Barack Obama is denying involvement in the Senate Seat Auction perpetrated by Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois.
…and I believe him. Sort of.
I also believe that Barack knows this sort of thing runs rampant in Chicago. I believe Barack Obama had to know this interchange would ensue despite his lack of direct involvement. This is in no way proof of Obama’s involvement. At best, a thin and dotted line can be drawn based on the Governor’s expectation that Barack Obama would become involved vis a vis his influence, if not financially. From the wiretaps…
The governor discusses with his staff the possibility of getting a high-paying position with an organization called “Change to Win,” connected to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). He would take the seat after resigning as governor. A “three-way deal” is discussed. He would choose the person they believe is Mr. Obama’s preferred candidate — “Senate Candidate 1″ — and the President-elect, they said, would find a way to influence someone to give him the Change to Win post.
The governor knows that Mr. Obama wants “Senate Candidate 1″ for the seat but complains “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation.” In another call, the governor asks advisers if they think Mr. Obama can get Warren Buffet and others to put up $10 to $15 million for a foundation he could head.
If this drama were playing out in Arizona with Senator McCain’s Senate Seat, the media would be going ballistic over this fiasco. In Illinois, this is de rigeur, as evidenced by the FBI initiating surveillance in October.
We may be in for a series of controversies with an Obama administration as clearly “That One” has suffered from an association problem his entire political career and he may have other debts to pay.
He learned well. Obama is a product of the most corrupt political system in America. He has heretofore exhibited little reluctance to associate with scum if it serves his greater ambitions. Having realized them, he may well regret what represents a clear pattern of poor decision-making. As Momma always said, be careful who you hang out with.
As it stands, the media honeymoon may be over for their lovechild Barack Obama as this stuff makes for great ratings. As more details emerge, we may find the President-Elect in hot water.
…hopefully not.
As much as the GOP would have savored an opportunity like this during the campaign, the economy needs our government’s full attention, even if they haven’t a clue how to fix it. We don’t need another Clintonistic national distraction.
Obama said NOTHING to anyone in Blago’s office about his successor?
Baloney. That ain’t how Chicago politics works. You might talk through subordinates to cover up your tracks, but you definitely talk to your patrons about what he wants done. The indictment makes it very clear that Blago talked to someone in Obama’s office.
This thing has already borne fruit.
The AP has identified the individual known as “candidate #5” in the indictment, the one that agreed to pony up cash for the seat, as…wait for it……Jesse Jackson Jr.
Sweeet.
It would be great if Fitzgerald arranged for an interview with Axelrod. Surely Axelrod knows that Fitzgerald successfully prosecuted Scooter Libby for making false statements to investigators.
Swiftee-
Supposedly candidate #1 — Obama’s pick — is Valerie Jarret: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1858012,00.html
ZOMG, the list of Illinois political figures that both Blago and Obama knew just keeps growing.
Think maybe it’s time Fancy Nancy put impeachment back on the table.
/jc
Slash you are an idiot. You can’t impeach a president elect. Also you can’t impeach a sitting president for actions he took before he was sworn in.
Obama’s a White Sox fan, you know. Ties to Eddie Cicotte?
Obama’s a White Sox fan, you know. Ties to Eddie Cicotte?
Nah, but Blago and Ozzie Guillen are both quite fond of the F-bomb.
When you give the government power, it becomes for sale. When you give the government more power, the price goes up. When you give government control over the collective, the control of the collective is for sale.
How is it that anyone who even thinks themselves to be intelligent, can support collectivism?
Leftism is a mental disorder!
Shirt is right, it’s time to derregulate the sale of government offices.
Maybe bundle them together, and repackage them to investment banks.
/jc
Actually, impeachment is for high crimes & misdemeanors, and does not specify that they must have been committed while in office. Hence the amazing Clinton team dedicated to suppressing Blackwater.
Disgusting, but amazing.
I’ll have to look into this further, Bike Bubba, but I think I am correct — at least as far as the rules of impeachment have been interpreted. I am virtually certain that no president has ever been impeached for conduct before he took office. It seems common sensical, too, that impeachment can only occur for an act committed as President.
Yeah, you do some legal research there, Terry. Maybe borrow a copy of that Harvard Law Review newspaper from the library.
Maybe borrow a copy of that Harvard Law Review newspaper from the library.
No need — it’s online. All the deep thoughts of Lani Guinier and Martha Nussbaum you could possibly want.
Hey clown — I’ve been to college. In college I learned to research any topic and then to write an informed opinion on what my research had revealed. It’s called a ‘liberal arts degree.
If you’ve been to college you didn’t learn a damn thing about logic, reasoning, or rhetoric. Sociology degree perhaps? Or maybe you went to one o’ them liberal arts colleges that specialises in giving morons a baccalaureate so they can get into daddy’s law school?
Slash said:
Maybe bundle them together, and repackage them to investment banks
So, haven’t you been reading the news lately?Investment banks have been one of their biggest customers. Nice try though.
Yeah, you do some legal research there, Terry. Maybe borrow a copy of that Harvard Law Review newspaper from the library.
AC, you only voted for a guy who supervised the people who actually wrote for the HLR, that dosen’t make you a legal scholar.
Obama said NOTHING to anyone in Blago’s office about his successor?
The Networks are playing (I think month-old) video by Axelrod confirming that Oprahma did in fact talk to Governor Rod Blagojevich specifically about his Senate Seat Sucksessor, countering Mr. Jimmy’s claim today that he had not been in contact with the Governor regarding same.
So, either Axelrod is lying or Obama is lying.
Either way, it ties Obama to the controversy, at least for the media’s enjoyment.
Terry, Nixon would have been impeached for actions taken before he started his second term, no? You don’t need to go to the law library; you simply need to consult the Constitution. Here’s the text:
“The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. ”
The reason you don’t find many cases of impeachment for cases of crimes committed before taking office is because one would assume voters would tend to vote against corrupt officials.