Big risks for Obama in Blago scandal

[BlueJessamine]

Big risks for Obama in Blago scandal

POLITICO

By BEN SMITH & JONATHAN MARTIN | 12/10/08

At first blush, Barack Obama comes out of the Rod Blagojevich scandal smelling like a rose. The prosecutor at a news conference seemed to give the president-elect a seal of approval, and the Illinois governor himself was caught on tape complaining that Obama was not interested in crooked schemes.

But make no mistake: For Obama and his team, the Blagojevich scandal is a stink bomb tossed at close range.

Legal bills, off-message headlines, and a sustained attempt by Republicans to show that Obama is more a product of Illinois’s malfeasance-prone political culture than he is letting on—all are likely if the Blagojevich case goes to trial or becomes an extended affair.

Obama and his aides have so far mounted a tight-lipped defense, publicly distancing themselves from Blagojevich’s alleged plans to profit personally from his power to fill Obama’s newly vacant Senate seat with firm but vague denials of any involvement.

Privately, Obama allies are noting that the foul-mouthed governor and the president-elect, though both Democrats atop the Illinois power structure, are hardly close: Obama did not back Blagojevich in his 2002 primary race for governor, and Blagojevich did not back Obama in his 2004 Senate primary.

Article continues here:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16408.html

[Maccagirl]

1. How long will the frothing at the mouth go on

with the media?

[burythehatchet]

2. Why the hell does anyone think Politoco is a credible site, especially for their editorial crap?

But I'm sure they appreciate the hits you will deliver to them. (mine not included)

[Dennis Donovan]

4. Agreed - Politico was created by the corporate media to give them a "blog" presence...

They are as uncredible and biased as Drudge.:thumbsdown:

[burythehatchet]

6. When their crack reporters show up on the bobblehead shows before any

savvy web surfer has even heard of them...hmmmm...

[ixion]

3. And how many crooked rethugs from TX were caught in scandal, with no apparent 'risk' towards Bush

whatsoever.

This is a great example of the media's double standard.

Obama has been formally cleared by the prosecutor, but there are 'risks'.

Oh, my, yes. I'm sure we'll be hearing about one 'scandal' after another for the next four years. :eyes:

[still_one]

5. This is such a crock. the MSM, especially AP are so full of it

Analysis: Scandal threatens to dog Obama

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_pr_wh/illinois_governor_analysis


I'll tell you what this scandal shows, it shows there IS a right wing conspiracy. Not because they caught blagojevich, but because the MSM is trying to implicate Obama by innuendo. No facts, no basis, just some nebulous assertion

These pieces of vermin that is called the MSM are not journalists. They showed us where they were coming from when they lied and pounded the drum for the administration which helped provided the mechanism to invade a country based on a lie.

As much as the bush administration is responsible for the death and destruction caused in Iraq, so is the MSM for not only failing to do their job, but of propagating the lies

It is way past time to bring back the fairness doctrine, and to roll back the communication act of the nineties, which allowed for media monopolies

[Idealism]

7. How come Steven's felonies weren't a "risk" for Palin?

That happened before the election, yet nothing changed for Palin... no polls, no votes in Alaska (not talking about the Senate seat, saying how it didn't affect her).

Double standard for sure

[ErinBerin84]

8. ok, fair enough.

But Politico's speculative editorials have a track record of being um, really wrong. They always conclude "This will REALLY hurt Obama, unless it doesn't". If it wasn't this, it would soon be something else (in terms of what Repubs would use against him) , at least Obama's hands look clean in this.

[madrchsod]

9. oh no ben has something to write about! scandal! scandal!

we love fitzgerald here in northern illinois. he`s busted major drug gangs,white power thugs and an assorted bunch of crooks. if washington does`t want him we are more than glad to keep him

note to ben...fitzgerald does`t register for any party during the primary here in illinois....so no one knows what his political affiliation is.

[Demit]

10. "We HOPE There Are Big risks for Obama in Blago scandal"—there, I fixed Politico's typo.

There are no words for what a crock of an article this is. This is the sort of tripe that John Solomon writes at the Post. These are really bad reporters. Bad writers too. And their agenda is showing.

[jimmybama]

11. A Chicago Fox affiliate reported

That Rahm was the one that tipped the feds about the senate
seat selling. When all that Obama would give Blago for the
appointment was great appreciation.Blago's words were Fuck
that motherfucker.

[acmavm]

12. This is the most ridiculous crap I've read all week, and I've read a bunch.

Good grief, I guess I'll go find something to do that isn't quite so irritating as running into blatant bullshit like this.

[Doctor_J]

13. The main reason for the high-profile arrest was to get stink on Obama

Expect weekly stuff like this for the next 8 years from Big Media