John McCormick (see the Clout Street blog for updates of this post.)
President-elect Barack Obama said today that he hasn't been contacted by federal authorities in their investigation of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and is "confident" none of his staff engaged in deal-making on the U.S. Senate seat he once held.
With the national spotlight focused on the Blagojevich scandal following the governor's arrest Tuesday, Obama tried to explain to the nation the political culture in his home state of Illinois.
"I was appalled and disappointed by what we heard in those transcripts," the president-elect said. "Here in Illinois, as I think is true across the country, there is a tradition of public service where people are getting in it for the right reasons and to serve. But there's also a tradition where people view politics as a business."
Obama also once again suggested Blagojevich should step aside as governor.
"We have to reclaim a tradition of public service that is about people and their lives and their hopes and their dreams, and it isn't about what's in it for me. And I think the public trust has been violated. Let me absolutely clear, I do not think that the governor at this point can effective serve the people of Illinois," Obama said.
The president-elect reiterated his staff's statements Wednesday regarding federal allegations that Blagojevich tried to sell Obama's former U.S. Senate seat to enrich himself and his family.
"I have never spoken to the governor on this subject. I am confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat. I think the materials release by the U.S. attorney reflect that fact," Obama said. "I've asked my team to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor's office about this vacant seat, so that we can share them with you over the next few days."
Later, Obama added: "But what I'm absolutely certain of is that our office had no involvement in any deal-making around my senate seat. That, I'm absolutely certain of. That would be a violation of everything that this campaign has been about. And that's not how we do business."
As for his former U.S. Senate seat, Obama said he wants "to see is a quick resolution of this issue. I want to make sure that the next senator from the state of Illinois is carrying a forward tradition of service, that the next senator from Illinois is not tainted by what has taken place so far."
Federal court documents alleged Blagojevich used some obscenities when talking about Obama and the Senate seat.
"I won't quote back some of the things that were said about me," Obama said, laughing. "This is a family program, I know."
The Chicago news conference was designed for Obama to introduce former Sen. Tom Daschle as his nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services and director of the White House Office of Health Reform. Daschle was an early Obama supporter and close adviser throughout the campaign.
Absent from the news conference was Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff and someone who has typically attended the post-election news conferences. Emanuel has past ties to Blagojevich and reporters have been clamoring for a chance to talk to him about any conversations he might have had with the governor or his advisers.
Comments
Why that can't be. The "country first" republicans have already posted a picture of Obam shaking hands with Blago at the governers meeting as proof positive of a "discussion". They don't miss a thing those ankle biters!
Posted by: bill r. | December 11, 2008 12:24 PM
I'll take his word for it. I doubt if he'd go out on that limb for his staffers if he didn't know for certain that there was no dealing. Also, I believe if anybody had been dealing seriously with Blagojavich, Obama would (rightly) throw the offender under the bus in a heartbeat.
Posted by: MJ | December 11, 2008 12:31 PM
What did SEIU agents say or do?
Posted by: Duh | December 11, 2008 12:46 PM
If it is one thing Obama is not, it's stupid. There is no way he is involved in this. He knows better.
Posted by: MR FACE | December 11, 2008 12:56 PM
You disillusioned people above can keep telling yourselves that your messiah and his cronies are squeaky clean but time will tell. By the way, where was Rahm Emanuel? He will be talking to the Feds soon, I’m sure.
Posted by: Eric from Somewhere | December 11, 2008 1:19 PM
Raise your hand if you really, really, really believe that neither Obama nor his staff had any contact with Blago and his staff about the senate seat, as Obama said yesterday.
Raise your hand if you really, really, really believe that Obama hasn't been in contact with Blago since the election.
BTW, politico.com has already shown the second Obama statement to be a lie, by posting a photo of Obama and Blago together taken Dec. 2nd.
Posted by: HopeNChange | December 11, 2008 1:38 PM
Breaking news...
Clearly Blagojevich is just Barack Obama in an elaborate costume...
Barack Obama was moonlighting as Illinois governor and trying to sell his OWN Senate seat...
And Obama was born somewhere that isn't even on this planet...
And Obama has a plan for world domination that involves a giant weather machine, and THAT is why it's rainy (or snowy) and nasty here today...
WHO IS OBAMA ANYWAY? Sarah Palin is still waiting for that answer... Clearly, she was a psychic genius who knew that he was leading a double life.
Bah. The Repugs should change their name to "The Speculation" once and for all.
Posted by: Fixed News channel | December 11, 2008 1:49 PM
Name That Issue! Hmm. What issue would be at the top of the "legislative agenda" of Andy Stern's S.E.I.U. that Illinois Gov. Blagojevich generously offered to help pass after he was through appointing Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate? If you said "card check"--the bill eliminating the secret ballot in union recognition elections--you win.
Rumors that the name of the bill is going to be changed to the "Rod Blagojevich Senator Choice Act" could not be confirmed as of press time. ...
P.S.: Let's assume SEIU president Andy Stern did nothing wrong, and indeed maybe even blew the whistle on Blagojevich's offer of a "three-way" quid pro quid pro quo (after promising to "put that flag up and see where it goes"). Even so, if Stern was an authorized Obama "emissary" to the governor, in the attempt to get Jarrett a Senate seat, that should trouble opponents of "card check." Why? Because it means Obama wasn't worried about owing Stern a huge favor (if he'd succeeded in getting Jarrett the seat). Would Obama do it if he was planning to disappoint Stern? ...
True, "card check" isn't the only issue Stern cares about. Universal health insurance would probably be considered a sufficient repayment of the favor. But "card check" will come up much sooner. ... 11:30 P.M.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/kausfiles/default.aspx
Posted by: Duh | December 11, 2008 1:53 PM
Republicans are doing us a favor....again. When I saw Cantor, Duncan and other Republicans on TV last night trying to tie Obama to Blagojevich, it occurred to me that when Obama emerges from this unscathed, they're going to look like even bigger losers and even more fringe-y than before. And at a time when Americans want the economy fixed, the right-wingers going after Obama when "they got nothing" is going to make the country even more anti-GOP than they already are right now.
Posted by: Kylie | December 11, 2008 2:04 PM
Cast your mind back to 1993. Repubs played footsie with Clinton until he cooperated with them. Thanksgiving week, NAFTA was ratified.
Then, 1st week in December, Bob Dole said near an open mike : "It's time to turn up the heat on Whitewater".
As we know, nothing was found on the Clintons, but a lot on some friends/associates.
This time we are about1 year ahead of schedule.
Reps this time think this is going to be their "Whitewater".
If there were anything on Obama, it would have come out by now.
But that's not the point, is it?
Point is: this gives a new occasion for making scurrilous accusations.
As with Whitewater, they don't have to be true. They just have to be put out there and seem fresh (or "refreshed") and relevant.
Their truth is irrelevant to the "loyal opposition."
Posted by: ornery | December 11, 2008 2:33 PM
Hope/Change:
My hand is raised - and was the December 2nd event the Governor's conference on the economy?
Keep on drinking the GOP Kool-Aid.
Posted by: BobinATL | December 11, 2008 4:03 PM
Why did Blago think the top job was open at Change to Win? Anna Burger going somewhere? Surely not Secretary of Labor?
Posted by: Change to Spin | December 11, 2008 4:07 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/12/us/politics/12union.html?_r=1&ref=politics
Posted by: CS | December 11, 2008 4:57 PM
If Obama hasn't yet "gathered the facts", how can he state that he's "sure" his staff wasn't involved?
Is it logical to be "sure" of facts when you admit you don't know the facts?
Posted by: HopeNChange | December 11, 2008 5:26 PM
Agree with Mr. Face - there is no way that Obama would be mixed up in this so close to the election. I can't say the same about his aides. Just watched this which points out that Blago is back at work but it's not like anyone would accept the position from him.
http://newsy.com/videos/the_chicago_way_day_two/
Posted by: Sibyl Moseley | December 11, 2008 5:44 PM
More i read this-
Their is a dead firsh,out their somewhere and when the weather warms up the fish will began to smell..
Posted by: Inky | December 11, 2008 6:30 PM
Ref
If it is one thing Obama is not, it's stupid. There is no way he is involved in this. He knows better.
Posted by: MR FACE | December 11, 2008 12:56 PM
Would not argue with you on this-
But he is a slick story teller.
Posted by: Inky | December 11, 2008 8:54 PM
If you listened to the President's comments or read the above, you'd know he said he asked staff to gather information on any contacts any staff had with Blagojevich or his people.
And that that information would be released.
He also said he was confident no representative of his had any part in any "deals" about the Senate seat.
Is what he said.
Obviously he's going to shake hands with Blago in a receiving line.
That's not the same thing as, for example, a 90 minute private meeting, is it?
But: keep it up. You'll look stupid when everything Obama said today is proven true.
You know who you are.
Posted by: ornery | December 11, 2008 9:11 PM
"This morning, the Chicago Fox affiliate reports that after the FBI wiretaps were placed on Blagojevich’s phone and after Rahm Emanuel had been selected as Obama’s Chief of Staff, Emanuel and Blago had in fact discussed the Senate seat and that those conversations were on tape.
This story sure makes The Messiah look bad had running next to this story about Obama’s denying that his staff had any such conversations."
From the patriotroom website.
Posted by: HopeNChange | December 12, 2008 8:43 AM
It has also been reported that RE "blew the whistle" on Blago.
If what Hopenchange says is true, that wouldn't have been necessary, would it?
The President did not say there had been no contacts.
He said there were "no deals".
By reputation, at least, RE has the same potty mouth as Blago.
So I guess that tape must make for interesting listening.
Posted by: ornery | December 12, 2008 10:18 AM
"By reputation, at least, RE has the same potty mouth as Blago.
So I guess that tape must make for interesting listening."
Posted by: ornery | December 12, 2008 10:18 AM
.
Emmanuel's reputation is more as a Chicago Machine corrupt hack than anything else.
.
It still seems to me that Obama would not have stuck his neck out if he weren't certain that his staff wasn't dealing. As already noted, he's not stupid.
.
However, Emmanuel has been evasive so far... why, if there's nothing to hide?
Posted by: MJ | December 12, 2008 12:12 PM
Here's what you haven't pieced together: There would be no reason for Valerie Jarret's name to be in consideration for the senate seat unless Obama, or his advisors, proposed her for the seat.
Now that Obama has to think on his feet, its not going to be smooth sailing.
Posted by: phuff | December 12, 2008 1:33 PM
Even if RE told Blago the President felt V J would make a good replacement, there would be nothing wrong with that.
What would be wrong would be the offering or solicitation of a "quid pro quo",
From the Complaint, Blago is quoted as saying nothing was offered other than an expression of appreciation.
So, there was no agreement, no contract, no meeting of the minds, no "deal" and nothing wrong on the President's side.
Posted by: ornery | December 12, 2008 7:34 PM