This may cause a stir eh?
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.
See author page
“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?
Sticks to high heaven.”
I would say it STINKS to high heaven, but that’s just me. And Chicago politics….. 8^)
With all the BS going on we will not find out anything until the next election cycle as the astute Fitzman needs 90 more days??? Where do we find and give jobs to the likes of these. it’s not a laughing matter but it really is a joke. Yes! On us.
asking for obama and his team to do a report on this and then “hiding” documants is like the fox in the hen house. it amazes me that the public actually believe this shit. it does look bad, a lie of omission.
Blago’s office sure got that freedom of information request filled ASAP didn’t they? I thought requests like that usually take much longer…
More information is coming out on Obama’s Blogojevich contacts
In spite of what the Obama team has told us, the contacts than had with Blagojevich ran deep. The most troubling thing is Obama wanted to maintain a close relationship with Blagojevich even after he was under suspicion. New information has been uncovered through the Freedom of Information act.
The Intellectual Redneck,
ummm… did you read those letters? I bet if you did a FOI for letters Obama sent to each of the state governors you would have nearly identical communications to each of them. (here is the direct link to Judicial watch’s FOI response and copies of the letters http://www.judicialwatch.org/documents/2009/BlagojevichFOIAresponse122408.pdf
It was a freakin form letter sent to a sitting Governor of a state.
Blagojevich is a crook and will end up in jail. End of story.