Closing Arguments: Obama and Blagojevich

I think that Obama is just as sneaky as ever. He sure won’t turn over anything that makes him look bad with the Illinois governor!!!!!

Why must we wait while they get their story straight? Is this not stonewalling the press? Don’t we have a right to know if our incoming President or his staff was involved?
Come on media, do your job!

He pledged to reveal the info to reporters, not prosecutors. The prosecutor if you recall, Mr. Fitzgerald, made it very clear that Obama was not implicated in any way. He actually made quite a point of it at least twice during the press conference. I have to take him at his word. It appears, however, the press is ready to implicate him for something anyway.
I think Obama has handled the case fine. However, the media has gone overboard. Everything is on tape. You will know soon enough.

Like a same old, same old tired politician. Now we’ll have carefully parsed lawyer language on every occasion so everything can be denied. It’s a shame because he apparently had nothing to hide and offered nothing through his surrogates. But to suggest his staff had no conversations takes us all to be stupid buffoons. Equally condescending is trying to make us believe that there was no feedback to him after the meetings. Is he isolated in a soundproof booth until the 20th?

This is what happens when the bias media
for 2 years completely ignored the warning of many shady association
that Barak H. Obama had and was concern
of American people. the media did
a disservice to this country for their
cover up, now we know he is what the
corrupt Chicago politic presented to us
and the country is going to suffer. He
as usual has not been honest about this
issue, and the fact is going to come out this time. I am sure the drive by
media is going to stay bias again and continue their cover up.

Obama is starting to look exactly like Bill Clinton… The fact is it takes no time to talk to your newly named chief-of-staff if you want to know the truth… The only reason for the delay is to cover something up…

JcD is right! The media needs to pressure him.

I think it’s impossible for Obama not to have talked to the governor about who would replace him. Certainly he must have had some interest in the state that launched his political career. Was he able to just turn his back and walk away unconcerned about who would represent his state? I absolutely do not believe that. It would be so much better for the whole country if he would just tell us the truth!

Look, Fitzgerald listened to the phone calls and says Obama isn’t part of it. Why the hullaballoo?
Blago should go, someone ‘clean’ should appoint a new Senator (or an election should take place) and life goes on.

right-wing nothing. I actually am for the democratic way of handleing this economy. It is the killing of babies by liberals that I have a hard time getting past. Cells that reproduce. How is that not life. Getting off the subject…How about true investigative reporting. Follow up on the money trail in the attached link. It will give you a clearer picture of Chicago politics.
http://www.ilcampaign.org/blog/labels/Gov.%20Blagojevich.html

I think it’s high time that Obama admit that he’s guilty of SOMETHING!! He must have done something bad or otherwise he wouldn’t say he didn’t! That’s how criminals think!
Right?

My my where we stand on President Obama seems to be coming out in dsome of these responses.
No matter how we feel he is our President we need to support him or at least stop snipeing at him and give him a chance. If you don’t like him vote him out nest time around.
As to this particular subject, he is President ELECT not President till January 20th. I think he is doing all he can with out stepping on W’s toes.

Obama is handling this scandal as well as can be expected. Everytime someone does something wrong and he is associated with them, he becomes a villian. This is a corrupt world. If you dig into any of these politicians’ business, you will find some kind of wrong doing. I think that the media and many others are being unfair to imply that Obama was part of the scandal. Yes, I believe that Obama or his team gave the governor a list of people that he recommended. It is not his fault if that list was misused. The
media & others have scrutinized everything that the President Elect has done. I do not remember any other president having to go through this kind of scrutiny. And to Pete, what do you call digging into Obama’s life all the way back to his birth? Should they have dug into the time of his conception? I am so disappointed at how mean and inconsiderate, so many people are towards President Elect Obama.
Obama knows that he has to be extra careful about anything that he says or does. Again I say “yes”, he is handling this properly, because he must be very sure he knows the exact words that have been transpired between his team and the governor of ILL.

Nightline get your post straight, you morons: Obama also “pledged to reveal to the press” not prosecutors. Prosecutors have already said they have no business with him on this issue. This entire issue, as regards to Obama, is completely press generated. You losers have nothing better to do with your miserable lives. Pathetic losers.

My final comment. Would someone from ABC news respond? Do you guys feel that you (being the mainstream media) gave Obama a pass during the election? The Clinton’s stuff was out there and Hillary could have won. Blinding Charisma is dangerous. This is not a comment against Obamma. I think he could be great.

Here we go again with the right wing trying to either create or dredge up trouble on any thing they can on the Obama administration. There is absolutely no reason to believe that the Obama people had anything to do with the problems that the Governor of Illinois is facing. Yet the right will just not let it alone. We have serious problems facing our nation at this time, but instead of allowing the Obama people to do their jobs for our benefit, the right would prefer to cause trouble for theirs.

Obama’s behavior is absolutely correct. Investigation is ongoing. The media want and need a scandal to sell papers/magazines/TV.

President-elect Obama is not answering questions as a FUTURE PRESIDENT! He is not president yet, but when he becomes one I fear for the unanswered questions. He is just running away from the question and will not give a direct answer. All the way from the economy, to the corrupt system in Chicago. Don’t tell me Obama does not have close ties to the Governor, there from the same state, worked together and from the same political party! America Spoke Nov. 4th and its unfortunate. Honestly, I want to know what PRESIDENT BUSH OUR PRESENT PRESIDENT THINKS.

wouldn’t it have been nice if all of the candidates had been scrutinized like pe-Obama. There is a sexual frenzy to his detractors, what a lynch mob!Since when did we start holding someone responsible for lying. I’m sure the press will keep count of every hair that falls from Obama’s head while this administration salts the land and fouls the waters with a smile, he does the work without compensation.. Dehumanizing is what we seem to do best though, that’s what sells and I don’t see that it matters, glad I don’t have to bring a child into this mess.

So he’s refusing to answer questions until he can give an honest, complete answer. How shocking. I suppose the press would prefer him just to make some uninformed guesses so they can have a headline…

Emanuel talking of his Family is way wierd.
Michelle obama did when asked question on an issue once, it was so out of context is was strange.
Almost like their primary concern is the health and welfare of their kids.
Makes you wonder if these people have been threatened.
Mr Obama and his team have worked with Blago on finding a replacement. They were extremely Happy and Proud of it in the interview they gave.
Do you want to bet, Obama teams guy wasn’t going to get named to the seat and they are the ones who called in the feds. That would give them immunity and keeping their name out of it and not be prosecuted.

I think we have to wait for …50 years to find out the truth.

Yes, it’s a witch-hunt…courtesy of the right-wing agenda. Only thing missing are the torches and the pitchforks…

It’s always a “witch hunt” when the right tries to find corruption. Geez, everyone sells Senate seats, right? Business as usual for the left.

Obama is just another corrupt Chicago politician. There were clearly links between his people and Blags. Rham Emmanuel was on the conference call where the governor basically asked what he could get for naming the replacement senator. How dare Obama try to parse words to hide this? It also appears there may have been communication between the prosecutor and the Obama campaign. It certainly seems weird that Fitzgerald would have stopped the investigation just before people could be caught offering bribes. This is especially concerning since Emmanuel was involved. This whole sordid mess requires a special procesecutor be assigned so we can get to the truth.
Bottom line Obama handled this very poorly if he was not involved in any wrongdoing. I believe he was and that is why he lied about no one in his team having contacts with the governor.

Lynn,
To go a little further – If Emmanuel was on the conference call then he knew that an illegal demand was being made. He would be culpable if he did not report the attempt by the governor to in essence bribe the soon to be president.

All the liberal loons who think this is a witch hunt must have forgotten how they treated president Bush. You cannot have it both ways. If going after every decision a president makes is OK for liberals then it is also OK for conservative. Deal…
The next four years (unless Obama is impeached before then) will be a very long time for the Barry defenders. This man was not properly vetted by the press and by extension the American people. He is a crooked Chicago politician – exactly how did he buy a house that he would never have qualified for based on his income? The press could not get over their love affair with Barry long enough to actually look into his past and it is our entire nation that will suffer when his past is finally revealed. After all, anytime a president fails it hurts us all.
The writers question about how Obama responded to this scandal is funny. Why should Obama do anything but stonewall and lie? The press is going to give him a free pass no matter what he does. Why would Obama feel any need to act ethically or to be open? The press will not step up to challenge Obama until their reputation has been completely detroyed by their sycophantic water carrying for our first affirmative action president.

Of course, FM. After all, this is supposed to be the “most open and transparent transition in history”.
Blah, blah, blah…

FM, if Mr. Obama had any intelligence he would not have denied that there were contacts in the first place. That was just major league dumb. Giving the perception that you are hiding something usually means you are.

People can only relate, and remark on things they know. If we each know something different, then are only fair ground, is to discuss that which is common to each of us. I have written several times to KHQA TV about the article written by Alexia Hunt. They have since pulled it, and will not answer my questions. Briefly: Two articles written. One by a woman saying that Blago and Barry were going to meet to discuss his replacement. KHQA retracted that one saying they do not know if they met. Second article, said they did meet, and did discuss the replacement. KHQA has pulled that one from their site. However I have a screen capture of it, and have it up on my site. I have sent the link to everyone I can think of, but the media does not want it. Why? Anyway, some of us on the right do whine a bit, but some of us have reasons to do so. If you care to see both articles by KHQA here is the site where the screen captures are:
http://www.barrysobamanation.com/

People can only relate, and remark on things they know. If we each know something different, then are only fair ground, is to discuss that which is common to each of us. I have written several times to KHQA TV about the article written by Alexia Hunt. They have since pulled it, and will not answer my questions. Briefly: Two articles written. One by a woman saying that Blago and Barry were going to meet to discuss his replacement. KHQA retracted that one saying they do not know if they met. Second article, said they did meet, and did discuss the replacement. KHQA has pulled that one from their site. However I have a screen capture of it, and have it up on my site. I have sent the link to everyone I can think of, but the media does not want it. Why? Anyway, some of us on the right do whine a bit, but some of us have reasons to do so. If you care to see both articles by KHQA here is the site where the screen captures are:
http://www.barrysobamanation.com/

President-elect Obama is handling the situation just fine!!!!
The whole situation centers around Blago and Jackson!!!!
CASE CLOSED!!!

Speculators, why don’t everyone wait to see if Blago have anything to say on his arrest, wiretapping or any implication of President-elect Obama, Jackson or anyone else!!!!
Right now, everyone is throwing pebbles hoping to trigger a TSUNAMI!!!!

LOL Lanny,
“Barack had absolutely no knowledge of the dirty politics that were going on in Illinois ”
That is the biggest laugher today. Obama won his first election by having all three of his opponents thrown off the ballot. His laywers had opponents divorce records unsealed not once but twice to win another election.
What, you don’t remember all the stories about that during the campaign?
(By the way no one rises in Chicago politics without the nod from Dailey. Confirm Sandy?) Maybe he is the Fitzy’s mark.
BO met with Blago the day after the Presidential election. I don’t suppose the “empty seat” came up at all do you?
Why wouldn’t it? But why deny the meeting or that any of his advisors talked with Blago about it?
The media saw him go into the meeting . Now you can’t find any witnesses.
Sorry Rahm, you’re the fall guy this month. Make room under the bus.

Let me get this straight, FM. If Obama or his team knew about what Blago was doing, you’re fine with that and will be kewl with leaving him out of it?

Carole R Williams—- So, how long do we wait for his “transparecy”??

I don’t understand all the fuss regarding Blagojevich. He is a Politician and this is normal behavior for these people. If anyone in the United States thinks that becoming an elected official is not a license to steal I have some swamp land in Florida I would like to sell them.

WORST PRESIDENT ELECT EVER!
Obama and this whole Democrat gang are the most corrupt ever to attempt to fraud their way into the WH.
Obama won’t produce his long form birth certificate BECAUSE HE CAN’T.
Now instead of Illinois corruption contained to Illinois, the Democrat Culture of Corruption is taking their rank stinking corruption nationwide.
MERRY FITZMAS CHUMPS! The tentacles of the Democrat Culture of Corruption run long and deep and straight through the Obama inner circle. People are getting squeezed and singing left and right.
To quote the Democrats of the last eight years “Nobody is above the law” – you either believe it and stand by it 100%, or you don’t. If you don’t believe it and stand by it than shut your yap about Bush and the Republicans.
To quote the Democrats of the last eight years “Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism” – - you either believe it and stand by it 100%, or you don’t. If you don’t believe it and stand by it than shut your yap about Bush and the Republicans.
My how the high and mighty High Horse DemocRATS have fallen and have yet to fall much more.

Whoa!
This Bloggavitch case reminds me of the following public obsessions:
“war mongering ” (read, “media hype–one Fox commentator saying, “If Obama has nothing to hide, why the lack of response?,” public overreaction (look at this page alone), avoidance of both sides of the issue being clearly explored (what was said, who found the information and brought it to light, what’s in it for everyone including the media to blow up this case–beyond getting the facts and justice served?), emphasis on the semblance versus the facts–no one talking at all about what leads them to believe the evidence is not fabricated–circumstantial just like in Iraq)leading to our misdeeds in Iraq.
Also like Throwing money at the Bail out without a clear accountability steps –giving up our Congressional role as overseer of the People’s money and allowing Tresury to change the terms and conditions at will.
Also feels like The years of Clinton- bashing the Grand Ole party conducted in their desire to not just oppose but eliminate the Clinton administration–White water a case in point that was never proved but cost us millions in congressional oversight and so on.
This country is SO distracted and off the mark with what our priorities are.
This said, can’t we see we DO need a higher power, you name who it is–I agree it’s Jesus for me.
Do a kind act for yourself and someone else TODAY. Get on with doing your part for making important real change.
If you want 4 to 8 more years of distraction and gossip, I’m turning off my TV, radio, and internet FOR GOOD and will stop buying products that allow this kind of unmeasured character assasination.
Abby

I like the “dissent is the highest form of patriotism” comment. Now that Democrats control everything in Washington we can tee off on them for their misdeeds. As we saw during the Bush years, the misdeeds can be real or perceived, simply does not matter. Patriotism demands that we take action!
Obama was an idiot to not disclose the contacts he and his team had with Blago. He is making it easy for us in the loyal opposition to be patriotic.
Maybe we can extend the analysis of Obama to un-american and true americanism as Jennifer Granholm advocates. If you disagree with me then you are un-american. Agree with me and you are an American in good standing. Democrats are just pathetic.

Obama needs to come clean. I’m not buying any of it. Clearly, there needs to be an investigation of Obama because he won’t tell the truth.

seah is right. Why did they stop the investigation before the chumps that were open to trying to bribe the governor to name their candidate could be caught red handed. Could it be that Fitzy was afraid the bait would have attracted an offer from Rham Emmanuel?
Why oh why did this investigation stop when it did? Maybe the press could stand up and do the right thing by asking this question.

I want REAL transparency!
What Obama promised during the campaign.
He needs to live up to his words!

I tend to take Mr. Fitzgerald at his word when he says that Obama is not involved and I also think that transparency will prove this.
I don’t beleive Obama in any way is as deceitful and corrupt as the Republicans, especially Bush and Cheyney. Afterall they lied to the American public and got us into a war. Their lies killed and maimed Americans. Wasn’t it Bush and Cheyney who just refused to answer any questions on any of their scandals and then they had the nerve to paint anyone who dared question
them as being “unpatriotic.”
But this is about Blagojevich and having said all that I do believe that Blagojevich should be impeached and if it could happen today it wouldn’t be soon enough. Blagojevich should have no political career whatsoever after this.

“Bush lied us into war”?
What does that say about the Democrats in congress who voted as a majority to authorize enforcing the UN sanctions?
If Democrats are this inept, having viewed the intelligence laid out by the Clinton Administration and also by leading nations around the world about Iraq, and in fact Iraq did have a nuclear weapons program underway, a pile of yellow cake and chemical WMD’s, then they have no business in leadership positions.
Democrats are either “the smartest people in the world” as they love to claim, or a “dummy” like Bush can so easily fool them.
You can’t have it both ways and its about time the American people hold the Democrats accountable for issuing the vote to go to war.
Oh wait, Democrats have a what 5% approval rating in congress?
No matter, the Disasta From Illinois is now upon us, we have only seen the tip of the iceberg of what is being uncovered regarding the Democrat Culture of Corruption.

I tend to believe Mr. Fitzgerald when he says that Obama was not involved and I think transparency will prove this.
Obama is in no way as corrupt and deceitful as the Republicans, especially Bush & Cheyney. Afterall, didn’t they lie to the American public aband get us into a war. Their lies killed an maimed Americans, They also refused to answer any questions about their scandals and then they dared to paint anyone who questioned them as “unpatriotic”.
Having said all that this is still about Blagojevich. I think Blagojevich should be impeached and if that could happen today it wouldn’t be soon enough. Blagojevich should have no policical career whatsoever after this.

HMMM… don’t you think that the Democrats voted for war on the CONTRIVED information they were fed by Bush & Cheyney? Had they been given the accurate info maybe the war wouldn’t have happened.
Oh, and by the way in 1998 the Clinton administration had information as to Bin Laden whereabouts and went to congress for their support in going after him. But the REPUBLICAN congress didn’t give the requested support because they said Clinton was just trying to direct attention away from his affir with Lewinsky. Repubs were so intent on getting Clinton that they neglected the public’s best interest for their own personal vendetta. Clinton’s affair was a personal private matter not something the country should have been involved in.

JR said, “Obama has said he didn’t have anything to do with the scandal”
Weeelllll then, I guess that settles it. NOT…
We need an investigation from a special prosecutor to know what happened.

I just read the following on C-SPAN.
“UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS, EASTERN DIVISION
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
UNDER SEAL
V. CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, and
JOHN HARRIS”
What I see is an undercover campaign since 2001 to investigate Blagojevich on corruption charges.
I see the words “probable cause”–the federal government has tapes, testimony etc. So, there’s enough evidence in the government’s mind for a trial–not a lynching.
OK. Here’s a different subject.
Where is the “gray” in politics?
I think other media are picking up this thread.
We see this in nearly all politiician’s–they both support one another with campaign funds and also appoint their supporters in their administrations. Happens ALL THE TIME.
Surely we don’t want our leaders to be bought off and this IS the alleged scandal. Sounds good if you look at the world in black and white.
Does anyone else see the hypocrisy? ACROSS THE BOARD, it’s almost a “don’t ask, donn’t tell” state of affairs.
A politician by federal law cannot accept specific amounts of money from someone and then hire that person where the hired person has measurable gains and where the politico hiring the person has demonstrated with valid, and credible evidence that he or she is motivated by desires to payback, accrue future political favor, and so forth.
BUT if such illegal statements are not there and only the actions–its 100% legal. Correct?
I know its the law so I understand that’s what it is–but laws can be changed.
We’d have to live on the moon–or in my so called “cave”– to not have some kind of gray in all of this.
One more thing–that talk about a check being on the table while Blagovitch was discussing hiring a supporter–could that be defended as entrapment? In that case Blago… seems mostly guilting of talking too much in a high risk situation. The federal document seems to imply that had they not had the money on the table the conversation would have meant something else.

Obama is doing the right thing… he is probably working with the US Attorney to find out all the facts before coming out talking – because all of you Republican idiots will turn it all around anyway! Hey Republican idiots, if you don’t like Obama, then move to another country – doubt there is one that will listen to your stupidity, though! Of course, they might pay America to take you back…

nice re write of history.
Obama didn’t make the call for blago to resign till more than 30 hours later
No-can-act Barack was,as usual, waitig for someone else to lead.
is he corrupt in this case?
who knows, the FBI ended the investigation before Blago was actually bribed.
Why

I was surprised that he didn’t hit hard (like usual) on the crisis on the first day.
Barack is SO into the law that it was clear that he didn’t want to say anything that could jeopardize the investigation – BUT – I wanted him to say what he said at the press conference the first day. However, I think he wanted to read the transcript before he commented on the case.
When he did read the complaint for HIMSELF – He SAID and DID ALL that was necessary.
EVERYONE knows the man and his team are CLEAN as CLEAN gets. The rest of this stink is just voulutres hoping to catch him or his team dirty – WHICH THEY ARE NOT.
I find it SHAMEFUL the way the MSM and the GOP are scrambling for dirty news. It’s like a man TRYING to catch his FAITHFUL wife CHEATING. It’s sick! We have a GOOD new President and we should be GRATEFUL and HAPPY about that.

Indi Woman is hitting the Kool-Aid
early today. Not worth a rebuttal.

First of all, Ladies & Gentlemen, this is not about about Mr. Obama or any member of his team. This is about keeping out the most qualified person to sit in that Senate seat. Republicans are very angry that Obama won the election and anything they can do to stop his inauguration, they will do it. Republicans want that seat badly and if they have to kill two birds with one stone, they will do it! Look at all the lies..even the mob says they had nothing to do with Blagoevich. The IL Republican machine wants a republican in that senate seat. They do NOT want another African-American in that Senate seat.That’s too much control for AA’s for them. If Mr. Blago’s attorney says it is not what we think it is, I believe him because I know him to be a man of integrity. If he even suspected Blago of being guilty, he would not have taken the case. Even the IL Supreme court would not touch the governor because of what evidence they saw. They all see this for what it really is..a Republican lynch mob.

There are so many people who are so upset because the majority of Americans voted for President elect Obama, and looking for anything to say he is not qualified.
To all of you who know who you are
Don’t hate the player hate the game….
and realize who made a mess of this economy, and still doing some truly terrible things.