He who is without sin
Obama’s oleaginous “we were not, I was not aware of what was happening” dodge is looking greasier than ever:
The Chicago Tribune reports it has learned that “Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to be White House chief of staff, had conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration about who would replace Obama in the U.S. Senate.”
It quickly adds that “the revelation does not suggest Obama’s new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat.”
According to the Tribune, “one source confirmed that communications between Emanuel and the Blagojevich administration were captured on court-approved wiretaps. Another source said that contact between the Obama camp and the governor’s administration regarding the Senate seat began the Saturday before the Nov. 4 election.”
Emanuel’s role, the Tribune writes, basically came down to giving the Blagojevich team a list of Illinois Democrats who Obama would approve of as potential replacements for him in the Senate.
It should be remembered that there’s as yet no evidence of any wrongdoing on Obama’s part here, and there probably won’t be. Well, other than his usual lying about his close association with Chicago scumbags, I mean, which ain’t exactly legally actionable. But any moist-eyed Barrackolyte who henceforth tries to paint this clown as some “new kind of politician” ought to be horselaughed right out of all adult conversation, handed their blankie, and sent to bed without supper.
He is and has always been a Mark-1 Mod-0 grifter. He’s just way more inept at it than Clinton ever was. Which, to me, makes it all the more hilarious every time he shits and falls back in it.
(Via Dan)
Update! Fama sounds a cautionary note about Fitzgerald that ought also to be remembered:
You’d think a prosecutor so thorough that he spent two years peering into the Bush administration over a trumped-up charge would use a comparable standard for Blagojevich and the incoming Obama administration. But no.
Sounds right to me. Read on.
- Entries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Ynlp7sxZs&feature=channel_page
Cheers!
Nixon had nothing to do with breaking into the DNC office in the Watergate building, either. He was somewhere else, being President, with lots of witnesses.
It isn't the crime. it's the coverup.
who the hell is O to approve or disapprove??? it's supposed to be the PEOPLE who choose. i consider that to be collusion.
What pisses me off is his sudden disavowal of Blagojevich. He's just a governor who lives in his neighborhood...
His disavowel of Blagojevich, Rezko, Ayers, Dorne, Wright. They are friends, mentors, like family until shit hits the fan.
Then it becomes coincidence that they from the same neigborhood, church, committee or whatever else he wants his followers to believe. They have all fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
Its frightening that he believes, and has everyone around him believing, that he is above the law.
Otto Von Bismarck had a quote about legislation and making sausage - it is not pleasant to watch either being made. Same for politics. Blagojevich went beyond normal politics.
What should be remembered is that there is much more on the tapes than what was in the complaint (and I bet a lot will be innocuous - Blago telling someone he is going to be late, telling his wife he'll be home in an hour, asking an aide what's on the schedule for the day, etc.) No one else is a target under this complaint (so I have heard). That doesn't mean that other complaints won't be filed if and when Blagojevich decides to sing.
Remember - you have a US attorney with press attention and a RICO statute in his back pocket. Anything can happen when an unraveling thread is pursued. And having Blagojevich go sleep with the fishes will definitely (IMO) bring that RICO statute out. The Warren Hooper option may not be possible in this situation.
It is not illegal to discuss how a vacant Senate seat should be filled.
Blagojevich did go beyond normal politics. He is arrogant, selfish and self serving. Lucky for him that RICO will likely remain the elephant in the room.