Wallowing Again
"Something is rotten in the state," says Marcellus in Hamlet. Well, it certainly is in the state of Illinois.
Yet, on hearing U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald describe a plot by his governor to sell his Senate seat—"conduct (that) would make Lincoln roll over in his grave"—how did reform President Barack Obama respond? "I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening. ... And as I said, it is a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that, I don't think it's appropriate to comment."
"A sad day for Illinois"—that was it.
But FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Grant could not contain his revulsion: "If (Illinois) isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor. I think even the most cynical agents in our office were shocked."
Yet Barack stayed cool. Not for 24 hours did he join the clamor for Gov. Rod Blagojevich to stand down.
The stink of this is not going away, and it may adhere to the new presidency that seemed about to begin in a new era of good feeling.
For, consider. While Obama said he had never spoken with the governor about the Senate seat—understandable, given how toxic the scandal-plagued Blagojevich was—he did not say his staff had not done so.
Which raises several questions:
Did Obama direct or ask any staffer to speak to Blagojevich? Did Rahm Emanuel or David Axelrod, both of Chicago, never speak to the governor about the Senate appointment? Did Barack's aides all treat Blagojevich as a political leper and not communicate to him any interest in or concern about whom he might appoint to succeed Obama?
This defies credulity.
On the other hand, if Obama's staffers did talk to Blagojevich or his staff, did the governor or his men suggest a big-time pay-off might purchase a Senate seat?
For Blagojevich is overheard on the wiretaps complaining that all that Obama, whom he slurs nastily, was offering was gratitude.
How did Blagojevich know that?
Who told him Barack would not pony up and play ball? And if any Obama aide was solicited for a bribe, did they relate that to Obama? Did they report it to the FBI or the U.S. attorney's office?
Forty-eight hours into Senategate and already the cancer has metastasized. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been dragged in. He is "Senate Candidate 5" on the wiretaps. From the FBI transcripts, it appears a Jackson "emissary," with access to the governor, offered to raise half a million for Blagojevich's re-election, in return for naming Jackson to the Senate. With perhaps a million more to follow.
Jackson says he met for 90 minutes with the governor Monday and made his case for the Senate appointment—on his record alone. Jackson emphasized that he was not solicited by the governor for a bribe, nor was any emissary ever authorized to offer the governor anything.
Jackson's lawyer backs him up, but says that some supporter, without Jackson's knowledge, might have freelanced on his own.
There are other puzzling questions.
Why, if Fitzgerald was listening to the wiretaps and laying his trap for the governor and corrupt politicians interested in buying a U.S. Senate seat, did he abort the operation with his 6 a.m. arrests of Blagojevich and his chief of staff? Why spring the trap when the mouse is just outside, mulling over whether to go for the cheese?
Why not let the plot unfold? Why not let the corrupt bidder for a Senate seat make a solid offer and bring in his or her down payment? Why not wait for the felony to be committed instead of acting while it was still being considered and discussed?
This one is not going away soon.
Forty-eight hours into the scandal, we have a governor and chief of staff arrested in their homes for attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat of the 44th president of the United States. And one of the most famous names in politics, Jesse Jackson Jr., has hired a lawyer and been placed under a cloud of suspicion that some benefactor tried to buy him the Senate seat he coveted.
No one is yet convicted of anything. But if this scandal touches any member of Obama's White House staff, who may have spoken with Blagojevich and listened to his solicitation of a bribe without reporting it, we are going to have a new special prosecutor in Washington, D.C.
Indeed, the U.S. Senate should probably make the confirmation of Eric Holder as attorney general, the Clintonite who midwifed the pardons of Marc Rich and the Puerto Rican terrorists, contingent on his naming an independent counsel in the Senategate scandal.
As for the Bush-to-Barack transition, which Americans have applauded as graceful and uplifting, it is now mired in mud.
Yes, indeed, it is—a sad day for America.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
Entries(RSS)
Actually, Pat, the heavily edited soundbite that was aired on WTOP featured BO's trademark stammering. All hail the new Bubba! The truth is far from him!
Any time soon I expect Mr. Obama to utter those famous words: " I an not a crook. "
There will not be repercussions to Obama even though he clearly swam up through the Dems' stinking Illinois swamp, because the news coverage will never permit any honest investigative reporting. The major outlets will continue to treat him like the Volkischer Beobachter treated Uncle Adolf, with utter adoration. They will lie for him, form a protective cordon around him, and throw themselves in front of oncoming prosecutorial tanks for him. Were they ever to admit that their dear leader is a corrupt, leftist Chicago pol, the labor of their lives would be for naught.
I have been taking a long vacation from politics after this election, so I am not really following this or any other story pertaining to P-E Obama. Nevertheless, there is nothing in this piece by Pat Buchanan that I did not already know from glancing incidentally at Yahoo! News headlines. I was expecting something more in-depth from Pat, but Lord knows he's a busy man.
I am not in the least surprised by the story, however. It is actually an act of mercy; a timely, beneficial revelation of what we Obama opponents have known all along. If the man can not even make it to inauguration day without scandal darkening his doorstep, he will in no way have the political capital needed to enact his much-feared socialist reforms. I actually pity him now. Obama's presidency will be a hopeless and tragic one.
However, the Big O will be providing us with free health care, free education and tax reduction for 95 %. Like Winston Smith, we will all learn to love the Big O.
Illinois being Illinois, this thing could bite all kinds of people before it's over.
However, there would be nothing wrong with a senator discussing the appointment of his successor with a governor; one would expect it. The question of quid pro quo is a bit different--especially when it's money or a private sector job, for which Blago was angling. But being called a M* F* by Blago, on a FBI tape? Advantage, Barack.
I think the arrest was made when it was because Blago could have made an appointment, something that might be hard not to unravel.
I'm worried more about the hard-working guys who spent their lives on an infernal assembly line to feed and clothe their kids, and may be about to lose their pensions. Does it make me a Bolshevik to say confiscate all the Wall St. golden parachutes and put them in a pension fund for the auto workers?
Lord, have mercy. (In the Orthodox style, repeat 40 times).
John Q. Reb wrote: "There will not be repercussions to Obama even though he clearly swam up through the Dems’ stinking Illinois swamp, because the news coverage will never permit any honest investigative reporting. "
Bull's eye! And with people too busy trying to survive economically, this is a matter historians will be left to sort out.
And for more good news in re Blago-gate: Rahm Emanuel was in contact with Illinois' crooked governer, and now he's swimming in neck-deep boiling excrement. Hiding from the press and screaming at ABC camermen. It's wonderful to behold -- sharks smelling powerful blood in the water. As far as I'm concerned it couldn't happen to a nicer son-of-an-Irgun-terrorist.
This is certainly just the beginning of more to come from the big BO.
Obama is neither a president or man, he is a status symbol.
Maybe, just maybe, the veneer of respectability on "the chosen few" is peeling off.
What with the latest Wall Street Ponzi scheme blow-up, Obama's chief of staff neck-deep in "boiling excrement" (I think that's a quote from the Talmud), Conrad Black's best friend and business associate for over 30 years ratting him out, one would think that watching-your-back is becoming de rigeur.
Even more advantageous for our society would be that any pontification of those with a particular type of "German-sounding" name would be immediately spiked.
H.F. Wolff
Let's just pray to the Virgin that they all get swived over.
@11 HF Wolff
The boiling excrement was an ancient Chinese form of damnation reserved for those who came to the temple in filthy clothing. So says Dr Jonathan Chaves a professor of Chinese literature at GWU. Perhaps a better logician than I can insure that crooked pols get it too.
It might also be recorded in the Apocalypse of Saint Peter as the punishment prescribed for sorcerers who commit abortion, and the women who seek them out.
And no, it's only the german names that involve money: Green__, Silver__, Gold___, Rubi__, Sapir__. Jonah Goldberg! Why, the name alone screams, "Guilty!"
There will be a major coverup if there is a link to the Obama Whitehouse and the new services will gloss over anything of damaging substance to Obama. With the economy going down the tubes, nobody will care, and it will make their job all the more easier. Why is this stuff that shocking? Virtually all politicians are corrupt SOBs, and did you think the powers that be would not help elect a guy that wasn't for sale? I just cringe at all these blacks that are still saying "Yes We Can", when the Obamanator hired all of those Clinton retreads for his cabinet.
@14 Robert Bruce
So much for the mantra of Change. You hire the same Wall Street boffins who swindled stockholders en masse, and you get them to run the treasury. I suppose one must have experience running Ponzi schemes in the free market before they can manage something as vast as "Sosul Secoority."
On the foreign policy end of things, you just get lawyers involved in mass immigration, and Russia bashers.
It's amazing to watch the gutter press scribbling puff pieces about "intelligence," "talent," and skill while they're busy trying to con us. I suppose we'll just have to "Hope" for the best.