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December 09, 2008

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David Axelrod denied earlier today that Obama had spoken to Blagojevich about the Senate seat, but not that the two men had spoken, and a reader points out that the last time they actually met is obvious -- Obama's visit to the National Governors Association last week.

The reader sends on the picture above from the event.

There's lots of chatter this evening about the relationship between the two men, with Obama's backers portraying it as frosty, his detractors potraying them as brothers in arms.

The reality of Obama's relationship with the Chicago Democratic machine is more nuanced, and has been widely explored. He certainly isn't a creature of the machine, wasn't born into it like Daley or married into it like Blagojevich. He came up in the reformist enclave of Hyde Park, but -- as is often the case with a strong machine and talented outsiders -- after he emerged, the organization's leaders saw his promise, and gave him some leeway, and he didn't mount a crusade against their transactional political system. To have refused, for instance, to support Blagojevich in 2006 would have been a major reformist statement; Obama didn't make it, and instead backed the incumbent governor. Obama's tighest inner circle -- Jarrett, Emanuel, Axelrod, Bill Daley -- is composed of people at least one degree closer in, and who each made millions in part off their various connections.

Perhaps the best way to see him is as a neutral in the (lopsided) battle between machine and reformers in Illinois. That's the stance he took in a defining battle, the 2006 contest for the presidency of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Reformers fault him for failing to support their champion; but he didn't endorse the machine favorite either. He stayed on the sidelines, and kept his focus on the White House. You can accuse him of cowardice for that, or you can grant him that he had decided to devote himself to larger causes and ambitions than Illinois political reform.

Unlike many others, Obama has not enriched himself off the machine; the closest he came was accepting Tony Rezko's apparent help in buying a house. He backed ethics legislation that made the traditional ways a bit more inconvenient, though the fact that State Senate President Emil Jones, a leading machine soldier, backed it suggests it wasn't exactly revolutionary. And he kept himself apart from many of the transactions -- and other insiders, seeing his promise and not wanting to taint him -- kept him away from any taint.

This isn't really particularly mysterious; it's a fairly common pattern in urban politics, in which smart organization pols let a fair-haired boy (back in the day when they were all Irish) keep his hands clean, and he does keep his hands clean. But as Obama's degree closeness or distance from Blagojevich comes under intense scrutiny, it's worth keeping the broader structure in mind.

"and he does keep his hands clean"
This is all I care about as an American. I do not pretend Obama is perfect but as long as he has not broken any laws or played dirty, I do not care about Chicago. The GOP trolls will scream, yes, but Obama's clean on this one. And nothing they can whine about will change that Obama will be running this nation for at least four years. Claim he is not change (which is strange because he has already outlined plans), that he will be impeached (this does not make any sense whatsoever), that he has dirty connection (he is clean) but the man will be in charge. For America's sake, we desire a good President.

What a ****ing liar you are Ben. You said, "Obama has not enriched himself off the machine; the closest he came was accepting Tony Rezko's apparent help in buying a house." Did you forget the position the Michelle Obama received after Obama won the Senate seat? In January of 2005 Barack Obama became a freshman United States senator. In March of 2005 Mrs. Obama received a promotion at her place of employment, the not-for-profit University of Chicago Hospitals. Prior to the promotion, she was a hospital administrator earning $121,910 annually. Her promotion provided her with a title -- Vice-President for Community and External Affairs -- and a salary of $316,962.
There is no coincidence here. There is absolutely no doubt that Mrs. Obama received a salary increase of $195, 052 simply because her husband had become a senator. If one denies the causal relationship between the two events, then one has decided to allow their politics to cloud their judgment. The position of Vice-President for Community and External Affairs did not exist prior to the creation of the position for Mrs. Obama, and now that Mrs. Obama has resigned from the position in order to campaign for her husband, the hospital has not seen the need to fill the open position. To suggest that Mrs. Obama's work efforts had suddenly justified a weekly increase in pay of $3751 is ludicrous.

This whole point seems pretty worthless to me. Let us remember that Harry Truman himself was helped along and supported by the corrupt Kansas City machine and never did anything dirty. Sort of like Obama. I think the thing that they have in common is that neither endorsed nor denounced the practices of their peers. That may sound a bit gutless but they both owe some of their success to keeping quiet. Its the kind of calculation politicians, even clean ones, make all the time.

The University of Chicago is a private institution, not a city or state college. If Michelle got a promotion after Obama's election and it was connected to her husband, it's more likely that her raise was a push by the U of C to gain influence than it was the Obamas soliciting it. Either way, it's not quite the same thing as using a contact made on the job and then working for that contact after quitting government service - as Rahm Emmanuel and tons of other politicians have.
Describing Obama as neutral is accurate.

Lets be clear, the government has not implied in any way shape or form that Obama has anything to do with this PERIOD. What I don't get is why Obama didn't say something to the effect of, this is a terrible day for the state of Ill (which he did). While I do not believe myself of my staff to be involved in this investigation in any way shape or form, I will make the available to answer any questions the appropriate authorities may have. Instead he gave the categorical denial which has whipped up a part of the country into a frenzy trying to punch holes in it. Thoughts, anyone?

Ben, how many Governors was at this meeting? If you look at the video, you can hear PE Obama, say he wanted to shake everyone's hand. There is no way that anyone can put these two together unless you include all the other forty something Governors at the conference. The reader that sent that in to you didn't do anything but make you and he look more stupid than what you are. Are you sure you did not attend 4 or 5 colleges like palin to get your degree in journalism.

@ Elrod - you wrote,"Describing Obama as neutral is accurate." Bullcrap. Did you forget that once Michelle Obama was promoted he sought federal earmarks for his wife's hospital? "In among them was a request for $1 million in federal funding in 2006 for a new pavilion at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where his wife, Michelle Obama, was a vice president at the time"

It's all the Republican trolls know how to do, manufacture fake scandals. The country won't be distracted this time. Obama's clearly not involved, and there's 8 years of Bush's corruption & ineptitude to clean up. The Republicans here should go back to hyper-analyzing the kerning on Obama's birth certificate. The rest of us will continue living in the reality-based community.

@ Mike - you wrote - "I am sure that the Republicans will make a lot out of this,for they have nothing else. Of course,they will want to seek that America forgets to forget their own gross mess." Mike, did you forget that the Democrats have been in control of the House and Senate for the last two years? Did I miss where you discussed their mess of leadership or failures?

ARE YOU TRULY SAYING THAT OBAMA IS 'SORTA' LIKE TRUMAN ? LOL
HE HAS SO MANY CROOKED CONNECTIONS IN HIS PAST -- DON'T BELIEVE FOR A MINUTE THAT REZKO WOULDN'T EXPECT SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR ANYTHING ? AND WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER 'BILLIONAIRE' THAT WAS IN ON THE HOUSE DEAL... OBAMA HAS A REPUTATION FOR DOING ANYTHING FOR MONEY AND HE'S GOT A LOT OF FAVORS TO REPAY .... HE EVEN LIES FOR MONEY !!!! HE'S HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE -- THAT'S
WHY HE'S SO GOOD AT IT.....HE ONLY MADE $12.000 A YEAR WHEN HE WAS AN ORGANIZER (?) AND HE BUYS A HOUSE ASSESSED AT OVER $3 MILLION FOR ONLY $1.26 MILLION ... OF COURSE, WITH REZKO'S HELP AND ALSO THE BILLIONAIRE FROM IRAN.... IT JUST GOES ON AND ON ... TELL YOU WHAT ! I'D BELIEVE BLAGOJEVICH BEFORE I WOULD BELIEVE OBAMA.. THAT'S HOW HONEST I THINK HE IS !!!!!

@ Fred - You Obamabots are living in a alternate reality. Gov. Blagojevich is holding onto Obama's right hand with BOTH of his hands. Kind of hard to 'blowing past' him when you are looking at the man and physically attached. I guess now photographs lie to. Damn evil Republican cameras!

Libertarian,
I bet Fitzgerald told him not to comment lest it taint an ongoing case. Obama is, potentially, a witness in Blago's case. As such, it behooves the prosecutor to have potential witnesses not taint a potential jury pool. This is pretty standard stuff.

Bullcrap. Did you forget that once Michelle Obama was promoted he sought federal earmarks for his wife's hospital? "In among them was a request for $1 million in federal funding in 2006 for a new pavilion at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where his wife, Michelle Obama, was a vice president at the time"
I don't know who you are quoting here but there's no credible evidence out there that Obama sought an earmark for U of C hospital only after they promoted her.
U of C hospital is one of the biggest employers in Chicago - and certainly in Obama's old Senatorial district. If he'd seek an earmark anywhere, it would be the U of C hospital. His wife's employment is hardly necessary to justify an earmark to any pol from that district.

MICHELLE'S SALARY IS A GOOD POINT -
SINCE VALERIE JARRETT WAS HER BOSS AT THAT TIME -- WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE OBAMA PROMISED HER IF SHE WOULD 'GO' ALONG WITH THINGS....HE 'S PAID HER BACK BIG TIME AND STILL IS...VALARIE WAS PICKED RIGHT OUT OF THAT JOB AND WENT TO WORK FOR OBAMA AND HIS CAMPAIGN .....WHAT ABOUT THE 4 STOOGES....RAINES, HOWARD, AND JOHNSON? THEY WALKED AWAY (WITH OVER 300 MILLION) FROM FANNNIE MAE, AND FREDDIE MAC AND WENT RIGHT TO WORK FOR OBAMA....HOW MANY CONNECTIONS DO YOU NEED....THERE IS MORE.... THE TWO COLLEGE ROOMATES FROM PAKISTAN ('81) THAT HE PUT IN CHARGE OF ALL THE
'SMALL' CONTRIBUTIONS (LOL) DURING HIS CAMPAIGN? BOY, I COULD WRITE A BOOK! YOU KNOW , PEOPLE WANT TO BELIEVE THE BEST OF EVERYTHING BUT THERE ARE TIMES (WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR COUNTRY) THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF CROOKED PEOPLE OUT THERE ..
AND THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW IT...

To the poster to responded to me.
How long have the republicans controlled the white house? the past 8 years. How long have the republicans controlled the House before 2006? Oh that's right, the last 12 years.

To Law Student, You're side has produced so many fake scandals, that no one believes you.
It's all the Republican trolls know how to do, Scream, Cry out and manufacture fake scandals. The country won't be distracted this time. Obama's clearly not involved, and there's 8 years of Bush's corruption & ineptitude to clean up. The Republicans here should go back to hyper-analyzing the kerning on Obama's birth certificate. The rest of us will continue living in the reality-based community.

Maybe it''s time people start paying attention to investigative journalist Evelyn Pringle.
Curtain Time For Barack Obama
- Part II
By Evelyn Pringle
16 May, 2008
Countercurrents.org
Read Part I
US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald does not make a habit of destroying pubic officials by listing them in indictments for no reason and the only two political candidates identified as receiving campaign money from Operation Board Games kickback schemes are Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and the US Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.
Instead of referring to Board Games as the ?Rezko? case, before long the media will likely be calling it the ?Blagojevich? case. However, because the governor did not become the presidential candidate, when the scandal is recorded in the history books it will be the ?Barack Obama? case.
Curtain Time Part II will show that Obama was the inside guy in the Illinois senate as far as setting up the Health Facilities Planning Board to extort contributions from companies in exchange for the approval of applications to build medial facilities.
http://www.countercurrents.
org/pringle160508A.htm

Yes, Obama is a very shrewd politician. He works all the angles without getting himself dirty, and in the end he comes out on top. It's very wise in politics to work the game rather than play it. The only problem is Obama's pitch was that he was a reformer and not a typical politician. Now we hear that he has no real reform record, just a shrewd game. If he won't stand up for what's right or lie down with the dogs, then doesn't that mean his interests lie in just looking out for number one, albeit smartly?

@ Elrod - You do realize that your were pwned. You are just too proud or pig headed to admit that your savior - Obama (Praise Be His Name) is no better that the corrupt/un-American/terrorist crowd he calls friends. Rev. Wright, Ayers, Blagojevich, repeat lather rinse.

Law Student, I'll just brand you as a Far-right-fringe then. Maybe you can finally understand why you're side lost the election. No one cares about a washed out terrorist, except you. And Obama has been cleared by the US attorney prosecutor of any allegation to the complaint in regards to this. You've guys repededitly cry wolf, and it just so happens no one believes your side loony accusations and assertions. Go back to hyper-analyzing the kerning on Obama's birth certificate, while the rest of us live in Reality

"You do realize that your were pwned. You are just too proud or pig headed to admit that your savior - Obama (Praise Be His Name) is no better that the corrupt/un-American/terrorist crowd he calls friends. Rev. Wright, Ayers, Blagojevich, repeat lather rinse." - If there's anyone who got pwned it's you. But please continue your bigoted and far-right fringe assertions. You guys are you're own worse enemy, and are only proving our point.

Obama was a nobody until he lucked onto the Dem ticket in 2004 Senate. I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean literally that almost no one knew of him. His name was foreign, he wasn't on Chicago news, he wasn't on local talk shows, Oprah never mentioned him. Ryan (the one with the Star Trek wife and scandal, not the convict ex-gov) was a shoe in for the seat and the Machine figured it was lost--Obama got lucky with the Ryan divorce scandal and the rest is history. With that opening people took a look at for the first time and LOVED him. This is what people miss. The Machine didn't support him, he put himself in a position to get lucky...and he did. Obama has been too ambitious to compromise his reputation and the Machine never took him seriously because of his last name. We're all lucky it went down as it did.

What a mealy mouth statement from Obama. Where is the outrage, where is the opportunity to rail against corruption? It sure appears it was carefully worded to give him legal cover as this case unravels further. Anyone from Illinois knows the Chicago machine is crooked and Obama is a part of the machine. This is only the tip of the iceberg. The fish rots from the head down and soon the head of the country will be Obama.

Good 'ole Barry.... Mr. Clean, maintains his political viability by voting "Present" when given the opportunity to make a real stand against Chicago's currupt machine, but ya gotta give him points for throwing Blago under the bus at the first available opportunity, just like Tony rezko, Rev Wright, and his dear old Grandma........

Ben I think you should contact Rich Miller before writing articles such as this. Chicago politics is generally corrupt but Obama has managed to stay above the fray. As a student of Illinois politics I can tell you Illinois politics is very complicated and as you say "nuanced." As for the rest of commenters, Blagojevich has been seen like a plague to Democrats and Republicans alike for the past two years and the smart ones (Obama, Daley, Durbin and others) have avoided him like he is the plague. Sure they gave professional acknowledgements since Blagojerk wasn't under official indictment or arrest, but today everything has changed.

President-elect Barack Hussein Obama needs to explain fully why he is shaking Blagojevich's hand so firmly, and why both men are smiling. This is Barack Hussein Obama's responsibility to explain this and the country expects nothing less.

Obama is the most incorruptible president. He forged his way for years to become the president that the people wanted. He is too smart to tarnish his image with corruption.
Posted By: Keep it real | December 09, 2008 at 10:32 PM
ha ha ha The Dali Bama smokes ***s...

My sources tell me that Alan Keyes is already dropping hints about another run for the Senate if the Illinois State legislature calls a special election. If the Republicans gain a Senate seat behind this scandal Blago should get the electric chair!

So what are you idiots alleging against Obama? Do you need to wait until Rush tells you? Obama did what? He tried to bribe the Gov. of Illinois to get his pick for a 57th or 58th Senate seat? The President-Elect, who knows darn well Blago is a crook and under investigation decided to try to buy the seat for someone else???? Or maybe you think he wanted to make some money by splitting a pay out with his close friend Blago (whom he didn't ask to campaign for him, made sure he didn't speak at the DNC, didn't include in his campaign, didn't invite to Grant Park and hasn't spoken with in a 2 months)? Blago is a crook, Blago is from Illinois, Obama is from Illinois, ergo Obama is a crook???

My thought on Obama's statement is that he is an attorney. Harvard Law. So he knows very well that the wrong statement could sink any prosecution of this idiot governor. If he were to blast the guy then Blago could, with reason, eventually claim that inflammatory statements by the President of the USA prejudiced members of the jury pool against him. Obama is actually in a no-win situation. No doubt he'd like to comment and has, instead, to tread very carefully. Who would want this person to avoid trial because of something he said?
My sense is that everybody has known for years that this fellow is crooked and under investigation. No doubt he's been radioactive as far as Obama and his political team.
Finally, what is it with the governors of IL? The last one, GOP, is cooling his heels in the clink, also.

If you can't think of a reason why a President-Elect would try to bribe for someone else to replace his seat in the Senate, that's probably because it doesn't make any sense. This attempt to taint Obama with guilt by geographic assoication is pathic.
Why would Obama do this again?
Obama was going to split the money with Blago? Obama and Blago are best friends and Obama was just trying to do him a solid (even though he didn't campaign with the guy, allow him to speak at the DNC, invite to Grant Park or apparently speak with any time since his election).
I mean, seriously, if you're going to accuse someone of wrongdoing, at least accuse them with something.
The President-Elect, if he were corrupt, would have named Blago Attorney General or head of the FBI or at least Ambassador to France. Instead, we're supposed to believe he's corrupt so he's going to bribe for his old seat for a friend??
Or hey, maybe Obama might no someone with the power to pardon or commute or just stop a case federal case from going forward? Someone like maybe a President? If Obama were to know of a person like that, maybe, just maybe, Blago would be kissing his ass rather than shaking him down?
Maybe, just maybe, Blago knows Obama isn't dirty????? Couldn't be that my conspiratorial friends.

Wow, How breathtaking it is! Welcome to Obamaland or Obama's White House! Although all dems/liberals say with their brave face that Obama has nothing to hide from this tragic episode for Illinois politics. Our President-Elect also said today with brave face that he had no contact with the Governor Blagoojevich. Do you believe it with all faith? It sounds familiar to what President Clinton had said that "I have not have sex with that women"? Clinton also showed bave face when he declared it, but at the end of the day he was impeached becaused he lied! I wonder whether the next four years will become Clinton's White House-redux. Although the Prosecutor has not implicated Obama in this corruption yet, anyone with an IQ of 100 will be skeptical that Obama, or at least his advisors with his knowledges and authority, may not be implicated in some ways. Obama said many things during the campaign that turned out to be untrue; for example, that Ayers, that Tony, and that GD America? He disowned all of them when their associations looked bad to him. After Obama was elected, these people now all came out to call him a friend. I guess we should fasten our seat belts for a bumpy ride with Obama for the next four years.

Again, what are you accussing Obama of anyway? If Obama were a crook Blago would be kissing his ass or already have some cozy appointment. Instead the dittoheads go after Obama for mysterious non-crimes they suspect(nay know!) must have happened. What crimes, they cannot say...perhaps because people with more power don't bribe people with less power (like, I dunno, a President-Elect bribing a Gov. with a 13 pt approval percentage and widely known to be under federal investigation???)

Gee, republicans... if we're gonna talk about half-baked accusations and innuendo, why not discuss why Rove and Cheney saw the need to blow up 3 office towers and knock a plane-size hole in the pentagon?

I personally just find the timing of this arrest odd, perculiar, curious, premature and untimely. The Feds has been on Blagojevich's tail for 4-5 years, so why, all of a sudden, was all so eager to handcuff him, not for a publicly humiliating perp-walk, but in the quiet and privacy of the early morning? Keep in mind, Obama is not due to swear in for another 40 days, and Blagojevich was still dangling the bait of senator appointment for better offers and maximum bribes. Why wouldn't Patrick Fitzgerald wait for a little longer and let this thing played out before administering a coup de grace. Trust me, when you had a big bait such as a vacant senator seat dangled over the cesspool of Chicago dirty politics, there surely would have been more attempted bites from those political creatures. Again, why not casting a wider net and setting a deeper trap so the Feds would have a bigger catch. This inopportune arrest scared off at least a few more would-be perpetuators. Was Fitzgerald afraid that, had this shenanigan gotten dragged on further, there would have been more entanglement and implication that would have reached the inner circle of Obama, Jackson, Daley and whatnot's friends, aides and associates -past and present? It would have created an uncontrollable political wild fire that might burn and hurt a lot of people, especially the old power that be and the new administration. The cynical observation is that Fitzgerald, by shutting this thing down now, acted more like a fire marshall doing a preemptive burning, than a federal prosecutor bent on rounding every perp up and rooting out most, if not all the corruption in Chicago once and for all. I sincerely hope Fitzgerald had a better strategy and more indictments up in his sleeve to prove me wrong.

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be denying. I'm a loyal Obama man, but it beats me. I mean, yeah I deny he's a crook--but why exactly is a denial needed? Still waiting on this very interesting criminal taint theory to materialize...he's guilty of knowing a corrupt politician at one point and then not having anything to do with them>? Is that a crime? Is it a crime to be from Illinois all of the sudden?

People here are being much too quick to assume the worst. Blagojevich does sound like a real jerk, but some of the things attributed to him sound almost like the sort of things that some creep at a cocktail party would say to get attention. Bragging about power and wrong doings are not quite the same thing as actually doing illegal things. They may be the same thing morally; but for sure they are not legally.

As long as the investigators are saying Obama isn't involved...why are people here at Politico assuming that he is?

I'm pretty sure that Obama is having an affair with Sarah Palin. I saw a picture of them standing together at the governor's meeting. The picture of the two of them talking at that meeting is all I need to know for a certainty that Obama is having an affair with her. It's true. Honest. Just look at the pictures of them together.

Politicians of Obama's political skill, temperament, intelligence and eloquence do not need to be corrupt to succeed! Why would somebody as smart and talented as Obama be so stupid as to play Blago's bizarre game? He was naive with Rezko and learned his lesson.
FDR and Truman did to NYC and KC machines like Obama did to the Chicago machine: Let it be for the greater good. If Obama attacks them, he'd go nowhere. If Obama plays their game, he gets taken down a la Blago. If he neither attacks nor plays, he becomes President. That's just pragmatic! That's just smart!
Average, run-of-the-mill nobodies like Blago need to be corrupt to succeed. Political juggernauts like Obama don't.

SpectCon - Let me explain Republican logic to you:
1. Blago had a 13% approval rating and was widely rumored to be under investigation.
2. Blago didn't speak at the convention nor was he involved in the campaign.
3. Obama's favored replacement pulled out of consideration within a week of the election.
4. Blago said Obama & Co. only offered "appreciation" and Blago in turn offered to "**** them"
5. Obama is evil.
Weight of the evidence!

Obama, who is usually good at selecting his words, should have been more careful and said he had "no contact" with Blago and "discussions on this issue." He omitted the last part, and the media is misreading his comments in assuming it meant there had been no call of congratulations, no handshake at the governors' meeting, no calls at all in the last six or so months. He needs to take a machete to scum like Blago, turning this case into a "teachable moment" like he did on Wright and race. Today was Hope for Hannity Day. But a guy that was able to shake off Wright can dispose of this crude hairball of ambition without much ado. But he should do something. This is an ugly reminder of political venality that is a sad reality in many places where it is practised with more sophistication. And Obama must not let this guy's mud tarnish him.

In a sequence of events that neatly captures the contradictions of Barack Obama’s rise through Illinois politics, a phone call he made three months ago to urge passage of a state ethics bill indirectly contributed to the downfall of a fellow Democrat he twice supported, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.
Mr. Obama placed the call to his political mentor, Emil Jones Jr., president of the Illinois Senate. Mr. Jones was a critic of the legislation, which sought to curb the influence of money in politics, as was Mr. Blagojevich, who had vetoed it. But after the call from Mr. Obama, the Senate overrode the veto, prompting the governor to press state contractors for campaign contributions before the law’s restrictions could take effect on Jan. 1, prosecutors say.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10chicago.html?_r=2&hp

A special election is not the way to prevent Blago from naming a Senator. For one thing, even if the legislature passed a bill on Monday, Gov. Blago would have 60 days to sign or veto it. That gives him at least two months to use his appointment power.
The only way to ensure against a Blago appointment is described here at The Purple Center blog.
thepurplecenter.blogspot.com/2008/12/senators-should-announce-theyll-refuse.html

"insiders, seeing his promise and not wanting to taint him -- kept him away from any taint." Wrong. Just the opposite Ben -- they stayed away from Obama because he wouldn't play their dirty games. About 3 times a year for the 8 years Obama was in the IL senate, he was sponsoring some kind of ethics bill (21 in all -- 2 passed, one of them "the broadest ethics-reform legislation in 25 years"). He wasn't just trying to "keep his hands clean," he was trying to clean all of their hands.

Of course the vultures are out for blood! They forget that they have a present sitting president who has broken many laws, they forget about Ted Stevens! They forget that they all rallied to elect a vp who was in fact found guilty of abuse of power! They think corruption in gov is ok if it is a corrupt republican, but find one corrupt democrat and everyone who has ever been in the same room with him must be corrupt as well! Get over yourselves! The criminal complaint showed that Obama knew nothing about it and it was most likely the Union rep that was the person who was told of this Gov interest in getting paid for the choice, I believe the Union rep was also the one who turned it in after letting someone else know about what was going on! Obama is a graduate of Harvard Law, don't think for a minute that he would be stupid enough to screw up his political career with this petty crap!
Let me point out one thing that many of you vultures don't think about! In order for someone who is either of a race or a female to make it, they must walk a very fine line and stay far above the rest and that is only to be considered a somewhat equal to the most biased, yes that means you vultures out there! I have seen it many times over and watched as the highest of these achievers make it, then watched as they still had to prove their worth to fools like you vultures! Obama is clean in this mess and history will prove it! President elect Barack Obama is a good and honest man and he has proven that in his actions. I would like to see any one of you vultures try to walk in his shoes for even one day anrd see how well you would do? I bet you would fail at the first second! So to all you vultures out there, waiting for the moment to attack president elect Obama, go get a life and get over yourselves!

For those informed voters, such as myself, this is no surprise. We have known for a long time BO's ties to the "pay to play" politics of Illinois...how did MO get that highly paid job...how did MO get that board appointment...hey, I'm just talking about the wife's bennies, haven't even started on BO.
I'm loving it...nothing like live entertainment.

What's the big deal? Ted Kennedy is making deals to give his Senate seat to his wife. Joe Biden is working on a deal for his seat. There's no way Bill Clinton isn't getting something for Hillary's seat. The Senate has turned into the House of Lords except in true American fashion you can buy the title.

Nice work, Ben. In the end, desperate Republicans are going to try to make the guilt-by-association thing work, but the guy was a governor, so a lot of people knew Blagojevich. Obama broke no laws, no did he help anyone break any laws.

If Obama did nothing wrong, why did he tell such a bold faced lie "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening" when his campaign manager and photographic evidence suggest otherwise. The procecution has made no reference that Obama is involved, but I am curious as to why he was so quick to lie about it.

Actually, BO claimed that Ayers was just some guy in my neighborhood, and on and on. And now after the election, Ayers now freely says that the families were close friends.

You?ve got Rezko and his real estate deal. BO?s explanation? I was a bonehead. Hmmmmmm.

The question here is, despite anything that BO claims right now, why did Blago feel that BO owed him something when he was getting angry at BO?

If BO had nothing to do with Blago ever, and was never involved, why did Blago think that BO owed him anything at all?

There is your question.

What did Blago do for BO that Blago now felt BO owed him?

BO was involved in the sewer of Chicago politics. You don?t come out of the sewers of a h**l hole like Chicago without being dirty. (Sorry to those of you who still want to believe some kind of fantasy. But you are kidding yourselves.)

Aren?t you glad he moved his organization to Chicago? Ain?t Chicago great?

Beware. The narcissism of Blago and the arrogance is unbelievable. Someone who is beyond anything other than his own self centered survival.

If BO was involved with Blago, and Blago is going down, Blago will take anyone and everyone with him to spare his own sorry skin.

Blago will blame everyone and everything on someone else in order to save himself, and he will talk to anyone who will listen.

BO could be damaged in his first presidential term.

Watch for the Chicago democrat machine to try to bury their own dirt as quickly and as quietly as possible to prevent any damage to the BO administration. And then, the democrat machine in Washington will move fast to stifle the entire thing in order to protect BO.

The democrats, being saddled with Blago, their own Nixon type, will move to bury and silence everything so the players aren?t revealed.

BlagO and RezkO are gonna be singin a duet. . . . The next swearing in for Obama will be in a Chicago courtroom. . . . Obama wasn't aware? Wasn't aware of what, that he was being taped by the FBI too? . . . Meanwhile, Obama says he's gonna give a major speech in an Islamic capital, which for you members of Cult Obama, is in one of the 57 states.

Other governors have stepped aside for extra marital affairs (with men and women), and Blago is caught dead to rights on tape, and refuses to resign.

What kind of arrogance and self centered narcissism is that?

It is the narcissism born of someone who has dirt on other people.

He believed if he was a senator, he would have more protections from being indicted and arrested. This guy actually believed he would STILL run for PRESIDENT. (This guy is psychologically unbalanced.)

Until he was indicted, he was a pariah, no one wanted to go near him. Now that he has been indicted, he has some power now. (Not much, but some.). If he goes down, he will start naming names to save his own skin.

Look at the amazing chutzpah of this guy who refuses to get out of the chair! Caught on tape, in his own voice, and still refuses to leave.

The Right wing trolls have so completely lost it, it's quite remarkable. Obama has not be charged with any connection at all, The US attorney Prosecuter, who is a republican, has said it clear as day, Obama is clean in this complaint. You guys are grasping at straws. It's quite pathetic to see. It's like you're not even paying attention to reality.

OK class, can somebody tell me what is wrong with this sentence from the article above? . . .
"Unlike many others, Obama has not enriched himself off the machine; the closest he came was accepting Tony Rezko's apparent help in buying a house."

For those Obamabots now trying to distance Obama (Oh Praise Be His Name) from Blagojevich there are few stumbingling blocks for you in your mental gymnastics.
Both Obama and Blagojevich got extensive money and support from Chicago businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko. At least one top aide to Obama, Michael Strautmanis, previously worked for Blagojevich.
Obama even campaigned/raised money for Blagojevich after the FBI started targeting him for corruption in 2003. It is all documented and their hundreds of photos of them together.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20081210/0022190fd3300aa95d6307.jpg

Oh boy! Something to take the slobbering haters minds off that contrived pesky birth certificate scandal. Another guilt by association scandal. Sigh. Give it up, desparatos! It's President Obama now. You can alleged all the "scandals" you want, he's still our president. Get over it, already! Sheesh!

It seems that the damage control mentality is still in order... I love when s-c-u-m-b-a-g journalists like Bennie and other say he is not a product of Chicago school. Indeed he was not born there, but what about married in??? His wife Michelle is native Chicagoan with close ties to Jackson and other Democratic operaives in the town. her father was a part of the Democratic political machinery in the town. So don't give me that c-r-a-p how Barry didn't see, didn't smell, didn't hear anything. He actively supported and worked on Blago's political campaigns in the past and they supported and endorsed each others' candidacies. But as I saw yesterday on CNN... Gloria Borger, John King, Martin "Angry" Roland, all registered Democrats.... doing damage control for Barry... No, this is not going to hurt him, he was never a part of the Chicago life etc. etc... So part of which or whose life was Barry??? Kripton? Honolulu? Seattle? Dudleyville??? he got his mansion by Rezko, who was a close friend of Blago and Barry. And of course MayBee pointed out a very good point: what about Michelle and her salary, which drastically went up after her hubby became prominent???

Everyone knows that Barry is corrupt. Only difference between Rezko, Blago, jackson and the rest of the gang and him is that he is more skillful at hidding his corruption. What of course is not that hard, considering 99% of the media is in the Monica position. So we have to do our homework. Which you Bennie are paid to do.

And now this lying clown will be in the White House... It is so sad that I had to laugh. Instead moving forward the next four years, we will be again vegetating for four years like during Carter's years...

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Sen. Barack Obama and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley at a rally in Chicago on April 16, 2007, after the U.S. Olympic Committee announced Chicago as the U.S. 2016 Applicant City for the summer Olympics.

Isn?t it ironic that a 2 term Gov. is outed for being a sleazy crook and a Jr. Senator as bad or worse, was un vetted and was given a free ride to the white house, by the MSM.
Save your bleeding hearts liberals, you?ll need it to vomit your pity for Obama when and ?if? all the truth comes out.
I can see the spinning going on now in the hallowed halls of Chicago?s capital. The Gov. has known ties to the Poison Dwarf Rahm, to Rezko and Axelrod and the rest will come out, hopefully. Ha! This guy Blago, should have a lucrative future, if he keeps his mouth shut about his friend and political comrade, the illustrious Senator from the South Side of Chicago.
Well, I guess we know where some of those millions Obama took in will end up. The messiah stands on quick sand, this is just another dent in his armor that millions failed to admit existed. Just wait till you people who passionately wait for your free stuff discover it ?ain?t? coming!

I was struck by the video of Obama "greeting" Blago. He stopped to say a few words -- or at least gave eye contact -- to every Governor but Blago, whom he just blew right by.
If you actually look at the photo (which is presumably the best Ben could do), you'll see that Obama isn't even looking at Blago.

American Patrol Report Commentary -- December 10
Reconquista Villaraigosa Marches with SEIU
Yesterday the American Patrol Report focused on Barack Obama's links to the Service Employee International Union (SEIU). Within hours we learned that the SEIU was intimately involved in the Gov. Blagojevich's selling of Obama's Senate seat.
"Among the revelations contained in the complaint brought against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich yesterday was the description of an official with the Service Employees International Union acting as an apparent intermediary between the governor and Barack Obama's camp in discussions over Obama's Senate seat."
Washington Post
The SEIU is a corrupt, dangerous, anti-American organization that will assume great powers under Obama.
Obama's corrupt Chicago gang's Little Red Book is Saul Alynski's "Rules for Radicals."
They are dedicated to opening the border with Mexico and turning the entire Western Hemisphere into a socialist monolith.
"If the Chief Justice of the United States doesn't have the courage to refuse to swear in the imposter Obama, the people of the United States must come together in unified resistance to save their nation," said Glenn Spencer of the American Patrol Report.

"Neutral"????
If Barack Obama was "neutral" he wouldn't have endorswed and campaigned for every sleazy member of the Daley machine including Blago himself.
Ben Smith you are a sham without an ounce of integrity.
Hey remember when the liberal media and Democrats were clamoring to see pics of Bush in the same room with Abramoff? We have several pics of Obama being chummy with Blago.

Come on folks - Obama said he had no contact with the Gov to discuss the Senate seat. Do you think they were discussing it there at the NGA meeting, in a big open room where Obama was shaking hands with 40 governors?
Sarah Palin was there, too. Why is she palling around with criminals like Blago?
Blago called Obama a pretty bad name and said that all he could get out of Obama would be "appreciation." Unless something else comes out here, there's no Obama corruption to be found in this generally sordid story.

Badger: how did Blago know that all he could get out of Obama was "appreciation"? For Obama claims he had absolutely no contact with Blago. Either Obama is lying or your claim that Obama declined to play Blago's dirty "pay to play" game is false. WHICH IS IT?

Badger: how did Blago know that all he could get out of Obama was "appreciation"? For Obama claims he had absolutely no contact with Blago. Either Obama is lying or your claim that Obama declined to play Blago's dirty "pay to play" game is false. WHICH IS IT?

Sorry but Something tells me that it is Obama's team that sold the wisp...The picture now allows me to see the persons behind the 'much ado' which was nothing without it...
If Axelrod said Obama is not in contact with Blago it's to me a kind of signal on what is happening against the man they are fighting at that time... He mispoke to sustain a strategy, what next now...

Finally!
people are starting to talk about the "Illinois Combine" and "Operation Board games". Where the hell was the media several months ago about this? I am stay-at-home mom that knew about all this stuff! Evelyn Pringle did a multipart article about all of this. It is a must read! http://www.opednews.com/author/author58.html

Finally!
people are starting to talk about the "Illinois Combine" and "Operation Board games". Where the hell was the media several months ago about this? I am stay-at-home mom that knew about all this stuff! Evelyn Pringle did a multipart article about all of this. It is a must read! http://www.opednews.com/author/author58.html

Ryan T: If you actually read the report, you'll see the governor's unnamed consultants told him Obama would not give him anything but appreciation; they did not say they had spoken with anyone in the administration. And if they had, so what? So a consultant or two talked to an Obama team member and they shut the consultant down. How does suggest, let alone prove, anything nefarious?

More nonsense people can't even make into an accusation of criminal activity on the part of Obama. He had every right to advocate for a candidate, and there isn't even indication he did. If you believe Blago he wouldn't give him anything *apparently just talking to Blago is a crime?

just wait. blago is going to sing like a canary and take everyone down with him. However, will the media report it? I would hope so, but they are currently so embarrassed they backed a guy who they knew nothing about and is now coming up with suspect credentials and now this!!
obama better be 'lawyering' up because he is going to need on. perhaps he can use those 3 law firms he hired and paid over 800K so that he doesn't have to show his certified birth certificate.
This is definitely going to be a popcorn event. get it ready

Obama may be clean (so far as we know) but I seriously doubt it has anything to do with any sort of virtue. Learn from the wisdom of Proverbs 29:27: "An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked." Good guys put a damper on corrupt cultures, so the Chicago big wigs would have had Obama for dinner if he were going around being a saint. The fact that they were as supportive as they were of his carrer means there's something other than his potential that motivated them. Obama probably just didn't make his dealings in Illinois obvious...either that or he just played the good, non-threatening black guy until he could get to Washington.

Michelle Obama got a huge raise because Obama saw to it the hospital got a huge amount of money, sounds crooked to me. But who am I to judge, I am getting used to crooks in the government. Obama seems to be the biggest so far, he is actually buds with real crooks....Mr. President, go "f" yourself and your friends, you are not worthy to be anything in government. You have gotten away with far to much so far.

The issue is not as you morons state: Obama blew by Blago in the picture and the Republicans are making hay on it in as fake scandal.. GET REAL! Obama said he didn't speak with Blago and knows nothing about his senete seat? Well here is a picture that YES they did speak, about what? hmmm why did Blago call Obama a MotherF'er??

Federal investigations and/or trials of Ali Ata, Tony Resko, and now Rod Blagojevich all have something in common. Barack Obama. Is it at all possible that B.O. comes out of this smelling like a rose? Me thinks he is not the "teflon man" and it stinks of a rotting corps yet to be placed in the morgue for further evaluation.