Doug Ross has even more evidence that Obama discussed his senate seat with Gov. Blagojevich, this source, the Chicago Tribune, makes the fourth article referencing the meeting:
Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday cited the potential for bad “karma” and avoided discussing potential Senate successors to Barack Obama should the Democratic nominee win the White House, but acknowledged he has a process in mind for making the most important appointment of his career.
“I just don’t want to jinx him and I don’t like the karma of me thinking that far ahead,” Blagojevich said of Obama’s prospects in Tuesday’s election. The governor added, “We have had some discussions about a process which we’ll share … if all goes well.”
Sources close to Blagojevich, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak for him, said one issue would be to consider who could most help the governor politically.
“What helps me in my quest for the future, whether it’s re-election or legacy?” one Blagojevich confidant said of the selection process being eyed by the Democratic governor, who has seen his job approval rating fall to staggering levels. “It’s a big milestone.”
Hot Air has this photo, placed on the Governors website on November 12th:
With the caption “Governor Blagojevich confers with now President‐Elect Barack Obama.”
Meanwhile Politico has seven questions for Obama:
1 – “Did you communicate directly or indirectly with Blagojevich about picking your replacement in the U.S. Senate?”
2 – “Why didn’t you or someone on your team correct your close adviser David Axelrod when he said you had spoken to Blagojevich about picking your replacement?”
3. “When did you learn the investigation involved Blagojevich’s alleged efforts to ‘sell’ your Senate seat, or of the governor’s impending arrest?”
4 – “Did you or anyone close to you contact the FBI or U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald about Blagojevich’s alleged efforts to sell your Senate seat to the highest bidder?”
5 – “Did federal investigators interview you or anyone close to you in the investigation?”
6 – “When did you and Blagojevich last speak and about what?”
7 – “Do you regret supporting Blagojevich?”
He was asked two of those questions this morning:
Asked if he or his people had interacted with Blagojevich or his office about filling the vacant Illinois Senate seat, Obama said he, personally, had not.
But he left the door open to the possibility that his aides may have and promised that he would reveal the results of an investigation of any such interactions “in the next few days.”
He said: “what I want to do is gather all the facts about any staff contacts that may have taken place between the transition office and the governor’s office.”
He asserted, though, that no one on his staff engaged Blagojevich in his alleged efforts to trade the Senate seat for personal benefit.
Asked if federal investigators had contacted him or his people in the course of the investigation, Obama said that neither he nor his people had been interviewed.
“We had no contact”……sounds quite familiar doesn’t it? “I did not have sex with that woman,” yeah…rings a bell.
Basically this all comes down to what did he know, and when did he know it. Will the MSM ask the tough questions? Run down every lead? Shake the bushes? Based on past history I highly doubt it but a few may, like the Wall Street Journal:
What remains to be seen is whether this episode will put an end to what Chicago Tribune political columnist John Kass calls the national media’s “almost willful” fantasy that Mr. Obama and Chicago’s political culture have little to do with each other. Mr. Kass notes that the media devoted a lot more time and energy to investigating the inner workings of Sarah Palin’s Wasilla, Alaska, than it has looking at Mr. Obama’s Chicago connections.
To date, Mr. Obama’s approach to Illinois corruption has been to congratulate himself for dodging association with it. “I think I have done a good job in rising politically in this environment without being entangled in some of the traditional problems of Chicago politics,” he told the Chicago Tribune last spring. At the time, Mr. Obama was being grilled over news that he bought his house through a land deal involving Tony Rezko, a political fixer who was later convicted on 16 corruption counts. Rezko is mentioned dozens of times in the 76-page criminal complaint against Mr. Blagojevich.
Mr. Obama has an ambiguous reputation among those trying to clean up Illinois politics. “We have a sick political culture, and that’s the environment Barack Obama came from,” Jay Stewart, executive director of the Chicago Better Government Association, told ABC News months ago. Though Mr. Obama did support ethics reforms as a state senator, Mr. Stewart noted that he’s “been noticeably silent on the issue of corruption here in his home state including, at this point, mostly Democratic politicians.”
One thing the WSJ points out is that many lawmakers in Illinois were disgusted with Blagojevich and wanted him impeached. Illinois senate president Emil Jones, the man who helped Obama get that Senate seat, didn’t like the calls for impeachment and said so loudly. What would Obama do?
Many people were curious who Mr. Obama would side with in the dispute. Would it be with those Democrats who wanted to move aggressively against an apparently corrupt governor or with his old Chicago ally, Mr. Jones, who preferred to wait? Mr. Obama did neither. He kept silent. (I emailed the Obama campaign about Mr. Blagojevich’s problems in June, but my question was ignored.)
He acted like he always did. Took neither side and stayed in the shadows.
Classic Obama…..get the popcorn out folks
More here.
See author page
http://www.236.com/news/2008/12/10/if_they_imd_rod_blagojevich_an_10655.php
Going to need a much bigger bus if this keeps going. That’s the problem with ‘family’.
hell he will need a fleet of buses. and when will we really find out about obama’s role in this? we know he has one, i sooooo hope someone rolls on him. that would make my christmas.
Here we go Rupert Murdock and his various GOP propogada organs like the WSJ, Fox News, The Weekly Standard, etc, etc. bashing Obama for the next eight years (run Sarah run!).
All done through his numerous hack sockpuppets like John Fund, Fred Barnes, Hannity, O’Reilly, on and on.
Funny how you people bitch about Soros when Rupert Murdock is the ultimate puppet master.
Hell, wasn’t Clinton called the Teflon President? Q: What is even less sticky than Teflon? A: Obama.
I look forward to many days and years of use with my “obama’ coated frying pan.
The only way the MSM will sit up and take notice is if a naked Obama clutching a Koran in one hand and an AK47 in the other robs a D.C. Quickie Mart while shouting “Where’s da White Women?” in arabic. And, even then they will get that “tingle” up their collective legs.
Another thing. This IS how Obama operates. Never take a stand, never take a position that cannot be denied or spun away.
I will continue to watch this behavior from both of these dysfunctional entities for the next 4 (or more) years with a feeling of nausea and disgust for both.
I’ll say lawyers are burning up Fitz’s phones with offers from ‘clients’ who will talk if they are held 100% immune from prosecution. Any fool knows the FBI has identified every person involved in the phone call.
“We had no contact”……sounds quite familiar doesn’t it? “I did not have sex with that woman,” yeah…rings a bell. ”
It always comes back to Bill Clinton for the right wing hacks. Bush leaves us floundering in two losing wars, a incredible financial crises, 80 percent of Americans thinking the country has gone astray, a mortgage meltdown, Al Qaeda still roaming free as a bird – and clowns like you are talking about Monica lewinsky? Imagine if Bush had stuck to screwing the intern – imagine how much better this country would’ve been…but no – he had to be the big hero (having been AWOL during Vietnam) – and try to make up for all the coke he snorted and beer he guzzled while guys like John McCain were busy betraying the nation to get better accomodations in the Hanoi Hilton!
there’s a reason the right wing is now relegated to the deepest South – and will probably wander in the wilderness for years – you guys REALLY don’t get it! I’m sure CURT considers Bush to be a FAR superior president to Clinton!
COMMUNICATING, AT LEAST INDIRECTLY…
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/12/change-blagojevich-held-2-hour-long.html
No contact? Yeah, riiiiiiiight!
ROTTEN APPLE HARVEST TIME
Obama and Rezko, sittin in a tree.
Along come Blogo, and that make three.
Rezko fall down, now Blago fall, too.
Oh, Oh, Obama! Will next fall be you?
If he’s involved, just how willing are they going to be to shield him? All his closest friends are as bad as they can be. But he’s innocent as can be? I no think so.
War, Squeal pig! The blago scandal is killing you and I’m loving every second of it.
War, you are a braindead leftist scumbag. Two losing wars? We have won in Iraq. We certainly haven’t lost in Afghanistan. Al-qaeda has been severely embarrassed. Bush was proven never to be AWOL, served in the military, and your precious Clinton did not. Clinton did avoid military service by using his political connections. McCain suffered in a Vietnamese prison camp so sub-human garbage like you would have the right to spew your mentally ill leftist propaganda. Cocain? You have Bush confused with obama. Obama admitted to doing coke. A known liar accused Bush of it with no proof. The financial crisis was primarily caused by the progressives and is being made worse by them.
The pathological denial of reality that you and other leftists display makes it clear you have no business running a lemmonade stand let alone the country. Your party’s time in power will be short due to you delusions of creating a utopia when you are only destroying America.
You are lucky this isn’t my site. I would have banned you for the McCain insult alone.
We need a flow chart with pics. of all the shady people since his childhood that he has had contact with and their contacts. I think it would be very very interesting.
Hell, Obama has known it from day ONE. No and’s, if’s, or but(ts)….he is a product of that same Chicago machine that continually put Richard Daly at the helm. Books have been written…..
@Tom:
This is as close as I can come to that, but there may be more somewhere.
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=800
That’s right, Obama knows nothing
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2008/12/even-cached-articles-on-obama-blago.html
It seems the most telling thing was ol’ Bloggy cursing Obama: “for nothing? F— him” That remark tells me he wasn’t giving the guy anything. So, when nothing is being exchanged, where’s the beef?
Well, if that’s the case then obama knew he was trying to sell the seat–and apparently did not report it. IIRC, that is a crime.
LET’S JUST CHANGE THE SUBJECT, OK?
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/12/congressman-ell.html
http://www.iranian.com/main/singlepage/2008/valerie-jarrett
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/12/federal_sources.html
UH, WELL, MAYBE LET’S NOT?
War,
I almost puke reading you. How can someone be so mentally sick and still think he is right? Boy, there is some wackos in the States. Where do you get all that ill information? Why are you writing on this site? What is your goal? Do you really think that we will buy your stuff? So what is your point? You want some attention? Or what?
My advice to you is get some education and get inform before you make a comment, it will avoid you looking like an ignorant idiot.
We need to get Wordsmith to set up another of his rigged caption contests for that photo:
Obama to Blago: “So you appoint my pal to the Senate and I’ll make sure Fitzgerald is fired on January 20th.”
And Tom, I mentioned this in the post above but will repeat:
The NYTimes did a nifty interactive chart of MOST of the characters in this latest con:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/12/09/us/20081209_corruption.html
The only problem is that they left out one character who is at the center of the whole mess. Care to guess who that is?
Thats a great one Mike! ROFLMAO!
@Mike’s America:
Nice!
Can you get this to work, and do so without putting a lot of the info off-screan?
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/maprerout.htm
But, but, obama, I have some killer weed!
Here’s my new captions for the picture:
Gov ‘Hot Rod’ – “So anyway, I’m planning on having a private auction for “that thing” at the Governor’s Mansion and you can consider this an formal invitation to attend. I’m anxious to hear some good offers.”
Alternate:
Obama – “I only offered to sit in as your defense attorney to keep you from revealing something stupid that might implicate me. You’re lucky I got the case moved to Washington where they think I’m a “real” lawyer. Just keep your mouth shut and don’t worry about the verdict. If it goes bad, we’ll appeal, then if that fails, I’ll just pardon your ass.”
I would say the person in the center is Biden watching cartoons.
More fun with this:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228972243
Blagojevich was discussing large sums of money, with Obama, but not as part of the senatorial “package deal”. I find that a little hard to swallow. Hmmm, wonder into whom’s pockets that deficit money went? The way Rod was going after “quick money” and actually expecting in his phone conversations he might be impeached before he could finish his next two years as governor, one would think he had several other things to hide. Perhaps a costly cocaine habit to support?… What I don’t get is why he was concidering holding onto the senator appointment for himself as a golden parachute he could step down and take before the end of his term in office. How would that give him any “special protections”?
Who are the names of the ABCs & 123s given in the indictment? Maybe these helps:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228894031
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/speculation-whos-who-in-the-blago-complaint/
This looks like a good analysis too:
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/blagogate-whos-who/
“War, you are a braindead leftist scumbag. Two losing wars? We have won in Iraq. We certainly haven’t lost in Afghanistan. Al-qaeda has been severely embarrassed.”
We WON in iraq! That’s the funniest revision I read all week! Yeah – we WON if our “mission” was to invade a nation crippled by a 1993 war and years of sanctions! We Lost if the plan was to find WMDs, or to create a nation that shares American values – would YOU suggest that the new iraqi Parliment is Israel friendly? Is hostile to iran? No longer shares the idea of world-wide Islam? You’re a moron if you think so. Bush is a hated figure in iraq – last week tens of thosuands of Sadr’s followers (you remember HIM – he was the Shia leader oppressed by Saddam) burned effiges of Bush in public. We didn’t even get a good SOFA deal and Blackwater guards are about to be put on trial for murder. In Afghanistan, attacks are way up – with al qaeda leading the way. I wonder how YOU define winning? Oh I know – not crawling out in shame…
Hold your head up HIGH!!!
“Bush was proven never to be AWOL, served in the military, and your precious Clinton did not.”
Bush was CERTAINLY NOT proven to have never been AWOL – just the opposite – the story was burried by Bush-licking CBS in the so-called Rathergate incident. Even without the never-proven-to-be-forged Documents held by Rather, it was OBVIOUS that Bush was AWOL – and – for the record, serving in the texas national guard (while hiding out to drink beer and snort blow and chase tail) is not quite the same as serving in the military during a war…
McCain suffered in a Vietnamese prison camp so sub-human garbage like you would have the right to spew your mentally ill leftist propaganda.”
Keep telling yourself your sweet little lies. McCain served in a prison camp because his daddy ensured that he got a flight assignment after trashing numerous jets because he was foolish pilot. But even so – Vietnam had nothing to do with American freedom – unless you believe that the nation of Vietnam was a threat to America – 6000 miles away – are you THAT stupid? Does ANYONE still believe that we fought in Vietnam to protect American freedom? What a bunch of dopes!
“The financial crisis was primarily caused by the progressives and is being made worse by them.” Of course it was – after all, Republicans held the White House for the last 8 years and Congress for 12 of the last 14 – and we all know that Republicans are impotent – even when they hold all the power – it was ACORN – because they’re so MIGHTY – that a Republican administrationa and congress just FELL to their knees when confronted by the such a MIGHTY organization…
“The pathological denial of reality that you and other leftists display makes it clear you have no business running a lemmonade stand let alone the country. Your party’s time in power will be short due to you delusions of creating a utopia when you are only destroying America.”
republican congress and republican white house equals:
9/11
Katrina mismangement
Financial crises
bin laden stil free
two wars that have achieved little in the way of progressing American interests
and our constitution used as toilet paper…
yeah – I’m sure folks will miss you guys REAL BADLY!!!!
And with that, Warpublican has just proven again that he/she/it is a waste of time. Throw eight years of looney left talking points in a blender and this is what you come up with.
Took you long enough to respond WarDouche. Had to run to KOS and DUNG to be told how to lie? I’d love to see you mouth off to a Vietnam vet or Iraq vet. I know you wouldn’t tho. You’re just another leftist coward.
Like I said you are a sub-human, mentally ill, POS.
Missy, you hit it on the head. WarDouche shows why those like him are traitors and anything but patriots. In time, the left will get theirs and it won’t be pretty.
@Warpublican Review:
Yes.
It had everything to do with stopping the spread of international communism: