendable in the face of political expediency.

Today brings the news of Blago’s impeachment by the IL House, and scheduling of a Senate trial near the end of the month. The “cloud” PEBO and the Senators’ objected to originally on moral grounds is not only *not* dissipating, but instead growing more menacing.

So what are we, the people, to think when we watch our elected officials take a stand they say is based on morality and against corruption… then reverse that stand in the face of even more negative events surrounding the appointment? Are their convictions that elusive? Their morals so easy to be compromised?

And what of the media, portraying Obama – guilty of throwing those same moral convictions aside – as some sort of hero, riding to the rescue to achieve “unity”. Have the media completely forgotten how strongly both PEBO and the Congress felt just days ago?

Evidently we, the people, are really being taken for a ride by both Congress and their pet media. These bozos think we are supposed to celebrate Congressional or party “unity”… forget that it’s founded on the abandonment of yesterday’s moral convictions. It’s about “unity”, stupid… even if centered around corruption and questionable processes.

I, for one, find it extremely disheartening that “convictions” are considered optional to our elected officials. If easily discarding moral stands is the “change” promised by Obama, I can’t see that it’s a change for the better.

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the office of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich through the Freedom of Information Act related to Blagojevich’s contacts with President-elect Obama and his transition team. The documents include a December 3, 2008, letter from Barack Obama following his December 2, 2008, meeting with Blagojevich as well as a November 17, 2008, letter signed by Presidential Transition Team co-chairs Valerie Jarrett and John Podesta providing Blagojevich with a list of transition team contacts.

The following are excerpts from the letter signed by President-elect Obama on December 3, 2008, less than one week before authorities arrested Blagojevich for attempting to “sell” Obama’s now-vacant Senate seat, among other corruption charges:

• “Thank you for meeting with me on Tuesday in Philadelphia. Vice President-elect Joe Biden and I were pleased with the open discussion.”
• “As we discussed, I would appreciate any advice you can provide to me and my team on the biggest roadblocks to states in moving forward in ‘getting ready to go’ projects started quickly.”
• “In addition, I welcome any advice you can provide me and my team on revitalizing and reinvigorating the state-federal partnership. I want to make it a priority of my Administration to work closely with you.”
• “I look forward to working with you and hitting the ground running on January 20th.”

~~~

“These documents tend to undermine Obama’s claims that he had no contact with Blagojevich and suggest his transition is hiding documents about such contacts,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Why did President-elect Obama not release this letter? What else is he hiding?”

Ed Morrissey argues that the whole context of the letter doesn’t appear to be about the Senate seat:

It acknowledges a discussion between Blagojevich, Obama, and Joe Biden, but the full context of the letter suggests that the conversation involved economic policy and not Obama’s Senate seat.  In fact, the letter appears to be nothing more than a pro-forma, polite acknowledgment of a meeting, and has no real inculpatory value.  Allahpundit e-mails me to say he’s 99.9% sure that the meeting referenced was at the governors conference in Philadelphia — and that Sarah Palin probably got the same letter as Blagojevich.

Barack Obama did say that he had “no contact” with Blagojevich, and the letter obviously negates that in a literal sense.  However, the context for “no contact” was in regards to specific discussions about replacing Obama in the Senate, not “no contact” ever, at least between Obama himself and Blagojevich.

But Judicial Watch does have a point, even if Ed is correct.  Why hide these letters?  Why not include them in their report of the matter?

Stinks to high heaven.

Burris will not be allowed on the Senate floor, according to this aide and a Senate Democratic leadership aide.

The aide familiar with Senate Democratic leaders’ plans said if Burris tries to enter the Senate chamber, the Senate doorkeeper will stop Burris. If Burris were to persist, either trying to force his way onto the Senate floor or refusing to leave and causing a scene, U.S. Capitol Police would stop him, said the aide.

“They (police) probably won’t arrest him” but they would call the sergeant-at-arms,” the aide said.

When asked about what would happen if he shows up and tries to be seated, Burris told the Chicago Tribune that he’s, “not going to create a scene in Washington.” He added, “We hope it’s negotiated out prior to my going to Washington.”

Does Blago know how to pick em’ or what?

Many are blaming Blago for this circus, but the voters voted him in and he is still in office so it his right to name someone to that seat. Much of the blame should fall on Burris, a man torn to shreds by Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn:

Roland Burris is a disagreeable mediocrity as a politician.

Voters have rightly rejected him numerous times in his bids for higher office—governor, U.S. senator, mayor of Chicago—because he’s at least six parts ego to one part performance, a charmless, presumptuous irritant on the stump and at the debate lectern.

And that ego is what made him accept Blago’s offer as he tries to stick a thumb in the eye of those who have torn him down. Hell, another black politician had turned down the seat prior to Burris. But not Roland. And for that I’m thankful…..Let Burris have that seat (some say he can’t be denied the seat while others say he can) and a Republican may very well have that seat come 2010:

And they will reject him again, assuming, as I do, that his appointment to the U.S. Senate this week sticks and that he runs as an incumbent when the seat is open again in 2010.

Republicans will take over the seat recently occupied by almost-President Barack Obama.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful? A corrupt Democrat puts in place a trail of dominoes that will ultimately end with a Republican in the seat once occupied by our new President.

Sweet music to my ears.

Go Burris Go!

Democratic unity starts to show cracks

Democrats head into 2009 with sky-high expectations but points of intra-party friction are already starting to show a month before President-elect Obama’s inauguration, forecasting bigger fights next year. Veteran Democrats say the party has become more split along parochial interests since Democrats last controlled majorities as large as they will in the 111th Congress. They say the growth of their majorities in Congress, which has ushered in a new cadre of lawmakers from conservative-leaning states and those with new views on old policy problems, has only made the Democratic caucuses less governable. “Because the Democratic caucus is itself diverse, reflecting many different points of view, it will be a challenge for the leadership to keep that coalition of interests together on the priorities established,” said former Democratic Sen. Richard Bryan (Nev.). “That will be a big challenge.”

Just when you thought the Blagojevich scandal couldn’t get anymore crazy comes the news that even though his lawyer has said he would not go ahead and make the pick for Obama’s Senate seat, today, he made the pick. It’s the black former Attorney General Roland Burris, a long time Blago lackey:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected today to name former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

~~~

Shortly after Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following Blagojevich’s arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor’s support.

Though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama’s replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he’s never lost to a Republican.

~~~

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada previously warned Blagojevich, following the governor’s Dec. 9 arrest, that Senate Democrats would not seat any appointment the two-term Democratic governor made. Reid’s warning was contained in a letter signed by all 50 sitting Democratic senators, including the No. 2 Democrat in Senate leadership, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Reid said he wouldn’t seat anyone picked by Blago, and true to his word…and even though Burris would be the only black Senator, he told Blago to go stick it:

The Senate will not seat Roland Burris if Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attempts to appoint him, a Democratic leadership aide said.

Majority Leader Harry Reid views Burris as “unacceptable,” the aide said.

Harry may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he can see the writing on the wall. If this long time Blago supporter were to be seated there would be hell to pay.

Oh, it gets better. Hot Air found this blast from the past:

Burris, the only black candidate in the Democratic field of four, issued a cryptic response to reports that he told an African-American community group that his opponents are “non-qualified white boys.”

Classic!

UPDATE

Via Hot Air. Skip ahead to 3:25 to view the fireworks:

In a move intended to force public testimony from President-elect Barack Obama’s inner circle, a lawyer for Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois has asked the legislative panel considering impeachment of the governor to subpoena more than a dozen witnesses, including Obama’s incoming chief of staff.

State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie said yesterday the House committee received a letter from Blagojevich lawyer Ed Genson asking it to subpoena Representative Rahm Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett, and more than a dozen others, including Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.

Currie, the head of the committee, said she didn’t yet know what the committee’s response to Genson’s request would be.

However, she said that the US attorney’s office has denied the panel’s request to interview a list of people named in the criminal complaint against Blagojevich.

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said earlier this week that lawmakers’ interviews of current or former members of Blagojevich’s staff might jeopardize his criminal investigation.

As you can tell from the messiah’s fan club at Huffpo, they are none to happy:

Blago just go away!

I’m starting to believe Blag is now a hack who was bought by the right to do everything humanly possible to keep Obama’s name in the mix of his scandal.

Blago…Honorary republican.

Obama doesn’t have time for this!

This Blago’s a no good trouble makin’ slime wad. He’s in so much trouble himself so he’s trying to sully some good people’s reputations. Too bad they couldn’t have given him the axe right away and threw the bum out…..

And my favorite:

Obama is Untouchable. Go ahead Wrong Wingers and your Limburger Press Witches. Keep it up. It just shows what Un-patriotic losers you are and will always be. The parade marches on over your mindlessness. We don’t need you. We don’t even hear you.

Well, it would be great if they were subpoenaed but come on, your asking a Illinois legislature that is full of Democrats who luv them some Bama to bring in Rahm? Won’t ever happen. Everyone knows Obama would not come out looking like the messiah….he either played ball with Blago, or knew what was going on and didn’t do a damn thing about it. Typical Chicago politics.

Who is it?  One of the most corrupt, most liberal members of the House.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

Her family background is fascinating, and troubling:

The Schakowsky family’s troubling history with non-profits

• In 2006 Anne Leary reported that Schakowsky’s husband — Robert Creamer — was sentenced to five months in prison and eleven months of house arrest for bank fraud and tax violations involving a non-profit called the “Illinois Public Action Council” (IPAC). The indictment charged Creamer with floating “check and wire transfer deposits between bank accounts to… hide their deficiencies… [and used] the inflated balances to pay expenses of his organization, as well as his own salary and discretionary expenses.” Creamer resigned his longtime leadership positions after “the FBI questioned him about a $1 million overdraft… [he was also charged] with failing to pay more than $300,000 in federal income taxes for employees of the group and for himself between 1996 and 2000. Four other counts allege he filed false income tax returns between 1996 and 1999… Each count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and $1 million fine. Each count of failing to collect and pay withholding taxes carries a penalty of five years, and each count of filing a false tax return carries a penalty of 3 years.”

Hubby’s ties to other sleazy pols

• After IPAC folded, Creamer advised a wide variety of Democratic luminaries including staunch members of the community like Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Congressman Lane Evans, Chicago Alderman Joe Moore and others.

Schakowsky’s background

• By any measure, Schakowsky is one of the most liberal (if not the most liberal) members of Congress. She belonged to, for instance, the “Progressive Caucus,” where she joined the likes of Cynthia McKinney, Maxine Waters, Dennis Kucinich, Jim (”Baghdad Jim”) McDermott, Bernie Sanders and Lynn Woolsey.

• Schakowsky served on the board of IPAC while her husband was committing various felonies. But we’re betting she was completely unaware of her hubby’s scams. Hubby was “swindling nine financial institutions of at least $2.3 million while he ran a public interest group in the 1990s.” And Schakowsky “co-signed the fraudulent tax returns“.

Yup, completely unaware that her husband was involved in all these Chicago style politics…..sure thing.

Meanwhile she blamed the whole thing on Bush, as only a good BDS sufferer would.

But the big story, other then the fact that this winner was one of the candidates being floated for Obama’s seat, is a earmark reported on by Red County.

Her husband was involved in fraud and tax schemes using a non-profit organization, so why shouldn’t Rep. Schakowsky write a 2009 earmark for another Chicago-area nonprofit called The Save A Life Foundation.

As Director Blue and Red County wrote, a ABC investigation revealed that Save a Life received millions of dollars in taxpayer funds and corporate donations all the while it made a series of

“misleading claims [including] deceptive credentials that raise doubts about [its] integrity, funding and training.”

According to the ABC report the founder of the group, Carol Spizzirri, represented herself as a RN who specialized in kidney transplants. Problem is, and as ABC reported, she was never a RN nor did she ever receive a degree of any kind.

In light of the two ABC investigations, most public funding sources for Save-a-Life appeared to dry up.

That is, until Jan Schakowsky got involved.

Schakowsky’s committee roles include service as a “Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection and as a member of the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.”

Now isn’t that swell? The person Obama considered to take his seat is not only one of the most liberal, not only is her husband is a criminal, not only did she serve on the same board of a non-profit in which he swindled millions of dollars, and to top it all off she co-signed the tax returns that sent her husband to jail. Not only was she all that, but to top it all off she herself wrote a earmark for a fraudulent non-profit.

Once a Chicago politician, always a Chicago politician.

One reason why we should all be worried about another Chicago politician about to sit in the Oval Office.

From today’s Chicago Sun-Times..

Just after accepting the top post with Obama, Rahm Emanuel discussed with Blagojevich the possibility of keeping his congressional seat “warm” for him for a couple of years, the Sun-Times has learned.

Emanuel expressed interest in returning one day to his elected position because he was on track to become U.S. House speaker, the Sun-Times previously reported.

An Obama transition team report released Tuesday indicates Emanuel talked with the governor days after the election. Sources said Emanuel broached with Blagojevich the subject of finding a candidate to temporarily fill the seat. But Emanuel isn’t accused of promising something in return.

~~~

Days after Emanuel and Blagojevich spoke about Emanuel’s seat, the governor is overheard telling aides on secret wiretaps he wanted Emanuel “to get the word today,” about raising money for the governor and that when “[Emanuel] asks me for the Fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” The “Fifth CD” was a reference to Emanuel’s 5th Congressional District seat.

The ways of the beltway have always included the quid pro quo mentality. There is nothing illegal about favors in exchange for assistance in raising campaign bucks.

What I find most interesting is that Rahm’bo hasn’t resigned yet. Makes one wonder if he thinks he may be another politically expedient evictee from the Obama inner circle.

The Obama WH counsel designate, Greg Craig, issued his five page internal investigation on Obama and aides’ contact with Blago. In it, he states Obama had no direct contact with Blago, or his staff, on possible Senate seat replacements. Apparently, the President-elect left that task of the suggested preferred names to be relayed by Rahm’bo or Axelrod… a task that Emanuel confirmed was done as planned by delivering a list of candidates “acceptable” to the President elect.

It appears that with all the Congressional bozos leaving their seats with this election, there will quite a few unelected golden children in favor taking a very legal, if not slimely, short cut to power. What has US Congressional politics come to?

Oh, it’s not ignorant in its writing or on the events they want us to believe happened. No, its ignorant to believe that someone with a complete and utter conflict of interest could actually release a unbiased report.

The report was done by Greg Craig, the new White House Chief Counsel.

Yeah, you have that right. The new counsel to Obama made the report.

Wouldn’t a review like this require a impartial, independent legal expert to be taken at face value?

Now with “the one” apparently.

And how about that Gregory Craig:

Among the throng of Clinton regime retreads recruited for the Obama administration we find Gregory Craig. Craig served as Obama’s advisor on Latin American during the campaign, and was appointed last week as chief White House Counsel.

The MSM has mentioned Craig’s role as Bill Clinton’s impeachment lawyer, but mostly has omitted mention of Craig’s role as chief facilitator for Fidel Castro’s shanghaiing of Elian Gonzalez.

Officially Craig served as attorney for Elian’s father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez. This humble man worked as a hotel doorman in a nation where the average monthly salary is $16. The high-rolling Gregory Craig worked for Washington D.C.’s elite firm, Williams & Connolly, one of America’s highest-priced law firms.

Upon accepting the case, Gregory Craig had flown to Cuba for a meeting with Fidel Castro. Craig’s remuneration, we learned shortly after his return, came from a “voluntary fund” set up by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society and “administered” by the National Council of Churches. The same reporters and pundits, who routinely erupt with snide snorts midway through any statement by a Republican press secretary, reported this item with a straight face.

Oh, there is more:

An attorney and top foreign policy adviser to Sen. Barack Obama is coming under fire for representing controversial figures, including an accused human rights abuser, an alleged murderer of a U.S. soldier and even the would-be assassin of President Ronald Reagan.

Greg Craig, who has been termed the “lawyer of the left,” represented John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate Reagan in 1981 by firing six bullets at the president as he left a hotel. Craig was reportedly the architect of Hinckley’s successful defense in which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, even though reports by the federal prosecution found Hinckley sane.

As a partner in the high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm of Williams & Connolly, Craig represented former Bolivian Defense Minister Carlos Sanchez-Berzain in a federal lawsuit of “crimes against humanity” due to his alleged role in the suppression of labor union riots in 2003 that resulted in the deaths of 67 people.

Sanchez-Berzain is loathed in Bolivia for allegedly turning the army loose on protesters in what was described as a brutal massacre of unarmed men, women and children, some of whom were reportedly shot at point-blank range.

Craig currently represents Pedro Miguel Gonzalez-Pinzon, president of the Panamanian National Assembly, who is wanted in the U.S. for the 1992 murder of a U.S. Army soldier and the attempted murder of another.

Gonzalez, a harsh critic of the U.S., is accused of murdering the solider, Zak Hernandez Laporte, on the eve of President George H.W. Bush’s visit to Panama in 1992. The FBI is said to have credible evidence proving Gonzalez’s guilt.

The accusations and Gonzalez’s Panamanian government position are a primary reason the U.S. has halted a U.S.-Panama free trade accord.

Beautiful eh? This is the new White House Counsel and the one chosen to review and report on the Blago connection.

Anyone see a problem here?

But I digress, the report basically says that Obama talked to Emanuel and Axelrod about who he would wanted for his seat which lead Emanuel to talk to Blago once or twice and to Blago’s chief of staff four times. Supposedly no quid pro quo…..shocker! An investigation by Gregory Craig turns up no nefarious dealings.

Shocked I tell ya!

Barack Obama is promising that next week he’ll disclose contacts between his staff and disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office, but he’s stopped short of pledging to release e-mails or other records that could be key to understanding those contacts.

Whatever such records exist may never see the light of day, thanks to a gap in government records disclosure laws that allows presidential transition teams to keep their documents — even those prepared using taxpayer dollars — out of the public record.

~~~

But for now, a spokeswoman for President-elect Barack Obama said the transition team was not covered by a public information law that Politico cited in requesting copies of Obama staffers’ emails and notes about Blagojevich’s efforts to fill the Senate seat Obama vacated after winning the presidency.

Hmmm, how shocking. Obama actually saying one thing and then doing another. Shocked I tell ya!

But really, imagine Bush saying something like this. The left would go completely bonkers, but with the one…is all a-ok.

I wouldn’t bet on him stepping aside anytime soon. If anything, his hand is getting stronger by the day.

I can’t go into details, but my impression is that the whole mess started because the governor had been considering appointing a political rival, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, to the Senate so she wouldn’t be able to run against him when he went up for re-election in 2010.

Apparently, Obama’s people weren’t happy about the idea of Madigan coming to Washington, and there were some pretty heated conversations between Blagojevich and Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, which I understand will burn your ears off.

First we were told it was Blagojevich who was upset that Obama wasn’t giving any quid pro quo for the empty Senate seat. It was the corrupt Blago wanting something for the seat.

But now the situation may have changed. Did Blago want something for the seat because Obama was pressuring him to select someone he wanted?

AJ at The Strata-Sphere ties this together with the initial excuse out of the Obama camp:

Now the awkwardness of the Obama denials make sense.

This political problem arose in part because Obama was so eager to appear purer than any politician can actually be. In his initial statements, he sounded as if he was trying to say that he knew nothing at all about the selection of his successor. “I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening,” he told the press, and refused to elaborate.

That remark clarified nothing; today it seems like obfuscation at best and prevarication at worst. Nobody is likely to believe that Emanuel spoke more than 20 times with Blagojevich or the governor’s aide John Harris without informing Obama about those conversations. To insist that he had “no contact” when his top aide was involved in so many contacts is precisely the kind of parsing that undermines confidence.

Emphasis mine. Well, it wouldn’t make sense if Team Obama was being pressured by a crooked governor to pay something for a candidate they preferred. But it does make sense if Team Obama is the one that was applying the pressure. If it is true that Team Obama was in contact with Team Blagojevich to pressure Blagojevich to dump his own preference and defer to Team Obama’s directives the whole thing turns around.

Obama was perfectly within his right to let Blagojevich know who he would like, or would not like, to succeed him but he would be way out of bounds if they pressured Blago to pick who he wanted which then forced Blago to push back.

Was the pressure illegal? No idea. But the fact that Obama and his team lied about their role in this affair is big. But expect the MSM to ignore it all.

Dealing a blow to the U.S. Senate candidacy of Republican Jack Ryan, a California judge ruled that several sealed divorce records likely to embarrass the candidate and his ex-wife should be opened to the public.

Ruling on a request brought by attorneys for the Tribune and WLS-TV, Superior Court Judge Robert Schnider acknowledged that the resulting publicity from the disclosure would be harmful to the couple’s son, a key argument Ryan had raised in seeking to keep the documents from public view.

But Schnider said he had weighed the public interest of disclosure against the private interests of the Ryans and their child. “In the end,” Schnider found, “the balance tips slightly to the public.

~~~

Ryan told a small gathering of leading Republicans that while 95 percent of the contents of the divorce file did not threaten his campaign, the remaining 5 percent could cause problems, according to sources familiar with the meeting.

Instead of placating the GOP leaders, who have expressed continued concern since his primary victory over how the divorce-file issue has dogged his candidacy, the sources said, Ryan’s comments raised new questions about the viability of his campaign.

Which is all legitimate. If someone wants to be a representative of the people then their dirty laundry needs to be aired.

But this same outfit DID NOT report on the fact that a police informant who had helped put away 24 corrupt judges, lawyers and cops told WLS-TV that Blagojevich had been a bookie in the 1980’s and paid taxes to the mob: (h/t Newsbusters)

“When I was working with government wearing wire, I reported, I observed Rod, the present governor, who was running a gambling operation out in the western suburbs. He was paying street tax to the mob out there,” said Robert Cooley, federal informant.

On a web-based interview show last week, Cooley said he reported to federal authorities nearly two decades ago that Rod Blagojevich had been operating an illegal sports gambling business.

Robert Cooley is a former Chicago police officer-turned mob lawyer-turned federal informant. During Operation Gambat in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Cooley’s undercover work and testimony put away 24 crooked politicians, judges, lawyers and cops. Several years ago, when Mr. Blagojevich was running for re-election, Cooley provided the same information to the ABC7 I-Team. Because Cooley did not want to be identified at the time and the governor denied it, ABC7 did not report the story.

Oh, so if your a Democrat all you have to do is deny the charges and its swept under the rug? We all know the press uses anonymous informants all the time but couple that with a denial and they are suddenly not so interested in airing the dirty laundry.

Shocker!

From NBC’s Savannah Guthrie
Obama transition co-chair John Podesta issued a memo today to all transition staff, outlining new procedures on transparency. Team Obama has dubbed the new policy “Seat at The Table.”

In a nutshell, the Obama team will post any documents from official meetings with outside organizations on its Web site. The site also will feature dates of the meetings and the names of organizations involved in the meetings. In the memo, Podesta told the staff, “this scope is a floor, not a ceiling.” In other words, staff are encouraged to include additional materials.

However, for privacy reasons, information regarding hiring or personnel matters will not be posted.

link
12/5/08

12/17/08….not so much