Blagojevich Proves Obama is Clean

As usual, we live in an upside down world where black is white and white is black. I have never seen a clearer example of someone being exonerated in a case than Barack Obama in the Blagojevich case. Yet, today we wake up to the Associated Press headline: "Analysis: Scandal threatens to dog Obama."

Could Blagojevich have been any clearer: "They're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them." Here is a man who clearly is not aware that he is being taped and man who clearly does not like Obama and so isn't doing him any favors. In fact, he later calls Obama a "motherfucker." And he clearly says on tape, "They're not willing to give me anything." [emphasis added since it apparently needs to be emphasized]

How much clearer did he have to be? Okay, you want more? Blagojevich then says, "Fuck him ... For nothing? Fuck him." Yet another reference to how Obama will give him nothing for the Senate seat. How can this possibly be interpreted as anything but a complete vindication of Barack Obama?

The only way this is bad news for Obama is if we live in a world where we are no longer attached to notion of logic. The reality is this is actually very good news for Obama. Here is the clearest case I have ever seen of a politician who was tested and passed the test! He is indisputably clean.

In the AP article above, they go on to explain some of these quotes as mitigating factors. But they are not mitigating factors, they are the whole enchilada. The headline shouldn't be about how this is a problem for Obama. The headline should be, "Blagojevich Case Proves Obama Can't Be Bought."

Now we know if you try to get any shady political deals with Obama - it won't work. Yet the Republicans and the press to some degree will now furiously spin this as a big problem or "scandal" for Obama.

In fact, Michael Isikoff of Newsweek said on our show yesterday that it's now time for further investigations into this as related to Obama. How convenient. Bush ravages the earth for eight years and there's hardly an investigation of a damn thing. A Democrat is about to take office and once again, apparently, it's time for investigations. And this, despite the fact that this case proves that Obama's team is completely clean.

Here we go again.

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Comments

[jarotra]

This does show once again the willful scandal mongering nature of news media, specifically the pundit class, and serves to explain why the opinion manufacturing sector of media is dying.

A patent lie is forwarded as a headline, the pollsters find the public somehow unpersuaded. The process repeats with columnists throwing out even more BS, which once again persuades NO ONE except fellow beltway blowhards.

[2008CaliforniaFan]

I was bored for a few minutes and so I went over to the FauX News webpage to see what their 'spin' was on the whole Blago story. I had never even been to their page before, but I was 'curious'.(and bored)
I went to the O'Reilly section to see what the most outrageous point of view might be. The heading was ..."Obama works to distance himself from Ill. Governor" Huhhhh????

How do you distance yourself ,... from someone you had 'no contact' with??
Fitzgerald made that perfectly clear the first morning. But leave it up to one of O'Reillys fan/posters to comment.

O'Reilly fan states-"Somewhere in Obamaland there is a shredder working overtime and whole lot of e-mails being deleted. Welcome to corruption you can believe in."
Someone needs to tell "hanz_youth_13" that the evidence they collected was on wiretaps/"Audio" tapes! NOBODY has mentioned any emails??
They need to stop drinking the "O'Reilly KoolAid" over there.

[nellie]

Love your take on this story. You're absolutely right.

[btanner]

Obama has shown us how to transcend the politics of fear and divisiveness. Can the GOP say the same of their so-called Obama counterparts? No, because aside from their skin color, they still appeal to the same narrow-minded conservative base they've always had and will never be able to cross over to the rest of "fake" America.

[erincnyc]

I don't agree that Blago's statements completely exonerate Obama's peeps. They show that no one on his team was willing to pay to play, but not that they reported such conversations. I think the discussion right now is not whether Obama's people were willing to pay, but whether they actually negotiated and decided against such. The whispers are that Valerie Jarrett spoke to Blago's people. The question buzzing today, and the P-E's refusal to answer the question in his presser this morning, is how did Blago know that Obama's folks wouldn't pay to play. Did Jarrett speak to Blago or his people? Did she report any solicitation on his part to appoint someone in exchange for financial reward? I agree with many herein that Obama's team should act with "all deliberate haste" to reveal any discussions anyone on his team may have had with Blago, no matter how innocent. It is always better to give the information before the accusations begin in earnest. I have no doubt that Obama's team is completely innocent. I just believe that this is too juicy a story for anyone to pass up. It is best to give any and every conceivable piece of information up before the digging begins. Will show good faith and clean hands.

[Palmz]

Remind me who were arrested?

Remind me who resigned their position?

[XME]

"The only way this is bad news for Obama is if we live in a world where we are no longer attached to notion of logic."

Unfortunately, the GOP and the press don't care much for logic...the press just wants to CREATE a good story, and the GOP just wants ANY opportunity to smear the Democratic president elect: fairness and "logic" irrelevant to many of them.

[darcy]

I agree, XME. If people thought republicans would play fair, they are naive. We are going to see smear tactics galore, just like during Clinton's administration.

I don't know how replublicans live with themselves. They must be filled with hate and anger to be so determined to destroy the other party even if it means destroying their own country.

[camper65]

You hope!

[Casey Gane-McCalla - Huffpost Blogger]

Blago is more of the rule than the exception for corruption in politics. Obama is the exception. However I'm sure that Hillary Clinton as given the SoS position in a similar deal. I'll campaign for you and raise money for you if I get that position.

That said, here are the Top 5 Corrupt Politicians of 2008
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/top-5-corrupt-politicians-of-2008/

[JJK]

I suspect that your logic (the HRC point aside) will be at the core of Blagojevich's defense; viz., that politicians promise each other things every day in the context of, but not in return for, other things that are done or given. That's why so many people regard politics as a sleazy but legal profession.

However, I imagine that the Prosecution will use the tapes to show that it was the Governor's intent to trade the office in return for such promises. I really don't think the tapes give Blagojevich a leg to stand on in that regard, as he actually says he wants something for the appointment. (I resist shortening his name to Blago when I type it because I'm just so darn pleased that I've figured out how to spell it!--Blagojevich, there, I did it again!)

[cheforacle]

Your sure? Based upon what proof? If we used your standard of proof which is the standard of "cynical conjecture" the police should be arresting people left and right. I hope we never live in a country like that. We used to back in the days when African-Americans would be lynched for looking at a woman the wrong way.

[ohioan73]

You're exactly right. Its time for the investigations of everybody questionable in the pay to play schemes to ensue immediately. That's one of the best ways to quickly enforce this change mantra everyone is so excited about. Obama will come out clean everytime because he is simply not that stupid or greedy. Let us see the statesman Barack Obama is.

[JJK]

Here's Obama's problem, which I think he can fix fast.

No one is suggesting that Obamna had anything to do with this. However, given the many loose ends and connections described in the Complaint, it is extremely likely that one or more people in his Transition or Circle (whether "Inner" or "Extended" or "Wannabe"--and it's the Wannabe's who can kill you in stuff like this) knew that some sort of "pay to play" discussions were taking place.

Obama himself shouldn't touch any of that with a ten foot pole, but Rahm, Axelrod or Jarrett have to "out" that person or persons quickly and, if appropriate, refer their names to Fitzgerald. If after an exhaustive internal investigation, they determine that no one on the Transition or in Obama's circles was aware of this, they should issue an unequivocal statement to that effect and be prepared to bet their own credibility and careers on it.

People are going to be scurrying to the Prosecutor's office to cut deals in the next few days. Obama's team has a window of opportunity to stay ahead of this before the rats referenced in the Complaint start to tell stories to stay out of jail.

[Stephen C. Rose - Huffpost Blogger]

Blag is innocent until proven guilty under our system. Besides people were too quick to deny him the right to do his job which is to appoint a Senate replacement for Barack. Here's my proposal -- http://stephencrose.wordpress.com

[UncommonSenz]

There are two questions, did he commit a crime and can he still be governor.

The first question will be answered in a trial.

The second question needs to be answered right now. If your governor showed up to each press conference wearing a tin foil hat and saying he would only pass laws that "the people of planet Xenonoria want", you'd throw him out on his butt- even though he committed no crime.

The activities he engaged in on the tapes, regardless of if they prove a crime was committed, clearly shows he cannot be trusted to make ANY decision. He acted in a way to improve his own finances rather than do his job and find the best candidate for the job. We don't need more evidence to see that. May be a crime, may not be- but it is a clear lack of judgement.

Even if you don't buy that argument, the vast majority of his constituents, and law makers have no confidence in him. Everything he says or does right now is tainted. He could nominate a perfect candidate who never asked for anything in return and nobody would trust him. He has to go...

[XME]

He may be innocent of CHARGES until proven guilty. But the "taint" his own words make it impossible of doing his job effeciently and without tainting whomever he would appoint, specifically because HIS OWN WORDS show he wasn't willing to appoint the job based on merit.

[dphilip]

Democrats have portrayed the republicans as in disarray and strssed over the Obama election....However, since the recent developments it's beginning to look more like we are in a Corona commercial..

[AudsMom]

The repubs should be thanking Obama right now that his first priority upon entering the White House i not to bring illegal wire tapping charges (among many other charges for illegal activities) against the ENTIRE Bush Administration.

The sad thing is, that it probably could have been his first priority, if it weren't for the fact that the ENTIRE Bush Administration has done such a spectacular job at running this country right into the ground.

The repubs need to take their whiny corrupt asses (and they can take Lieberman and Blagojevich with them..clearly they are in the wrong party) into a hole and not come out...Then things might get done around here!

[joeythetrollslayer]

Oh this is gonna be big. Logic doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what Obama did, or did not do. If someone in a state did something wrong, and you are from that state, then you might be guilty too. The next four years are going to be solid scandals and investigations, like whitewater, which will culminate in the impeachment of Obama for smoking on the campaign trail and promising to quit, which was related to Rezco who financed the store that sold the cigarettes on that day. In 2012, Palin/Jindal will boldly lead the country away from devils and perform an exorcism on Washington 'to clear the smoke and mirrors' in their own words and prepare for The Great Coming.

[BrettnCalgary]

Somebody needs to start a pool for when the first repug calls for Obama's impeachment comes. I'll take March 2009. I'd take February, but those dinosaurs won't get coordinated fast enough.

[lafrance]

AP is a republican hackery and sidoti has tried to trash Obama many times before.
What is sad is that the rest of the media is following suit. They want drama and controversy so they are insinuating things.
It's very sad because you know they would never have done this to Bush.

[GrainOSand]

"The only way this is bad news for Obama is if we live in a world where we are no longer attached to notion of logic."

The jury has not come in on that yet. Remember, Sarah Palin is seen as legitimate and viable. McCain was able to "credibly" sum up his pathetic approach to campaigning via slander and innuendo as -- "Politics is a tough business". Millions of Americans voted for the ticket of McCain/Palin. Bush was elected twice. We American citizens have not stormed the White House and arrested Bush, Rove, Cheney, and the entire cabal of crony cavemen for their numerous disclosed crimes (that just leaves disclosure of the as yet undisclosed).

Mr. Uygur, the reasonable immediately went to the prescribed logic based on the revealed details of the wiretap. The unreasonable intend to jump off the cliff of "Obama is guilty" no matter what.

Logic? Logic is a warm place to stay and something to eat. Put an electronic gadget with those basic items and you have full-blown complacency and distraction."