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Report Arrives on Obama-Blagojevich Staff Contacts
WSJ ^ | December 22, 2008 | JONATHAN WEISMAN

Posted on 12/21/2008 11:34:05 PM PST by Red Steel

Barack Obama has said that when all is revealed, it will be clear that neither he nor his staff had any contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that could be considered improper.

The president-elect's office says it will release on Monday the promised report giving a full accounting of those contacts, and Obama aides say the official under the most scrutiny -- Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel -- will be exonerated after weeks of innuendo that they have long said was unfair.

Journalists, readers and viewers may be busy wrapping presents, lighting their menorahs or just eating when the report is released -- while Mr. Obama is in Hawaii and out of public view.

But there will be no revelations worth burying during the holidays anyway, transition sources say.

Nobody has accused Mr. Obama or his staff of legal wrongdoing. But the transition team's sometimes awkward handling of the issue has raised anticipation of just what the report might

-snip-

The day of Mr. Blagojevich's arrest, the president-elect said he couldn't comment on the governor's alleged efforts to sell Mr. Obama's vacated Senate seat. The next day, he did comment, calling for Mr. Blagojevich's resignation and offering assurances that neither he nor his aides were involved in any deal making.

Then he promised to account for any and all contacts between his staff and the governor's, setting a release within days. Finally, he said the account was complete, but he wouldn't release it until Christmas week.

-snip-

Regardless of how clean the Obama camp is, the release of the report isn't likely to be clean.

-snip-

The coming Blagojevich release will have the same effect.

"The contacts are a potential Pandora's box," Mr. Bonjean said. "They'll take reporters in all different directions, like having dozens of little rabbits running around

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: bho2008; blago; blagojevich; bleepgate; corruption; democrats; obama; obamagate; probe; rahm; rahmemanuel
Obama has already preordained he and his staff have done nothing wrong.
1 posted on 12/21/2008 11:34:05 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Red Steel

Yeah, I believe him too. /s


2 posted on 12/21/2008 11:37:45 PM PST by kcvl
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To: Red Steel

I suspect that the MSM media already have the bodies of their stories trumpeting 0’s integrity prewritten.


3 posted on 12/21/2008 11:43:57 PM PST by Tempest (Obama is not my president.)
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To: Red Steel

Gomer Pyle: Surprise, surprise, surprise!


4 posted on 12/21/2008 11:51:31 PM PST by OL Hickory (Where is the America I knew as a boy?)
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To: Red Steel

Nothing like approving your own “accounting” to instill confidence. What a giant load of dung.

Independent review, then we’d be talkin’.


5 posted on 12/21/2008 11:58:55 PM PST by KJC1
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To: Red Steel
Can you even imagine if President Bush, Reagan, Nixon, Ford, or ANY other Republican had come out with a report on themselves and expected the press to swallow it whole as if it had come from an authoritative third party?
6 posted on 12/22/2008 12:01:30 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Barack Obama: In Error and arrogant -- he's errogant!)
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To: Red Steel
"The contacts are a potential Pandora's box," Mr. Bonjean said. "They'll take reporters in all different directions, like having dozens of little rabbits running around...."

Sure. They'll be in Alaska trying to find out where Sarah Palin buys her underwear.

7 posted on 12/22/2008 12:03:57 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Red Steel

Oh right. Like I am going to believe him. The guy won’t even release his bc. How can we believe someone that straight out of the shoot started lying?


8 posted on 12/22/2008 12:05:58 AM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: freekitty

I agree, I’m tired of all the lies.

Sadly from W or Obama


9 posted on 12/22/2008 12:25:59 AM PST by GoreNoMore
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To: Red Steel

0bama, Emmanuel and all his henchmen are obviously as pure as the driven snow.


10 posted on 12/22/2008 12:50:10 AM PST by little jeremiah (Leave illusion, come to the truth. Leave the darkness, come to the light.)
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To: Red Steel
The prosecutor sprung the trap early enough to prevent the entanglement of any “big fish”...
That was the plan....

In fact, I've heard lawyers say the early arrest of Blago, will probably make it impossible to get a conviction.

Again, that may have been the plan...

11 posted on 12/22/2008 1:08:20 AM PST by river rat (Semper Fi - You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: Red Steel

Did it also say that Bill Ayers was just a guy in his neighborhood?

Did it also say that Louis Farrakhan was just a guy in his neighborhood?

Did it also say that Rashid Khalidi was just a guy in his neighborhood?

Did it also say that he never heard Jeremiah Wright damn America and blame the Joooooooos for 9/11?


12 posted on 12/22/2008 1:17:14 AM PST by F15Eagle (1 John 5:4-5, 4:15, John 11:25, 14:6, 1 Tim 2:5, John 3:17-18, John 20:31, 1 John 5:13, John 6:69)
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To: Red Steel

obama originally said it wasn’t “percieved” that he had any contacts with Blago. He’s just building on that, and the press will follow his lead. Now, his staff has done nothing wrong. He’s a liar.

obama is a Liar.


13 posted on 12/22/2008 3:06:08 AM PST by Bluebird Singing
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To: Red Steel
Barack Obama has said that when all is revealed, it will be clear that neither he nor his staff had any contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that could be considered improper.

Dan Rather is gathering all the necessary paper work now.

14 posted on 12/22/2008 3:09:35 AM PST by bikerman
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To: Red Steel

The contacts most likely were with Blago’s chief of staff who immediately resigned after his arrest.


15 posted on 12/22/2008 3:24:30 AM PST by Carley
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To: Red Steel
How can any (competent) reporter write about Obama's in-house report on his non-involvement with Gov. Blago without referencing Nixon's in-house report on Whitewater? Ah, but mentioning that would immediately reveal the bigotry of the American press.

Believe Nixon? Never. Whatever he says MUST be a lie.

Believe Obama? Always. Whatever he says MUST be true.

See "Johnny Dean," below.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article, "Come Back to 1600, Johnny Dean, Johnny Dean"

The Declaration, the Constitution, parts of the Federalist, and America's Owner's Manual, here.

16 posted on 12/22/2008 5:46:53 AM PST by Congressman Billybob (Latest book: www.AmericasOwnersManual.com)
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To: Red Steel

Obama will exonerate himself.

Case closed.

Shades of the Clinton administration....


17 posted on 12/22/2008 5:50:48 AM PST by Peter W. Kessler (Dirt is for racing... asphalt is for getting there.)
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To: Red Steel
The coming Blagojevich release will have the same effect.

Does this refer to Obama's release or is Blago supposed to release something as well?

18 posted on 12/22/2008 6:01:52 AM PST by randita
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To: randita
Obama's release or is Blago supposed to release something as well?

I'm going to be sick....

19 posted on 12/22/2008 6:07:57 AM PST by Hegewisch Dupa
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To: GoreNoMore

I know.


20 posted on 12/22/2008 7:10:27 AM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: Red Steel

“They’ll take reporters in all different directions, like having dozens of little rabbits running around”

This is why the timing may not be such a bad thing. Rather than be “old news” by the time people start paying attention again in January, hopefully there will be at least a few intrepid reporters such as John Kass who have connected some dots that raise a raft of NEW questions that will beseige PEBO. In the meantime, the extended radio silence may begin to look more and more to people like a standard-issue political cover-up.


21 posted on 12/22/2008 9:13:19 AM PST by DrC
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To: DrC
Barack Obama has said that when all is revealed, it will be clear that neither he nor his staff had any contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Doesn't say anything about them (BO or Rahm-E) having contact with Blank=O aid, or other staff members.

All illegal activities must be kept a couple of levels away from the instigator.

22 posted on 12/22/2008 3:02:08 PM PST by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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To: Red Steel

Does anyone know if it is even possible to wire cell phones or BLACKberries?


23 posted on 12/22/2008 3:03:19 PM PST by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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To: hoosiermama

Yes, it can be done through roving wiretaps.


24 posted on 12/22/2008 3:19:27 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: hoosiermama

yes


25 posted on 12/22/2008 4:07:02 PM PST by malkee (Abigail Adams is my role model.)
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To: hoosiermama

“Barack Obama has said that when all is revealed, it will be clear that neither he nor his staff had any contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich”

Well, strictly speaking, that itself is a lie. We know, or at least we think we know that RE had at least one contact with Blago, albeit “pro forma.” I’m still waiting to see how the “21 conversations” pans out. Even if 20 were with Blago staff, it defies credibility that RE wasn’t engaged in bargaining—even if it only took the form of turning down repeated “pay” proposals.


26 posted on 12/22/2008 8:12:22 PM PST by DrC
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To: DrC

Who said all 20 of Rahm -E’s conversations were with Blank-O. They could have been with his assistant or BO or even Axelrod....

We know there were wire taps. We don’t know if they were just issued for one person. We others tapped also. Was it Blank-O being taped or Rahm E or all?

Why the delay, unless Fitz want to continue recording more from one of the sources....

I’d sure like to hear Rahm-E and BO’s conversations this week.....Think others would too?


27 posted on 12/22/2008 8:38:04 PM PST by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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To: hoosiermama

“Who said all 20 of Rahm -E’s conversations were with Blank-O”

Certainly not me. All that’s been reported from 2 separate sources are a) 21 total conversations involving RE; b) 1 RE-Blago conversation, allegedly “pro forma” (e.g., “Hi, what’s up? How’s the wife and kids?”). If b) is true and a) is false, it’s probably going to be easier to keep RE out of hot water. But if a) AND b) are true, then the point of my post was to say that it’s inconceivable that a back-and-forth exchange that extended would be completely devoid of RE’s discussing what a) could; b) might; c) would; or d) would not be traded in exchange for Blago giving Valerie Jarrett the Senate seat. Thus, whether RE made some counteroffers or merely consistently refused all Blago proposals for “consideration”, this detailed a conversation is completely inconsistent with Obama’s claim that “we, whoops, I” knew nothing about what Blago was doing.

Is RE prepared to fall on his sword for Obama? Maybe, but he’s smart enough to be thinking 3 steps ahead. It does him no good to trash his own career and do jail time on Obama’s behalf in hopes of later being rewarded for being a good soldier if he expects that Fitz will eventually nail Obama himself for activity related to Board Games investigation or Rezko’s real estate deal with Obama. If RE reasons that Obama’s going to get taken down anyway, why not be a hero and rat him out himself instead of being the fall guy?


28 posted on 12/23/2008 9:52:30 AM PST by DrC
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To: DrC
All or the above?
None of the above?
I give!

I just can't see Rahm-E falling on the sword....True, He's played politics to get where he is: Worked for Clinton's, ran for office, did grunt work at the beginning for others.

Yes, he has been rewarded. Others have said he was at the “right" place at the “right” time. But we cannot rule out political pay backs.

I cannot see him overtly doing a criminal act and risque doing jail time. That would bring dishonor to his mother and family, not a Jewish thing....

Yes I can see him being three jumps ahead of others. Whether that would be enough for him to contact Fitz, we'll have to see.

I think I mentioned before, when doing research on Chicago, that of all the people working with BO, he seems the “cleanest”

29 posted on 12/23/2008 1:02:46 PM PST by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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To: Red Steel
Barack Obama has said that when all is revealed, it will be clear that neither he nor his staff had any contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that could be considered improper.

He first said that he is "confident" that none of his staff had "any contact" with Blagojevich about the Senate seat replacement.

30 posted on 12/23/2008 1:07:22 PM PST by jveritas (God Bless President Bush and our brave troops)
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To: DrC

Did you see Rahm-E is spending the holidays in Africa? Where? Hope FItz or someone else has a tail....Where is 007 when you need him?


31 posted on 12/23/2008 2:39:31 PM PST by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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To: hoosiermama

I didn’t see that. In post 29, does your reference to RE being the “cleanest” mean “cleanest-appearing” (meaning he may have a leg or two up on others when it comes to getting caught) or does it mean he actually has more integrity than most of the clowns surrounding him in the Chicago swamp? Just curious.


32 posted on 12/29/2008 12:27:24 PM PST by DrC
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To: DrC

Rahm -E seems to be an expert in keeping under the radar....Just like trying to find where he has gone in Africa....Many comments and news stories are VERY general...Therefore he appears less and is more difficult to see what, if anything, he’s up to....OTOH. He may just have a higher level of integrety ;~)

Sure do wish I knew “where in the WOrld Rahm E” has gone over the holiday!


33 posted on 12/29/2008 12:42:26 PM PST by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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