Obama: "I have never spoken to the governor on this subject." (updated)

[ProSense]

Obama says he's 'appalled' by Blagojevich

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama said Thursday he didn't discuss his vacant Senate seat with disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich and said he's confident nobody on his staff did either. Calling bluntly for the Illinois Democrat to resign, Obama told a news conference: "I was as appalled and disappointed as anyone."

<...>

"I have never spoken to the governor on this subject. I'm confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat," Obama said at a news conference called to announce new appointments to his coming administration. "I think the materials released by the U.S. attorney reflect that fact," he added.

Obama did say: "I've asked my team to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor's office about this vacancy so that we can share them with you over the next few days."

<...>

Obama said that neither he nor his staff has been contacted by federal officials in connection with the probe.

<...>

"Let me say that this Senate seat does not belong to any politician to trade. It belongs to the people of Illinois, and they deserve the best possible representation," Obama said.

Updated to add video: http://thinkprogress.org/">Obama Address Blagojevich Controversy

[hughee99]

1. Why not?

Look, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see Obama is clear of this whole debacle, but he's going to be President in a month and every Senate seat is important. IMHO, he probably should have contacted the governor and expressed his opinion about what is to be done with his seat.

[ProSense]

2. Why? The seat doesn't belong to him. There was an election, remember? n/t

[hughee99]

9. So that means he has no interest in who is appointed...

He will have no authority in the house or senate either, that doesn't mean he won't let them know what he thinks.

[Cha]

3. Maybe he was a little busy. Or

divide providence.

[Median Democrat]

4. Obama AND Durbin Have Kept Blago At Arms Length

They may not know the details, but they do know that Blago is under investigatin. ALSO, Durbin and Obama are on record supporting the re-appointment of Patrick Fitzgerald as U.S. Attorney. If anything, it is pretty darn obvious that Obama kept Blago at arm's length, which may also explain Blago's resentment of Obama.

[democrattotheend]

12. He probably thought it wasn't his place

And did not want to piss off any of the possible picks by throwing his weight behind someone else. He and Blago are not close and it was far from assured that Blago would heed Obama's wishes if he were to make a request (according to the tapes, Blago wouldn't heed Obama's wishes without something in return), so what's the point of injecting himself and pissing off other contenders for the seat, including the one who might get picked? And there were several good choices for the seat, and at least 2 or 3 of the people being considered were Obama allies.

[hughee99]

15. Regardless of his personal relationship with Blago

Who is appointed to his seat should be of great interest to him, not becuase it's HIS seat but just because it's A seat. If there were several good candidates, he could have just said that they're all good people and not favor any particular one. He's going to be the president in about 5 weeks. If he's afraid to throw his weight around (and that wasn't necessarily what he needed to do here), to let people know what HE would like to see, even when it's not his final decision, or piss off a few people, he's not going to get much done.

[ProSense]

16. "not becuase it's HIS seat but just because it's A seat" Nonsense

He didn't get involved with Martin in Georgia. He isn't involved in NY. It's his choice, and he's a little busy right now to make worrying about which Democrat is appointed to a seat a priority.

It makes no sense to claim this "should be of great interest" to him when he's trying to build an administration (with only 40 days left) and trying to stay abreast of pressing economic issues.

[hughee99]

17. He didn't get involved with Martin in Georgia, because it was an election

A governor IN HIS PARTY, gets to hand-pick someone to sit in the Senate, he can't find 5 minutes to call up the person making the decision and say, "Hey, I think this person, that person or one of these people would make a good appointment"? IMHO, he should have called Blago and SHOULD call the governor of New York to let his opinion be known. Apparently someone from his staff was in touch with Blago and maybe that's why Obama didn't get involved here, but under normal circumstances, this is a call I think he should make.

[ProSense]

18. "IMHO, he should have" That's right, it's Obama's decision, and he chose not to. n/t

[Radical Activist]

20. It's not surprising if you put it in context.

There were news articles about the fact that Dick Durbin didn't have his calls returned and couldn't get a meeting with Blagojevich for at least two weeks when he wanted to talk about this Senate seat. Those from Illinois will remember similar stories about Blagojevich not returning calls from Congressmen, state legislative leaders, Governors of other states and so on.

Many state leaders think he's literally insane. Obama probably wrote Blagojevich off long ago.

[hughee99]

21. That may be the case...

Based on how pissed Blagojevich seemed that Obama wasn't willing to give him anything, it sounds like someone from Obama's team was in contact with him, and once they saw the shakedown, Obama decided to keep clear of this. Under normal circumstances (with a governor who's not trying to sell the seat) though, I think he should make a call himself.

[Radical Activist]

22. Obama isn't stupid. He knows how to keep his nose clean.

Anyone in his position who's smart would have known to keep a hundred miles away from Blagojevich. That's why he wasn't invited to speak at the Democratic Convention.

[truedelphi]

5. This is gonna sound a little loopy but

The governor of Illinois has not yet had a trial and been convicted. This whole thing of the "FBI has the tapes, etc" and allegedly on those tapes are conversations of Blago offering the Senate seat for a price - so far all that involves is allegation.

Having seen this nation lied into war, lied into Weird BailOut Thefts by Paulson et al, I don't doubt that at some point in time they will lie to us using the medium itself as their destruction method of "proof." Anyone else here remember the plot for "Rising Sun?"

[ProSense]

6. Maybe so, but the fact remains

that Blagojevich has been under investigation for years. He is chronically stupid for drawing attention to himself with this and ultimately a selfish asshole for dragging other people's names into his belligerent bullshit.

[truedelphi]

8. I don't disagree with you at all. He is most probably a nut case

I am often surrounded by friends who are social workers and therapists, and they sit there watching the drama unfold and start tossing out a diagnosis or two. And one DU'er yesterday posted some of the more unfortunate and unethical corners that Blago has painted himself inside of over the years. So the shoe might very well fit, in this particular case.*

But in some future case, the "Rising Sun" plot may very well come to be.


*Apologies for the mixed metaphors of this particular paragraph.

[AllentownJake]

7. If a US Attorney says he has tapes

He will be required to play said tapes in court during trial and provide copies of them to the defense.

Therefore I find it hard to believe that they would say they had tapes when they really don't have tapes.

[AllentownJake]

10. If they were going Rising Sun

They would include Obama on the tapes and the tapes would have come out the 2nd week of October.

[truedelphi]

27. That is a consideration.

On the other hand, sooner or later the Powers that Be will use the Rising Sun scenario to get their way. I mean, I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.

And even without Rising SUn occurring here, the Blago controversy is really causing some major headaches for Jesse Jackson Jr.

Not being around Illinois too much these days, I don't know how good his chances were of becoming Senator before this, but the Talking Heads at CNN are going out of their way to rule him out, using this Blago meltdown as justification.

[hughee99]

13. In Massachusetts, that's the defense I think is being used

by a few state politicians were were shown, among other things, stuffing cash down their shirts. Yep, the "FBI doctored the tape" may be replacing the "I don't know what I'm seeing on this video, the context isn't clear" defense. I think they have yet to come up with a context that explains a politician taking a large amount of cash from a business owner looking to get a liquor license and stuffing it down her shirt.

[digimedia]

11. commentary

http://www.70news.com/2008/12/11/commentary-obamas-response-insufficient-in-governor-scandal/

[democrattotheend]

14. Excellent. I think he nailed it.

He did everything he needed to here, IMO: called strongly for Blago to resign, made it clear he wasn't involved at all and that nobody on his staff was involved in any wrongdoing as evidenced by the prosecutor's report, and agreed to provide details of any contacts his staff had about the seat at all. I guess he did not want to talk about that the other day until the transition team had time to make sure nobody on his staff was involved before denying it point blank.

His hands are clean here and I think that's pretty obvious, but I was getting a little worried that his team wasn't doing enough to win the media narrative on this. In theory this should actually make him look good, but they were letting the media make the story about what Obama knew and when instead of the fact that he refused to play Blago's corrupt games.

[Radical Activist]

19. delete

wrong post.

[Morpheal]

23. IS IT REALLY ILLEGAL TO BE HONEST ABOUT POLITICS ?

Is there a law that actually defines how a vacated senate seat can be "sold" ?

The governor clearly has authority to make the appointment.

How much law is there, and what is the law, as to what the governor can and cannot do in making that appointment ?

Obviously many a seat and appointed position of power has been "sold" in terms of the historic context.
Most of that deviously, covertly, and in terms of favors, political and financial support indirectly attained.
Is there a law about honesty ? Assuming it was more than simply dark humor. Which is also unproven.

Humor or honest appraisal of today's buying and selling of power in America, is it really against the law
for a governor to say and even do what the governor is alleged to have done ?

It may even be the most ethical decision, considering the truth of what really goes on in politics
and both its spin and funding.

Cheers.

Robert Morpheal

[Guaranteed]

26. I agree. He was arrested not for what he did but for being lazy- for not hiding it correctly.

People don't like being reminded of their corruption.

[Cha]

24. Rec'd~ buzzflash has an editorial stating..

.."Rod Blagojevich isn't really much of a Democrat."

<snip>

"Blagojevich was representing the 5th Congressional District when the vote came up to authorize the invasion of Iraq. He was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of the bill and the only Democrat from Illinois.

I live in the 5th Congressional District. If you took a poll in my neighborhood, the push for war in Iraq would have received a huge thumbs-down."

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/534

[Cha]

25. More from the editorial..

<snip>

"Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn barely speaks to the governor. Attorney General Lisa Madigan also says she hardly talks to the governor. If you subtract party labels, there are more conservative people who might like what Blagojevich has done. His stubborn refusal to raise taxes in any form has led to underfunding and huge budget deficits."

<snip>

"Thanks to the intricacies of Illinois politics, where governors and lieutenant governors live in separate bubbles, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn really is a Democrat. Often, mainstream media and conservative Democrats have criticized Quinn as being too far to the left. Quinn can be accused of caring too much and focusing most often on the taxpayer, but we could use that kind of love."

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/alerts/534

[Beacool]

28. Governor Blagojevich is not the man I used to know...........

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

:7