Obama delays Blagojevich report

Surprise, surprise. Obama's delaying on the release of the records.

Or more exactly, Obama's delaying the release of the "transition staff" contacts with Blago. Obama's press flak doesn't say anything about contacts with Obama's OTHER staff--a point missed by the reporter.

Instead of looking at this from the partisan presidential politics side, let's look at it from the US Attorney's side: he wants anyone out there who may have had "inaproppriate" contact with the Governor's office to continue to squirm and maybe spill the beans to the prosecutor's office.

Obama's press flak doesn't say anything about contacts with Obama's OTHER staff--a point missed by the reporter.

Posted by: Change you can believe in | December 15, 2008 3:02 PM

Teresa,
Your schtick is getting old.

We get it that you don't like Obama but this vainly trying to tie Blago to Obama and the overboard craziness about the birth certificate nonsense is a joke.

If you're wondering why no one takes the Republic party seriously anymore then maybe you should go back and reread some of your past posts.

Change-

Did you read the article? The delay is at the request of the US Attorney General. Nice try though.

Person above: please learn how to read.

It was the U.S. Attorney's request that they withhold the information until 12/22 due to the ongoing investigation. Not Obama's or his transition staff.

Sometimes I wonder whether people here can read...
"Surprise, surprise. Obama's delaying on the release of the records."

Those who bothered to read the story saw the delay is "at the request of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald"

As if Obama had a choice. Sheesh.

Oh surprise, surprise. Some right winger is distorting the truth about an Obama press release. The Obama representative clearly states Fitzgerald's office requested the delayed release. Now would anyone make such a statement that could be so easily checked by the press if it wasn't true? Oh yeah, Sarah Palin.

I hope people are not so cynical that all elected officials are looked at through the prism of Blago....I'm giving President-elect Obama credit for his honest approach to an issue outside of his control.

What happened to the public's right to know?

The review by the Transition office will be released on noon of Christmas Eve when people have something else on their mind!

Why isn't Rahm Emmanuel made available for a briefing to the press?

Before ANY jump the gun; note the U.S. Attorney's office asked that President-Elect Obama's staff delay their findings. This is not the choice of the Obama team.

Last week Obama said that niether he nor anyone in his staff was talking to Blago. Now all the sudden after the media reports that Rahm was working with the govenor and was captured on the tapes, Obama changes his tune and announces that his staff didn't have any "inappropriate discussions". Now thats "Change" you can believe in!

Republicans live with the hope of wanting to embarrass Obama on the Blagojevich issue. It will probably turn out the Obama team was in contact with Fitzgerald in October. There is no way that Obama is going to be dragged down by a light weight like Blagojevich.

The right wing are so sensitized to attack that they can not wait for something to come up. The press is keeping this story alive. As we know from the Scooter Libby case, this Federal Attorney moves at his own pace and he gets his man. We will all get to know in due time and Fitzgerald will snag as many rats as he can.

Obama's problem is going to reside with Rangle. Though Obama is not intertwined with the congressman, he will turn a blind eye to him if the congressional ethics committee does.

If Obama apologists were capable of reading, they'd note that any announcement on "transtion staff" contacts would only include members of that transition office staff.

The above announcement DOESN"T include other Obama staff, such as his campaign staff and his senate staff, all of whom may have had contacts with Blago. For example, Rahm Emanuel, perhaps Obama's closest political confidant, is not a member of the transition staff. If you don't believe me, take a look at the transition office website.

Nothing in Fitzgerald's request prevents Obama from releasing Emanuel's contacts with Blago. Contacts Obama promised last week to release, but still hasn't.

The stonewalling continues. With the unanimous approval of Obama apologists, all of whom prefer to spend their time attacking people who want the facts to come out.

What change in tune? Comments have been pretty consistent...Barack knows everyone is looking and listening to everything, and so is his staff.

I agree with above...give it a break...Our next governor-elect Pat Fitzgerald made the sequestor request...duh? Nobody's throwing shoes at Barack !

if theres nothing in the tapes then why the need for the delay?????? hmmm

"...This is not the choice of the Obama team..."

Posted by: Pat-Barrington HIlls | December 15, 2008 4:06 PM

Not true, they have a choice-

The Obama team has no legal obligation to not go public-they are only respecting a (convenient?) request to not go public.

Only the prosecutor is legally obligated to not share details of the investigation.

This delay smells like good old fashioned corrupt Illinois politics. I only hope the media sees right through this and follows up on the details when they are released.

It doesn't just say "transition staff' had no inappropriate contact. It says:

"and that the President-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator."

Last I checked, the Chief-of-Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, is on Obama's staff.

Nice try though.

Well, it's pretty obvious from this last press release that Obama is guilty of something with regards to Blago. I mean how could he be from Illinois and not be guilty too. Hannity and Rush said so, so it must be true.....

45% of the country could probably be led to believe that the sky is green...just saying. That's about the percentage that thought Sarah Palin was qualified to be vp. The Repub party is going to have to change it's name to the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" party before to long.

You can call us "apologists" if you like, HopeNChange, but there is nothing to apologize for. This is Blago's scandal, not Obama's.

'Hope' reads, but then only comprehends stonewalling and scandal. There is no reason to think the Obama staff is lying. Give it a rest; if there are facts we need to learn, they will come out.

This is Blago's scandal, not Obama's.

Posted by: rupert | December 15, 2008 4:52 PM

So far...

To assume that Obama or his direct staff had nothing to do with the appointment of his successor ( to an extremely valuable US Senate seat)- would be naive.

Also, the deer in the headlights response that the Obama team has had so far does not foster much confidence in his "non-involvement"

Heartburn, obviously they can offer suggestions for the Senate appointment, and there is nothing wrong with that. It's also clear, from Fitzgerald's statements, that the Obama people did not engage in pay for play. So what's your point??

Also, the deer in the headlights response that the Obama team has had so far does not foster much confidence in his "non-involvement"

Posted by: heartburn | December 15, 2008 5:07 PM

Yes, because we all know that Obama or someone on his team "must" have some involvement. It just has to be because that's what they told me on Faux last night and they never lie.

Mike Dorning; the title of your article implies that this is solely Obama's team's decision, thus the myriad responses automatically assigning culpability to him personally. Perhaps you could have reworded the headline? Or perhaps you had the perfect headline all along? Psssht.

Heartburn says: To assume that Obama or his direct staff had nothing to do with the appointment of his successor ( to an extremely valuable US Senate seat)- would be naive.

To assume that there is anything wrong with having conversations is also naive, among other things. Give it a rest, people.

if nobody from Obama's team is involved with the scandal, why would Patrick Fitzgerald care at all when the information became public?

Heartburn, obviously they can offer suggestions for the Senate appointment, and there is nothing wrong with that. It's also clear, from Fitzgerald's statements, that the Obama people did not engage in pay for play. So what's your point??

Posted by: Flo | December 15, 2008 5:23 PM

Flo-
Your assuming that only suggestions were offered- you don't know that-common sense would say that if that were true that would have been made clear by Obama, Emmanuel and Axelrod- they have not. It took Obama almost two days to get the nerve to call the Blago deal "appalling".

The only thing clear so far from Fitzgerald is that he has not implicated anyone from team Obama in any wrong doing- he also is not done investigating...

So- my point is that given Axlerod's initial bout with facts, Rahm Emmanuel's out of character silence, and the fact that it is Obama's seat that was being sold- that there are plenty of reasons to question what role Obama or someone close to him had in the deal for the senate seat...

To assume that there is anything wrong with having conversations is also naive, among other things. Give it a rest, people.

Posted by: rupert | December 15, 2008 5:42 PM

So if having a conversation is OK- what exactly are you saying should be "given a rest" ?

I'm saying, heartburn, to give all the accusations of some unknown wrongdoing a rest until the facts come out. Since Patrick Fitzgerald asked Obama not to release his report, which is ready, then wait a week and see what it says. Of course you won't believe it anyway; but I see nothing here but speculation. "Deer in the headlights" is hardly proof of anything wrong. So give it a rest.

Heartburn is right. The lack of proof is absolutely damning agains the Obama tranbsition. Obama is clearly guilty as sin. Nothing could prove this more than the absolute lack of any concrete proof that he did anything wrong. This is inargable fact, similar to the inarguable fact that Iraq had WMD's in 2003, as evidenced by the complete lack of evidence that they existed at the time.

Heartburn has spoken. Now the courts and Congress must act to impeach and convict Obama immediately of his clear and proven crimes. Proof is made unneccesary by the lear and blinding light of heartburns' logically based guesses. I'm so glad we have him to be the calm, logical, unbiased voice of reality, showing us the truth, untainted by facts, information or evidence

"Deer in the headlights" is hardly proof of anything wrong. So give it a rest.

Posted by: rupert | December 15, 2008 6:22 PM

Agreed- it proves nothing-but it also disproves nothing. So how long should it be "given a rest" ? Who says when we the people get to start asking questions of Obama? Given that the main stream media found a way to investigate every decision made by Palin since she was 12- but ignored any real look at Obama's ties to Illinois and Chicago politics during the campaign- I would say that the only way any of this will ever come out is through channels like this one...

So sorry- I will not give it a rest.

This is an scandal of IL politics - an indictment of the kind of sleazy politics practiced in IL that Obama, Durbin, and nearly every politician in IL has been complicit in their tolerance of this kind of behavior. Patrick Fitzgerald was telling the people of IL that we can not solve the inept and corrupting influence of the political establishment of IL, embodied in both parties, unless the citizens start holding accountable all those who endorse, advocate, and are complicit with the Blago/Stroger/Daley/Madigan/Jones manner of politics - were we value those who are born into or marry into the political families, and who wouldn't merit a second look if not for their last name - but we are living with the consequences of this. They are empowered by those who campaign, endorse, and vote for them - it is the only source of their power - and Obama is one of those who has campaigned, endorsed, and tolerated this kind of corruption. He may not have done anything illegal, but he is a product of Chicago politics, and even brags about violating the very principles of democracy by knocking all his opponents off the ballot to avoid a real debate or choice for the citizens and taxpayers - old machine political tactics he thinks gives him street cred when comparing himself to the kind of tough experiences that McCain has gone through during the campaign (Obama was equating the essentials of "I'm from the south side of Chicago who knows how to throw some elbows in a B-ball game - so your 5 years as POW doesn't impress me - I will step all over the principles that so many have put their lives on the line to defend, if it furthers my political ambitions.)

Rupert and the rest of the kool-aid drinking followers of Obama who think they have nothing to apologize for need to start asking themselves some really tough questions.

Sure Chris. Nice lengthy post that said nothing. As soon as Obama is charged by Fitzgerald of a crime I'll be an aplologist. But I won't simply assume that everyone in Chicago is a crook, as you do. So Chris, what tough questions should I ask myself??

"Given that the main stream media found a way to investigate every decision made by Palin since she was 12- but ignored any real look at Obama's ties to Illinois and Chicago politics during the campaign- I would say that the only way any of this will ever come out is through channels like this one."
Posted by: heartburn |

The campaign is over hearburn. Palin is irrelevant. We're talking about a federal investigation and you want "guilty until proven innocent." Are you an American? The idea that the media never reported on Chicago politics is a farce; with Rezko, Wright, Ayers, etc. you are mistaken. Read a little bit more than the Swamp sometime. Also, Hillary and McCain dug up everything they could on Obama. Wait a week, let the report come out; have some integrity. Don't assume guilt.

People, we should be banding together to get rid of bad apples like Blago not trying to find fault. We should be getting rid of the bad apples as one, not divided like the past 8 years. Let there be peace on Earth and let us join to make our country prosperous again.....

To Change you can believe in:
I don't understand your post. What do you not understand about "the Obama team delayed release of the information at the request of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald"?
It's an onging investigation. Your comments are ridulous at best and partisan attempts to libel at worst.
If you don't have anything inciteful or truthful to say...then why say anything at all?

Rupert - you should be asking why it took so long for the torture under former Commander Burge took so long for some transparency and accountability. You should be asking why the Feds mandated a court to take over Cook County Juveniel Detention Facitlity because the county was abusing children. You should be asking how Stroger and Lipinski were appointed to their positions and the PEOPLE weren't allowed a voice in who represents them. You should be asking why you are an appoligist for anyone who knocks off all their opponents - and then has the nerve to demand that in Pakistan the opposition be given access to the ballot and for an open and fair election to happen.

If you don't support the principles that democracy is founded on, you are going to get party loyalty despite the fact that you have leaders as unprincipled as Blago/Stroger/Daley/ AND OBAMA.

Obama is probable waiting for things to cool down before he thows his wood into the fire regarding Blago.

You are missing the point that this is a great opportunity for US Atty to play the sting game:

like those notices mailed to people with arrest warrants that they've won a prize and need to show up & claim it.

The less information is released, the more guilty co conspirators might come in from the cold and try to get favorable deals. They don't know how much the G (overnment) knows.

They, like all who work on the periphery of Federal Plaza, are gleefully watching the proceedings, laying bets on which Donor A, Contributor B, Deputy C, Candidate D, Lobbyist E, Consultant F, etc. , is going to hit the headlines next.

By agreement, Obama and Fitzgerald are turning up the heat and prolonging the suspense.

Obama and his staff are cleared!

By a double super secret investigation. By Obama's own attorney.

Good enough for me. I'm convinced!

What's next from the nutty Wingnuts? Obama's a space alien who shape shifts into a reptile and is part of a secret cabal including the Royal Family, the Bilderburgs and the heads of various governments who are really ruling the planet? I mean, no one would believe that, would they?

Ahhhhh, you gotta love those 4th party gadfly Republicans. They didn't become a small minority party in this country in eight short years by being smart. They earned their minority status with stupid stunts like trumping up phony Blogo-Obama ties and questioning whether Obama's birth certificate is real, etc etc etc.

The Rethuglicans tried it with Ayers. They tried it with Wright. They tried it with Rezko. What the Rethugs don't realize is that people are suffering and don't really give a damn about their Rovian fear and smear tactics anymore.

Until the Rethugs figure this out, they will continue to lose elctions...

Why does Blagojevich's ranting remind me of a guy who thought he had earned some action with a steak and lobster dinner only to see his date leave with another guy?

I wouldn't think a transitioning staff member of Obama's to be involved in a Senate seat any how, they're busily transitioning ha.

I want to know if anyone ELSE spoke to Blago on Obama's behalf or if Obama spoke to Blago. Because at first it was said that Obama had spoken to Blago, THEN, he didn't , and NOW it's being said that those conversations were appropriate. They seem to be having a problem making up there mind what they want to tell the American public. How about THE TRUTH!?