Obama VP Vetter Johnson Resigns

WASHINGTON — A leader of Democrat Barack Obama's vice presidential research team has resigned amid criticism over his personal loan deals.

Obama announced in a statement Wednesday that Jim Johnson was stepping aside to avoid distracting from the vetting process.

Johnson served on the vetting team with former first daughter Caroline Kennedy and former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder.

Comments

[pupbayer]

Maybe he could set up a committee to pick a new committee member for this committee.

[dadw5boys]

Everyone on the Obama Team is ready to drop at a moments notice so as not to be a distraction.

Even though it is a lie Johnson paid extra points to get a lower interst rate.

The story title is for those who are dumb enough to only read headlines and assume they know the story.

A typical Republican use of the Media as a weapon against the voters.

[Beachrunner]

Look, if Bill Clinton can get elected President not once, but twice; with his sexual predator nature in the face of America in 1992; everyone knowing he humps anything that holds still long enough . . . .

Obama getting a good deal on his mortgage is a non-starter.

Plus, Obama is so good at damage control, he knows how to spin anything. And, he dumps the problem right away. This guy is good.

[macbabe]

he resigned, he didn't get fired, I think he didn't want to hurt O so he took the safe road, which is unfortunate IMHO

[ghostwriter5]

ISeriously, this is grown up politics--they asked him to resign and he did.

[dadw5boys]

Sexual Predator lol what a joke.

HMM A MARRIED WOMAN IN A HOLIDAY INN WHILE HER HUBBY WAS AT WORK?

AN OLD DRINKING BUDDY ?

THEN THE RCH COLLEGE GRAG WHO HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE WHITEHOUSE FOR SEXUAL MISBEHAVIOR?

WHO ACTUALLY OPENED THE DOOR TO THE HALLWAY THAT LED TO THE OVAL OFFICE. SHE HAD NO PASS TO GET THAT FAR? WHERE WAS THE SECRET SERVICE? LOL

SURE BILL WAS A WHOREDOG BUT THE WOMEN WERE TOO. THEY WANTED THE SPOT LIGHT TOO!

[dadw5boys]

Yeah those full grown college educated women were victims right??

lol but money and the spotlight healed all those wounds ????

[Ergon]

I thought Kennedy was rumoured to be resigning?
Isn't Holder the White House attorney who shepherded the Marc Rich pardon?

[pupbayer]

Yes, Holder is the Mark Rich guy. Quality, uh?

[dadw5boys]

Don't sell Marc Rich down the road he was a bag man for the CIA!

[teri526]

It is a double edged sword that he holds and swings. The question is can he amend his position and admit that he should have been more specific about the specific unethical practices associated with lobbyists and politicians that he wants to rid DCof? It is going to be impossible to rid DC of lobbyists. He has to be extremely careful not to cut off is own head with tha sword. All the great advisors are or hae been lobbyists at one time or another. Additionally, there are excellent causes out there that need lobbyists to break the walls of silence and ignorance down because alone they cannot do it. I agree with anyone who believes that lobbyists have their role and it is the politicians who must now rebuld the trust of the nation that they will follow strict rules of ethics and be held directly responsible for their corrupt practices. More accountability in DC is what I hope the young one brings to the Office.

[mcfried]

Agreed on the lobbyist - the issue is the lobbyist w-hores - politicians taking money for favor. Most of whom are men, I believe w-hore is gender neutral, could be wrong.

[e2008usa]

That's right... only if they follow strict rules of ethics and be held directly responsible for their corrupt practices otherwise shall the President take responsibility to fire them i they work against the peoples interests.

[wutzhappn]

Oh, pleeze. Obama made a big mistake appointing Johnson to his VP advisory team. It was a stupid move.

[mcfried]

Your insult to teri526 doesn't even relate her post ? Looking to pick a fight ?

[dadw5boys]

I guess that You believeing a lie is not part of the deal?

[kay]

Americans might be better served if they didn't rely on someone named Ben Smith of "Politico" to report on alleged financial misdeeds.

That Ben Smith pulled whole from a WSJ article, and that were false.

Better, perhaps the real journalists could independently fact-check their own "work", rather than quoting Ben Smith, who is quoting the erroneous Journal article, in its entirety.

[mcfried]

Sorry Kay - this wasn't a good pick for the committee - unforced error. No wrong doing but not politically savvy. You think the campaign would have learned with all the guilt by association stuff picking someone with ties to the housing crisis was not a smart move. While there was no wrong doing on O.bama's part they need to get their act together - this kind of stuff is just going to get worse.
O.bama 08

[kay]

That's such a lousy way to choose staff, though. It almost insures mediocrity.

Who will get by the cable news BS filter? Is that really how we want to cull the candidates for a job? Whomever Sean Hanitty can't slime?

[AbbieXHoffman]

Obama is somewhat flawed when his blames corporations (like credit card companies) for consumer problems, but he is right that the mortgage crisis was a result of predatory lending. On the other hand McCain is just another hawk.

There's no contest here. Obama '08

[mcfried]

I agree on the credit card thing but also think the mortgage crisis is not just a predatory lending problem, there was also a bubble which burst . Lending practices were lax -there was a lot of fraud on the part of some consumers who where trying to make a quick buck - it had a knock on effect to borrowers that where taken advantage of. Greed - in the end someone else pays unfortunately in this case it's all of us.

[djelimon]

Deregulation leads to lack of discipline.

[AbbieXHoffman]

Yes, it was greed on both ends by consumers and lenders. Ultimately, it is up to consumers to know what they are getting into. However, regulations should not be as lax, which it appears you agree with.

I wish Obama wouldn't try to paint all free market practices as evil. The free market is important to individual wealth. That's why I don't like increases capital gainst taxes as everyone can benefit from that. I wish he would instead simply focus on re-establishing the regulations Bush removed to better protect consumers and the environment while simultaneously rolling back the income tax reductions given to wealthiest, allow investors in public companies to vote on CEO salaries, and help encourage manufaturers to keep jobs in the us.

It's all about a delicate balance between helping the less fortunate while encouraging individual wealth and acheivement. The Clinton's understood that. I believe eventually Obama will too.

[texanna]

Well, so much for that change stuff, huh? I mean, what was he thinking?! And, more importantly, where is the uproar from his supporters? Why weren't they howling about this guy in the first place? Seems during the primary all I read and heard from them was how involved they were going to be to make sure that their populist agenda was really enacted.

[Andman0121]

why does this warrant an uproar exactly? lol. He is suspected of wrongdoings and so he got rid of him. Thats what CHANGE is

[balanga]

CHANGE is being on top of your game...tak­e a stand!!, know whom you are appointing to important positions, when you realise you have screwed up let him go, don't wait for his reaction. BO is the quintessential washington politician for a guy with a pisspot resume you would think he's been around forever..e­verything is a re-action, no initiative whatsoever!!

[CrzyRussell]

Are you willing to apply the same standard to the Republicans? Otherwise it is pure hypocrisy.

[dadw5boys]

THERE WAS NOT SUSPECT!!!!!

THE STORY WAS LIES!!!!!!

HE PAID EXTRA POINTS TO GET A LOWER INTEREST RATE !

THAT WAS LEFT OUT OF THE STORY!!!!!

[tbone99]

Because there is really only one thing that outrages them and that is H.C

[SpoxLogic]

check this out before you start gloating:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fiderer/how-the-wall-street-journ_b_106600.html

All Obama supporters read it too, and get angry!

[kay]

What you can do is not send any revenue Politico's way. They distributed this smear job.

When did Politico become the be all and end all of journalism? Ben Smit is suddenly so credible, he must not be fact-checked? We just take Politico as fact?

Are national journalists really pulling whole paragraphs from a website run by two clowns?

[rollingdivision]

Obama has painted himself into a corner on the issues of lobbyists and Washington insiders. Obama is the one who has worked long and hard to vilify lobbyists and "insiders". There’s nothing wrong with lobbyists. They are experts and do their level best to honestly perform their constitutionally guaranteed function. Second, it is impossible to get the best expert information and advice if you exclude dealing with them. Some lobbyists or insiders represent your point of view to congress and the executive branch. When there's a problem it's not the lobbyists or insiders, it's the criminal politician or government employee. The reason there are so many now is the size and scope of government has ballooned so there is more need to get peoples' points of view to congress. Again this is a problem created by politicians not the lobbyists or insiders. So did Obama have to fire Johnson and will he have to fire Holder, yes. Are they corrupt, unethical or immoral, no but they don't meet the new Obama standard and the press has decided to hold Obama to it. The is an analogous to the situation Republicans find themselves in on moral issues where truth be told the issue will have no affect, but since they made morals such a big issue they have to react. So look for Obama to get bit in the butt on the Obama standards throughout the campaign. You make your bed and you sleep in it.

[kay]

Johnson's not actually a crook. Our lazy lap-dog media reprinted a WSJ smear job without any fact-checking, at all.

They moved some words around.

Nice work. Impugned his reputation, and forced his resignation, based on the manic stenographer corps copying and pasting.

In the coming weeks, look to page 22 of the newspaper for the retraction.

He shouldn't have resigned. The allegations are bogus.

[Crozier]

Of course, they're bogus. The Corporatist Smear Machine...­.Republica­n wing....is busy trying to win by smearing the opponent directly or indirectly. Murdoch is behind it.

[rollingdivision]

Well actually, Johnson is a crook as defined by Obama and that was the problem.

[AbbieXHoffman]

You are right and what I have been thinking for some time. You need the lobbyists at the table. It's the politicians that allow them to have too much power by taking funds. The only way to avoid this and still get dems elected to senate and congress is for the people to fund their campaigns like we are Obamas. That's not as easy as it sounds. Not everyone has Obama's talent and not everyone is that interested in funding local campaigns. It's going to cause us all to have to spend OUR money instead of lobbyists money on the elections during each and every senate, congressperson and local politician. Is everyone really going to get that psyched to do that? If we don't then the politicians need the lobbyists money. It's a question we all have to ask ourselves. Start saying your pennies for all the funding of elections we are going to have to do.

[dadw5boys]

WHAT A GREAT CORNER TO BE IN!!!!!!

[rollingdivision]

Not really, Obama by his own grandstanding and demagoguing about lobbyists and "insiders" will not be able to avail himself of the best experts and people who know how to get things done in Washington if he were elected. This would be very bad for the country to have a president not using available experts. Obama will renege of his promise if elected.

[dadw5boys]

Ok now go back and read the whole story!!!!!

What was left out????

Wsa the fact that Johnson paid extra points to get a lower interest rate in the story?????

NO?

Wornder why? It is the truth??

Oh I know then the people who are smart enough to read a story would know the story title was lies!

See how the Republicans use the media as a weapon against Republicans???

[genia]

Ugh....Ple­ase...don'­t let this turn into the cowboy shooting at his feet to make him dance.
Obama said he was staying...­unless something new was revieled..­.he should have stayed.

Let's not make a habit out of making them smile.

[kay]

Obama can't force the man to stay. The charges are just rank speculation, reprinted endlessly.

He has a reputation. He's probably trying to save it.

[ndolomar]

So, in addition to apologizing on behalf of everything ever uttered by everyone he's ever known (even as a toddler), he also has to vet the vetters doing his vetting? What about those vetters' vetters, and so on, and so on, ad infinitum? Although I'm sure most of you here have noticed -- I'm a little curious about this sudden surge of interest in exploring our presidential candidates and this newfound parse-mania and fine-tooth-combing being done now that Obama has clinched the nomination. Where were all these investigative journalists when everyone was crying foul about G.W. Bush? Why did it take underground Web sites and movements to (try and) expose his past -- alleged -- drug use or his very real, shady business dealings? Where was the outcry then? Lo, could it be the media actually have experienced their epiphany, and now they're making up for lost time by blowing any molecule of a story into a daily Big Bang? Alas, perhaps their corporate owners are a little too afraid of a charismatic natural leader who could threaten the control they've had for decades on information and information consumption. There, but for the grace of a Deibold electronic-voting machine, go we all.

[vassyuta]

hey, all progressives, do ur best at not replying to trolls! post ur own positive/negative comments, whatever, but don't get angry at them, because that's what they want with these posts - all kinds of comments discussion keeps the non-issues alive. if we don't reply it will just look like different people post on the progressive site and make it look better, but fights and anger will end up rocking our boat, not theirs. we don't need to reiterate what we're already in agreement on what might drive the trolls, don't give them the satisfaction, engage with each other. negative back-and-forths will not lead to our unity but may give the other side ammunition. and trolls are not reading ur responses, they do it for the anti-lulz.

[SanityClaus]

The reason we reply to the trolls is to counter their lies with facts. And since they don't come back and continue to "debate," the facts have the last word and that leaves the casual reader with answers to any concerns the trolls have attempted to raise.

[AbbieXHoffman]

I think you are wrong. You should welcome opposing viewpoints. Stifling debate is a bad thing and what got us into this war. Knowing how the other side brings power of knowledge.

Obama 08

[mcfried]

I agree and have no problems with the opposing views types - there are however some tr0lls pretending to be O.bama supporters - they're toxic. They insult people who have opposing views and put forward some ridiculous drivel that would drive away any undecided voter or new H R C supporter who had just decided to switch. I've encountered a few of them over the last couple of days.

[NoLove4HillaryAnymore]

NO to Hillary for VP --->SIGN the Petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-to-hillary-for-vp

[mcfried]

go away ! you must have no read the tr0ll alerts

[goldnchyl]

Thx NoLove, signed and shared!

[AbbieXHoffman]

Totally disagree. HRC for VP.

Obama/HRC 08

[ChicagoBlackRainbowWomen]

Guess hrc can give up those vp hopes huh...

[rsg5354]

yep

[Pema]

I worked in the industry, this was no sweetheart deal he got. people in the business know how to have the perfect credit score, negotiate for all kinds of interest rates.. this was a nothing scandle. The man bought his properties at a rate not considered unreasonable.

[mike53]

Then why did Obama drop him? He sure cuts people lose fast.

[SpoxLogic]

Obama didn' tdrop him. THe guy resigned even though he didn't have to. Check some of the facts here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fiderer/how-the-wall-street-journ_b_106600.html

[KBAR]

this was no sweetheart deal he got.

Unlike the Rezco and Barry property deal in Chi.

[kay]

Give up. Now Ben Smith of Politico is the expert on all things financial. He "broke" the story.

Which you may recognize from the WSJ smear job printed just weeks earlier. He added a coupla commas.

We don't have journalists. We have people who read blogs, and copy and paste.

[sandals]

he was just a volunteer, with the experience of doing this in the past.
Why aren't we all over John McBush over all the lobbyist on his campaign why haven't they stepped down.
Proves once again the Republicans have no ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!