Innocent until proven guilty.

[McCamy Taylor]

Not just a good idea. It is the law.

For all you folks who were cheering and applauding yesterday, because the partisan Bush DOJ had managed to come up with charges against yet another Democratic elected official after an investigation by the oh so partisan FBI which has lasted years and which has involved open ended wiretaps, Whitewater II has already begun. Come on! Cheer. You must have known that this was the reason why the MSM was giving this story the 24-7 coverage---and why Illinois politicians like the Governor have been the targets of a federal fishing expedition for so long. Would Tweety have cared if this was the governor of Montana charged with attempting to sell a Senate seat? Even though all Senators have the same vote?

How Much Did Obama Know?
by Connie Hair
12/10/2008

In his previously-scheduled press availability Tuesday, Obama was asked if he had any discussions with Blagojevich about the appointment to fill his seat. “I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not… uh… I was not aware of what was happening,” Obama said.

Yet by early afternoon, tape transcripts began to make the rounds on the internet and talk radio of a November 23 Fox Chicago Sunday interview with Obama senior advisor David Axelrod. When asked in the interview if Obama had any preference for who might replace him in the Senate, Axelrod replied, “I know he has talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names that have surfaced. He has a fondness for a lot of them.”

The internet and talk radio were afire by the afternoon with speculation of trouble ahead in this scandal for the incoming Obama administration. The term “President-elect” appears a significant 44 times in the complaint in regard to conversations or instructions to contact “President-elect” advisors about some elements of quid pro quo surrounding the appointment. When asked at the presser if the President-elect was part of the investigation, Fitzgerald said that there were “no charges in the complaint” against Obama, stating that he would comment no further on that topic.

During the Watergate investigation, former Senator Fred Thompson, a young Tennessee attorney at the time on the staff of then Sen. Howard Baker, asked a famous question about Richard Nixon that some pundits are now asking about Obama in this scandal: “What did he know and when did he know it?”

Since Axelrod’s statement was the issue, another statement -- issued late yesterday -- said his earlier statement was mistaken.

Or how about this posted before the indictments on Nov. 28. suggesting that this has been in the works for at least several weeks.

http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1720672723/Obama-should-keep-Patrick-Fitzgerald-as-U-S-attorney

Patrick Fitzgerald should remain as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Fitzgerald has distinguished himself as a hard-nosed prosecutor who goes after corruption in both parties.

During his time as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, that office has successfully prosecuted former Gov. George Ryan, aides to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a top fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The investigation into corruption in Illinois state government is continuing. Less than a week before the election, another Illinois political insider and power broker, William Cellini, was indicted in the probe.

While on special assignment, Fitzgerald spearheaded the investigation that led to the conviction of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, in connection with the leak of information about CIA operative Valerie Plame.

At a minimum, Obama should let Fitzgerald serve out the term of his appointment, which would end in October, and decline any resignation offered by Fitzgerald.

The RNC has wasted no time trying to get Whitewater II going.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/19566/gop-tries-to-link-obama-to-blagojevich-arrest-emanuel-rumored-to-be-whistleblower

Even before all the facts are out, the Republican National Committee is trying to link Barack Obama to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested today for allegedly trying to sell off Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder. The Hill reports that the GOP’s email to reporters included “laudatory remarks the president-elect has made about the troubled governor in the past.” The email highlighted Obama quotes — which, to me, seem like run-of-the-mill political gestures — like:

“If the governor asks me to work on his behalf, I’ll be happy to do it.”

“We’ve got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois.”

You can read Jake Tapper's Obama Pal's Around With the Nation's Most Corrupt Politician piece here:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html

Note that he accuses Team Obama of engaging in a cover up because Obama says he never discussed his Senate replacement personally with the Governor but earlier Axelrod said on Fox that he had. This will form the basis of the RW conspiracy theories for the next two years. And like the writer back in November, if Fitz is not offered a semi-permanent job as special prosecutor, they will declare that Obama is guilty of crimes much worse than those that Bush and Cheney have committed. Congressional Republicans will use this as an excuse to filibuster necessary legislation (on the grounds that it is all just designed to benefit special interests allied with the Democrats, like Unions) and in 2010 we will see the Republicans make substantial gains in the Congressional races.

So, keep cheering. This is the "circus" part of the "bread and circuses" that our corporate masters have to offer us in exchange for our freedom.

... Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man,
the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time
handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now
restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things:
bread and circuses
Juvenal

PS OMG! NBC has a poll up already. Is Obama involved in this case?

http://www.polls.newsvine.com/_question/2008/12/10/2197979-do-you-think-the-charges-against-gov-blagojevich-will-hurt-president-elect-obamas-administration

[whippo]

1. I blame Blago.

[gcomeau]

2. Yes, innocent until proven guilty indeed.

But that doesn't mean we have to pack our brains away in the closet waiting for the trial to conclude in a case like this. They rather clearly have the man dead to rights for crying out loud, trying to turn this into conspiracy theory fodder isn't helping anybody. Yes, the media is almost certainly going to constantly be trying to connect this to Obama and making mountains out of molehills every step of the way if they need to... it's what they do. "Obama" in a story headline attracts more attention than "Blagojevich" and attracting attention is, at the end of the day, the bottom line for most major news sources. And of course the Republicans are going to be cheering them on (when not actively pushing them down the path) as much as possible. They're grasping at lifelines, desperately trying to regain traction.

None of that actually adds up to grand shadowy conspiracy. It's just your regular run of the mill slimeball politics and incompetent advertising-revenue-driven mainstream journalism.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. It does not have to be, but it is better to be prepared considering what was done to Clinton.

[Crabby Appleton]

4. Bush, Cheney, Rove appreciate your support of their innocence!

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Congress has already declared them above the law. They will never pay for their crimes.

However, if Democrats sit back and do nothing now, people like Pat Buchanan are going to stir up the nation's Independents and Republicans. You should hear him on MSNBC claiming that Obama and Axelrod need to be investigated for failing to turn the Gov. over to federal prosecutors and saying that this "taints" Obama and that he is guilty of the same thing that Nixon was guilty of.

Right now the feds can not touch Obama, but if they can drum up enough public support for an investigation....

This is one matter I do not want to say "I told you so" about.