Biden: 'no inappropriate (Blago) contact'

STOP THE PRESSES!!
.
Another member of Team Obama exhonorates another member of Team Obama again!
.
Meanwhile, why is it that Rham Emanuel would heretofore hip check little old ladies to get in front of microphones and TV cameras, but now he's a shrinking violet?

Left undefinied: "inappropriate."

This is such a self-inflicted wound. First Obama said, essentially, there was no contact, a stance that defies common sense. (I'd like to think there WAS contact and he had enough brains to try to have someone appointed who would further his aims as prez. Good grief! How stupid does he think we are?)

Then, with RE caught on tape, also apparently, there was backpedaling.

What's the saying? It's not the crime, it's the coverup?

No one expects any of Obama's staff, to admit having contact with the Governor.

Fitzgerald has already said that no one from the Obama team did anything improper. But will this satisfy the wing nuts? No, they will beat this dead horse forever.

In related "news", Patty Blagojevich exonerates Rod ... Frank James exonerates his brother Jesse ... Geoge Ryan absolves George Ryan.

Duck, delay, deny... they're in full stonewall mode over at Team Obama.

Either Obama was totally clueless, or he was a typical Chicago politician.

He spent the entire campaign promising change.

What he never told us was that the change was to bring Chicago-style corruptions up a level to DC.

Way to go, O!

It was inappropriate to push Valerie Jarret, the hack that drove the CHA into the ground and funneled millions to Rezko and other slum lords. But I guess it is to be expected from someone that thought Todd Stroger would make a fine CC board President. I'm sure the report will explain why Rahm and Obama would push someone that had to withdraw her name from consideration. This whole deal stinks and I don't expect Obama will do anything to clear the air.

Oh, right, Joe. Whatever you guys say. No "inappropriate" contact. Got it.

Does anybody feel insulted by how stupid this sounds to any rational thinking human being? They really feel that this is going to satisfy any sort of real inquiries about any sort of "inappropriate" contact between Obama & his "staff" and Blagos' minions?
Ya', sure!

OMG! No inappropriate contact - and the reich-wingers, mouth breathing knuckle draggers that they are, are all over this anyways. I wonder where they were when shrub commuted libby's sentence? I guess mis-appropriated justice is only for republicrites. it really is a shame that THE.WORST.PRESIDENT.IN.THE.HISTORY.OF.THE UNIVERSE
wasted the taxpayer's money and Fitzgerald's time like that. He could have moved the blago arrest up a few onths.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that a report due out this afternoon will show "no inappropriate contact" between Barack Obama's presidential transition team and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Kinda like a modern day Aesop's fable where the fox calls out from the henhouse, "There's no one in here 'cept us chickens". And the farmer is supposed to take it as gospel. The truth is that there is no way that this doesen't touch Obama in some, however small, way. The democratic political scum - of which Obama is a part - of Illinois/Crook County/Chicago is one body. Not one of these crooked bloodsuckers operates in a vacuum. The messiah included.

Would consider Bidens creitablity before taking him serious-

"no inappropriate contact"
a few years back barny frank used those exact words when caught with a young male intern in the congressional cloack room with their pants down.

"no inappropriate contact"
a few years back barny frank used those exact words when caught with a young male intern in the congressional cloack room with their pants down.

"Hip check little old ladies". That was too funny and too true.

"Truth" from Bieden. Just like HIS real hair and his plagiarizing.

"Hip check little old ladies". That was too funny and too true.

I'm guessing that career politician Biden's definition of "inappropriate" and mine differ. I hope Obama dumps Rahmbo now. Otherwise Obama's detractors will have a field day from day one questioning the integrity of the new administration.

Spoken like a true Democratic Illinois pol. He hasen't been sworn in, yet he is one of them. Hey Joe, in the immortal words of George Costanza; "Just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it". That phrase should be printed on the stationary of the Illinois Democratic Party.

Everyone one relax. Why on God's green earth would Obama get mixed up with Blago. I would think the right wingers would know by now, Obama is smarter than that.

One of the main foxes has reported that the main fox only had incidental contact with the hens or the hen house. Why would we put any credence in a report from the very office that is under suspicion? They must think we are completely stupid.

The wing nuts who'll beat this to death are the same ones who "think" (using the term very loosely) that Obama doesn't have a valid birth certificate. And, it won't end there. We are in for 8 years of these nut jobs.

For the life of me, I can't figure out two things here:
1. Why is anyone surprised that the newly-elected president would NOT have some thoughts to share with the governor (of his own party) about a possible successor to his senate seat?
2. What the hell is wrong with that?

Obama should expect to have a replacement that will be a strong supporter of his agenda in the senate to serve both his former constituents and his political objectives. He should expect that the governor would choose someone competent and effective. And there's nothing "inappropriate" about making those wishes known to the governor.

I swear some of these folks just fell off the political turnip truck. As long as Obama and/or his staff were not offering a quid pro quo reward to the gov for appointing Obama's personal choice -- and the US Attorney has strongly suggested there was no such offer -- there isn't anything wrong here.

Obama ordered up the report earlier this month after the arrest of Blagojevich and the governor's then-chief of staff, John Harris, on charges that they had tried to barter the Senate seat for the governor's financial gain

I'm confused...Obama ordered the investigation and it was done by his own people...come on....

Anyways....if innocent on this issue...which i believe BO is...I still have no idea how one can beleive that he rose up through chicago politics at his quick pace and that he is completly innocent when it comes to being a typical "chicago" politician....

I could care less about Blago anymore, he's crooked and he's going to be impeached...but the funniest part is reading the Repuglican posts on here who just like they did with the Obama birth certificate nonsense, are trying desperatly to tie Rahm and Obama criminally to Blago.

The GOPs fake outrage noise machine always goes silent once all the facts are in and this will be no different than usual.

The giddy Republicans are still drooling all over themselves about this one. Tim H. is correct, many of these folks just fell off the turnip truck and can't accept that on 11/04/08 McCain was smeared all over the map. If this were a Republican, all would be just fine in their eyes. Get over it losers.

surely there must be some "wingnut" involved?

I mean, there's no other explanation than the right wingnut's are making these things up?

There's really nothing here that's wrong in the Obama camp? America expects the president elect to weigh in on his replacement in Illinois - how true.

Right wingnut's can't get over the back peddling, changing of the official response, self policing investigation of "of course" no worng doing.

Right wingnut federal prosecutor has already stated "No Wrong Doing of Obama" "Obama not under investigation".

Right wingnut federal prosecutor made the same statements about Blagojevich during the Rezko trial.

Gotta be a right wingnut involved - no other explanations!

Tim, valid points. Why then do you suppose Obama said he wouldn't get involved in the selection then lie about not having contact with Blago's office. The US attorney did not exonerate the annointed one, he said nothing in the complaint implicated Obama. Fitz made a similar statement about Blago when he filed against Rezko. Some people are willing to believe anything they are told if it is a Dem doing the telling. This is more of the same change Obama brought to Illinois.

So is it illegal in Illinois to have a conversation with the governor of the state?? The only thing inappropriate would be to pay for play or discuss a deal for filling the seat. And Hans is making up new facts.

Rahm Emanuel had 21 taped conversations with Blagojevich about the senate seat. There's something to exhonerate, Joe.
Only a true, independent investigation will get to the bottom of this, not Obama and his people investigating themselves and then having Joe Biden - another Obama politicial appointee - rubberstamp the whole dirty mess.
Fitzgerald isn't done investigating the whole mess but it looks like it'll involve at least Emanuel in the end.

Isn't this kind of like the fox watching the hen house? PEBO's transition team does an "internal" audit and found that they did nothing wrong? Blago said he didn't do anything wrong, either. Do we believe him? Do we have any reason to believe that Rahm or anyone else didn't have contact with John Harris about the Senate seat? Why was Valerie Jarrett's name pulled from consideration so abruptly?

It is time for remake of the old sitcom, Hogan's Heroes. We can call it Blago's Heroes with Joe Biden as Sgt. "I know nothing" Shultz and PEBO as his clueless superior officer, Col. Klink. There is plenty of material to work with.

Alright people ... You heard The Man! Move along. There's nothing to see here. Don't you all have some Christmas shopping to finish? The Man will notify you soon what the Middle Class is to expect. Go back to your shopping.

Hey mortie, care to actually read the transcript or are you just content to believe the one that lied about contacting Blago's office.

Also, would you address the fact -- and I know you referred to this -- would you just address whether or not President-elect Obama was aware that any of these things were taking place?

MR. FITZGERALD: OK. I'm not going to speak for what the president- elect was aware of. We make no allegations that he's aware of anything. And that's as simply as I can put it.

MR. FITZGERALD: Anna, I'm not going to go down anything that's not in the complaint. And what I simply said before is, I'm not -- I have enough trouble speaking for myself, I'm never going to try to speak in the voice of a president or president-elect. So I simply pointed out that if you look at the complaint, there's no allegation that the president-elect -- there's no reference in the complaint to any conversation involving the president-elect or indicating that the president-elect was aware of it, and that's all I can say.

"Everyone one relax. Why on God's green earth would Obama get mixed up with Blago." Gee, I dunno, maybe because he ENDORSED BLAGO FOR GOVERNOR TWICE. Or that he actually WORKED for Blagojevich during his first campaign for governor. Or that he said "We've got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois," at the Illinois State Fair in 2006 WELL after it was known that Blagojevich was crooked.
What blinders are you wearing, Tim? These two go WAY back. Or are you one of the 7% of Illinoisans that agree with Obama that Blagojevich has "delivered for the people of Illinois." What a joke.
And Hans, just because it's not in the criminal complaint doesn't mean it didn't happen. 21 taped conversations between Rahm and Blago about the senate seat. That's all the proof we need.

Hans, you're making up facts about Valerie Jarret and you're putting words in Obama's mouth. He didn't lie; he never said his staff didn't have contacts with Blago's staff. Of course Rahm contacted Blago's office--about any number of things including his own Congressional seat. You're fast and loose with the facts, Hansie.

"But will this satisfy the wing nuts? No, they will beat this dead horse forever."

Did I call it, or what?!!!

...bu...bu...but...but..but, how can we tie Rahm and Obama to Blago?

There has to be a way, Hannity and Rush said so...

Mortie,

Obama stated there were no discussions prior to the Axelrod foxnews interview being made public. then 2+ weeks later Obama's office issued a statement that Axelrod misspoke. Then Obama in his stumbling way gave his we were not, I was not aware statement.

Obama addressed the scandal over his Senate seat Tuesday afternoon, saying, "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening." But Obama's senior advisor David Axelrod told a Chicago affiliate of Fox News that Obama had in fact spoken to Blagojevich about his empty Senate seat.

According to the documents obtained by Judicial Watch from the Illinois Secretary of State, Valerie Jarrett served as a board member for several organizations that provided funding and support for Chicago housing projects operated by real estate developers and Obama financial backers Rezko and Allison Davis. (Davis is also Obama’s former boss.) Jarrett was a member of the Board of Directors for the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation along with several Davis and Rezko associates, as well as the Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization, an organization that worked with Rezko and Davis.

What have you got?

Bill Clinton, press advisor to the Obama transition team, has provided direction on communications regarding "inappropriate contact". Biden, reading carefully from the Democrat Party prepared speech, has convinced himself that they can continue denials of any connection to the Illinois Governor, and keep a straight face.

Of course nothing wrong, of course. Big investigation by unbiased folk. Change you can believe in. Buy both of those points Joe, sure do.

How can we tie them together? Are you really serious? Obama has endorsed both of Blago's runs for governor, even the one that happened after we knew he was corrupt. That's all you really need to know about how they're partners in corruption.
There's also the pesky 21 conversations Rahm is tape-recorded with Blago on talking about the senate seat. Even Jesse Jackson, Jr. is now saying he was wearing a wire for the Feds when talking to Blago about the senate seat and Obama's friends at SEIU. Do any of you ever read the newspaper?

Report was just released, NO TRANSCRIPTS of the 21 conversations between Blago and Rahm about the senate seat. This is why you don't let the foxes head up the investigation into the break-in at the henhouse.

Hans, you're making up facts about Valerie Jarret...
Posted by: mort | December 23, 2008 4:47 PM
.
Sorry Mort, he isn't. Here's a piece from the Boston Globe last year that you missed, regarding the interrelation of Obama, Rezko and Jarret --
.
"About 99 of the units [of Grove Parc Plaza] are vacant, many rendered uninhabitable by unfixed problems, such as collapsed roofs and fire damage.'
.
"Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Obama's presidential campaign and a member of his finance committee. Jarrett is the chief executive of Habitat Co., which managed Grove Parc Plaza from 2001 until this winter and co-managed an even larger subsidized complex in Chicago that was seized by the federal government in 2006, after city inspectors found widespread problems."
.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/27/grim_proving_ground_for_obamas_housing_policy/

Hans, we seem to be talking about 2 different subjects when it comes to Jarret. I objected to calling her a hack, and that they "had" to withdraw her, etc. I don't think it happened. We can disagree there.
And I never said anything about Fitzgerald exonerating anyone. I also don't believe Obama ever said there were "no discussions" at all with Blago's staff, just none involving him. It may be a matter of timelines, because you are going way back with Axelrod and he corrected his orginal statement to Fox. Saying you will be "hands off" doesn't preclude indicating who might be acceptable or not if the governor wants it.
Bottom line, there's no indication of anything illegal or inappropriate; if Fitz has something we'll hear about it. If you have something, tell him.

This good news. Who really cares if our governor sleazy? What we need is jobs and snow removal. Oh. and salt, this will help. Joe Biden is a good person to run things while Obama is away. The governor needs to get away too. Maybe a little quality time at Stateville will help.

What a big disappointment for the Wingnuts....again.

The fact that there is no evidence MUST be proof that they covered it up.

This story is over when the corporate media says it's over and not a minute sooner. It's possible that they will let it go as a sort of honeymoon present, but the minute some other vague "corruption" story comes along (or they can find a way to tie in Rezko, Blago and ---God willing -- a prostitute or something) they'll be right back here.

This is nothing more than a corporate media/Republican distraction and potentially a serious erosion of political capital. It needs to be aggressively challenged by all those who agree that the unelected members of the press shouldn't be dictating the political agenda in this country. If the right gets its act together and cranks up the old noise machine to just the right pitch and the press continue to party like it's 1997, we will have a problem on our hands that we just can't afford.

I always thought that the Clinton scandals were a terrible indulgence that could only be afforded by a country that was living in a time of peace and prosperity. After the last couple of weeks, I'm not convinced that's true anymore and if I'm right, the consequences could be really quite awful.

Geez, all of these Hail Marys, the ridiculous Republicans have been saying, they've almost said a rosary, since their trouncing, at the polls!! Continue to hope and pray, that our President-elect will be smeared with some scandal, that's what " real " Americans do, right !!!? No wonder, you, Republicans, have become the favored losers in American politics, today !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

Why the press isn't all over Valerie Jarrett's slumlord background is beyond me. But the Globe story back in June barely made a ripple because the press is protecting The One and his associates. They are crooked like the rest and I will relish every negative Obama story that comes out. Told you so, Dems. Hillary was the one, not zero.

"Why the press isn't all over Valerie Jarrett's slumlord background is beyond me. But the Globe story back in June barely made a ripple ..."
Posted by: Hillary Fan | December 23, 2008 7:52 PM
.
Yeah, barely made a ripple. I think that speaks to The People desperately gasping at straws as much as it does to a shamefully compliant press.
.
Shame on them both. I suppose The People can be granted some latitude of forgiveness, but not the press.