Obama Team Dragged Down By Press And Blagojevich

Eight days after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on charges of attempting to sell Illinois' vacant Senate seat, much of the media is still consumed by the affair.

While President-elect Barack Obama seems innocent of any wrongdoing, his reticence in discussing such matters -- at the request of the Justice Department -- is spurring resentment among the fourth estate.

On Wednesday morning, Obama communications guru David Axelrod appeared on MSNBC to, presumably, temper the press' displeasure. Instead, things just seemed to get more contentious as host Joe Scarborough demanded answers on Obama's staff.

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Why isn't more information out in the public? asked Joe Scarborough.

"We're a little hamstrung," Axelrod replied. "Nobody's more eager than we are to be able to release that."

Are you concerned about Rahm Emanuel being caught on tape, talking about the Senate seat and the President-elect? he asked.

"I've known Rahm also for a very long time," Axelrod said. "I worked with him closely. He is someone I think has enormous integrity and unparalleled skill. I think we are lucky to have him. I have no concerns about Rahm. He is an enormous asset to us and will be an enormous asset to the country as he has been in the Congress."

What about reports that Emanuel said Obama helped run Rod Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial campaign?

"Rahm himself said that was a mischaracterization of what happened. Barack attended a meeting or two in 2002. I would dispute the notion he laid out the Blagojevich campaign. Rahm himself said that was a mischaracterization of the meeting."

And so it went. There was no new ground covered in the interview. But that did not make it un-newsworthy. The Blagojevich story -- which is, at its core, about a singularly corrupt Illinois politician 0- has turned into a saga about the relationship between the press and Obama's communications shop. The airing of grievances over lack of access and information has, in turn, kept the issue in the spotlight.

As such, Democrats who were initially dismissive of the whole scandal are now are growing concerned that the President-elect needlessly wasted political capital. "This should have been a two-day scandal," one high-ranking strategist recently told me. "Instead, it is looking more like a two-month scandal. It could turn into a two-year scandal."

Indeed, as is becoming increasingly evident, Blagojevich doesn't seem likely to go quietly from office. And any legal action against him could be highly dramatic and politically damaging for a whole host of Illinois officials.

Comments

[fflambeau]

Axelrod began the interview snippishly by telling the female interviewer that he knew she was asking a question. That's openness? Emanuel is Chicago sleeze:

1) He succeeded Blagojevich in the llinois 5th congressional district; really think that the two haven't been in frequent contact?

2) Emanuel has boasted that he and Obama put together the playbook for Blago's successful governor run;

3) He was named to the Board of Directors for "Freddie Mac" in 2000 and paid $231,655 in 2001. During the time Emanuel spent on the board, Freddie Mac was plagued with scandals involving campaign contributions and accounting irregularities.

4) Per Open Secrets, Emanuel "was the top House recipient in the 2008 election cycle of contributions from hedge funds, private equity firms and the larger securities­/investmen­t industry".

5) Ray LaHood called Emanuel "the golden boy of the Democratic Party" LaHood has just been appointed Secretary of Transportation. Wonder why?

6) He made $16.2 million in his two-and-a-­half-years as an investment banker. At the White House, Emanuel will be near the financial and economic crisis: he has been a huge part of it and financially reaped the rewards of corruption and deregulation.

7) Hehas only been a congressman since 2003 but is the 4th ranking Democrat in the house. How in a seniority-laden system? This is Obama's right hand man. That is why both of them are dodging questions on who said what to Gov. Blago.






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

[norgotoad]

Evidence and facts are irrelevant. This is trial by weight of lies, and lies= evidence. More lies, more evidence. Repubs can do mass murder, destroy major US cities by negligence, bankrupt the country, destroy education, murder thousands of our loved ones in the military for their pleasure and entertainment, then deny health coverage when they come back, design and encourage torure, and allow the dysfunctional US health care system to just keep chuggin' along. And we love it. We re-elect them! NO IMPEACHMENT. NO TRIALS. NO INDEPENDENT COUNSELS. NO INVESTIGATIONS. WE LOVE IT AND CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT. WE LOVE BUSH. WE WOULD HAVE ELECTED HIM FOR A THIRD TERM IF WE COULD. Into the morass of morons, we elect, only because of dumb luck, a philosopher/scholar president who is the most intelligent leader to sit in the White House in decades. Like I said: pure dumb luck. AND we have a joker journalists that took a vacation once Bush got in that never met a fabrication they didn't like. And we wonder why we're being fed this pile of dogs**! Send every journalist a shoe... via airmail! Virtus in stultu (Strength in stupidity). That's our national motto.

[EdWhite1]

Maybe if the media was worth a darn anymore they could use investigative journalism to uncover facts instead of waiting for the administra­tion-to-be to tell them everything. Do they not understand the fact that the Justice Dept. has asked them NOT to divulge info? I know most media jockey are just tools these days but gimme a break.

[mmgbizgirl]

Americans need to be informed but not distracted by the B.S. We have a president who is ready to get some things done for this country and we should make sure we let him do it and not get bogged down with the non-sense. That's what we voted for so let's be a part of supporting this administrations efforts to restore our country.

The good ole' boys can take a back seat with the B.S. while we clean up their mess and hopefully prosecute a few of them along the way.

[1differentdrummer]

When Scarborough went on that rant I used the remote. He lost me at least for that day. So did Matthews. It's not necessary to buy what they sell. I read a book instead.

[sunnyjane]

There's a very good reason that the press continues to hammer away at this story. It's called SLOW NEWS DAY!

[Jezreel]

And this is coming from the so-called Liberal Media. There is no Liberal Media. Hannity, OReily, Scarborough, Maddow, Chris Matthews and Keith Olberman are simply different sides of the same coin. Neither outlet offers substantive, objective reporting.

Obama and team were neither suspected of nor accused of doing anything untoward in this scandal. And since Obama is not POTUS yet, there are no freedom of information laws that apply. He's not required by law to release any information beyond what's already been published. He's complying with a request by the Chicago Attorney General who's office has confirmed as much. Yet, the so-called pundits have chosen to ignore the facts and instead push forward false allegations, baseless innuendos, imagined story lines, contrived dramas, rumors and outright lies. This is not journalism. This is an ongoing and deliberate effort to dummy down the electorate with divisive, partisan ideologies that do nothing to inform or help to solve our nation's problems.

[jcwtts1]

Objectivity is a myth. There is no problem with biased reporting as long as we all know the bias. Transparency is the important thing not some pretense towards neutrality.

J

[Zofomofo]

That is a remedial way to look at it. There is bias like you dis-agree with something and bias like you hate something. All of the studies of the media show, that athough the media in total has a bias to the left, that the right wing bias is more severe. So, you may get a lttile bias now and again on a "liberal" station but generally they are balanced, but on right wing media, you hardly get to hear the other view etc.

[DaveC19]

"What about reports that Emanuel said Obama helped run Rod Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial campaign?"

Wow, an Illinois Democrat working to get another Illinois Democrat elected. Now there is a huge conspiracy and scandal. Just look at that connection, who would have thunk it. Democrats in the same state helping each other's campaign? Where is the news here?

[skaterdon66]

The spokes are Ayers...Wr­ight....Re­zco...Blag­o...and the hub is ......Obama...
Quite a connected wheel wouldn't you say....??

[Nikola Tesla]

Its a Jewish Masonic Alien Plot!

[newshawk14]

Your ability to add 2 + 2 = 5i is amazing. Incidentally, the i indicates an
imaginary number.

[gdaerin]

the real problem here is the press is bored, and yeah, us little guys know it.

I'm off to read real news now

[harriscrl3]

The problem I have with this is they shouldnt be bored there is other news to cover Bush and Cheney admitted to torture. Ask Obama what is his administration going to do about that? At a time of national crisis they dont have anything to report on. There is somethign wrong with that

Carol

[GloriaY]

Scarborough is more than anxious to score points, any point, against PE Obama. Sorry Scarborough, he is the President Elect and you are not and will never ever come close to being PE. Eat your head off.

[jcwtts1]

I think he is going to run in 2010 for the senate seat.

J

[MANK]

And as soon as the American public realizes it, we may get back to what we think we used to be as a country.

[MANK]

Keep Gitmo open and fill it with the $ CEO's, the media, crooked politicians & pedophiles just to name a few who stand head and shoulders above Ben Laden in bringing down this country.

[brooklyncitizen]

Nice!

[Cil]

SPECIAL ISOLATED PADDED CELLS FOR THE MEDIA PLEASE, WITH
NO ACCESS TO OTHER INMATES, THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH
REPORTING ABOUT THEMSELVES! LET'S SEE HOW THEY WILL FARE
WHEN THE TABLES ARE TURNED!

[skaterdon66]

You failed to mention Pelosi...R­eid...Edwa­rds...Dodd­....Blago.­...Jeffers­on....Leah­y.....Schu­mer..
et al...and BTW it's Bin..not Ben...

[Cos1]

David showed great restraint with what has to be the stupidist not news cable show. What part of No, we can't talk about it right now do Joe and Mika not understand. The same can be said for Campbell Brown and Chris Mathews. Joe and Mika have made this story their entire show since it happened. When Joe's talking no one else on that show is allowed to have a different opinion. Joe's such an authority on everything in his own mind. What a p-r-i-c-k.

[HAWKEYEHORNET]

Where was the so call press when Bush/Chaney ran wild with lies and deception during the last six years?.

[skaterdon66]

I guess you were asleep when the NY Times, the LA Times and Wash Post vilified
Bush...Che­ney...Rove­..Gen Petraeus...our Military....an anyone else that stands up
for this great country...

[Nikola Tesla]

Vilified War Criminals! How Rude!

[Americanium]

Obama and his staff must know that they are no longer campaigning..This is the big times...Do not allow the media to box you into a corner ..push back. If in light of an ongoing investigation the prosecutor asks the Obama staff to not say anything and we have morons still demanding answers ..then push back..tell them until we get the green light to speak to you..the media will have NO ACCESS..PERIOD. Let them stew!!!

The American people will understand ..let them wait..Obama is playing into the hands of the Media by doing these interviews. No more interviews..No more releases...No more public announcements of cabinet appointments..Fax the appointments. Let them WAIT!!