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How the Feds Are Frustrated by Losing (Maybe) Half of Their Case (Fitzgerald protecting Obama?)
Wall Street Journal ^ | 12/15/08 | Simpson

Posted on 12/15/2008 5:25:32 AM PST by pabianice

Conventional wisdom holds that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald ordered the FBI to arrest Rod Blagojevich before sunrise Tuesday in order to stop a crime from being committed. That would have been the sale of the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

But the opposite is true: Members of Fitzgerald’s team are livid the scheme didn’t advance, at least for a little longer, according to some people close to Fitzgerald’s office. Why? Because had the plot unfolded, they might have had an opportunity most feds can only dream of: A chance to catch the sale of a Senate seat on tape, including the sellers and the buyers.

The precise timing of Tuesday’s dramatic, pre-dawn arrest was not dictated by Fitzgerald, nor was it dictated by the pace of Blagojevich’s alleged “crime spree.” It was dictated by the Chicago Tribune, according to people close to the investigation and a careful reading of the FBI’s affidavit in the case.

At Fitzgerald’s request, the paper had been holding back a story since October detailing how a confidante of Blagojevich was cooperating with his office.

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


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: blagojevich; bleepgate; fbi; fitzgerald; obama; obamatransitionfile; patrickfitzgerald
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This is getting stinkier by the day. Is Fitzgerald protecting The One?
1 posted on 12/15/2008 5:25:32 AM PST by pabianice
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To: pabianice

The Tribune is protecting The One. It is, after all, the job of the press.

Had this continued on for a few more weeks, we might have seen half the politicians in Illinois arrested...and three-fourths of Obama’s advisers.

The press has a job, and they do it well.


2 posted on 12/15/2008 5:29:35 AM PST by Mr Rogers (And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way - Reagan)
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To: pabianice

Already posted with a different title:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2148799/posts


3 posted on 12/15/2008 5:29:49 AM PST by randita
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To: pabianice
Is Fitzgerald protecting The One?

More to the point of the article, is the Tribune protecting The One? I think we know the answer to that question.

4 posted on 12/15/2008 5:29:54 AM PST by Hardastarboard (Why do I find the Toyota "Saved by Zero" ads so ironic?)
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To: pabianice
Is Fitzgerald protecting The One?

Who would be surprised after his railroading of Scooter Libby?

5 posted on 12/15/2008 5:30:26 AM PST by IbJensen (The fat lady has sung and it was awful. Coming up: Maya Angelou!)
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To: pabianice

Note the date at the link December 14, 2008,

I saw this posted here yesterday, but maybe it’s worth it.


6 posted on 12/15/2008 5:30:45 AM PST by sickoflibs (GWB : "Give me a 700B blank check to save the UAW until Obama takes office")
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To: pabianice

EVERYONE is PROTECTING OBAMA!!!!


7 posted on 12/15/2008 5:31:26 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion.....The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience)
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To: pabianice

No.

Fitzgerald doesn’t protect anyone.


8 posted on 12/15/2008 5:31:26 AM PST by Jedidah
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To: pabianice

YES!


9 posted on 12/15/2008 5:32:56 AM PST by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: pabianice

I’d doubt that he’s protecting him.....he just followed where Blago’s predations went and rolled tape. He supposedly has 300 hours worth - at some point you have to pull the plug or turn it into a reality tee vee show.


10 posted on 12/15/2008 5:33:30 AM PST by ninonitti
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To: pabianice

“This is getting stinkier by the day. Is Fitzgerald protecting The One?” ~ pabianice

Good question. Why hasn’t BO been arrested yet?:

December 14, 2008 9:30 AM
Defense Lawyers Assess Case Against Blagojevich
Posted by Brian Baxter
http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/12/defense-lawyers.html

Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is an old hand at political corruption trials. The initial evidence he’s brought against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appears to be overwhelming. [snip]

Comments:

Here are the facts linking Obama to Blagojevich, in a letter I sent to Patrick Fitzgerald.

Dear Mr. Fitzgerald:

Today you told the press, in connection with the Blagojevich arrest, “We were in the middle of a corruption crime spree and we wanted to stop it.” And yet most of the complaint is based on evidence you have had for a number of years. In other words, if the matter concerning the appointment of a Senator were removed, you would still have had enough evidence to indict Blagojevich. In fact, the complaint shows that you have enough evidence for a number of years.

This means that you and no one else, allowed Blagojevich to continue on a “crime spree” long after you had enough evidence to arrest him. Indeed, he would never have gotten to the point at which he was about to sell a Senate seat, if you had arrested him earlier. Why did you not do so? Why did you allow him to commit more crimes?

And now you are about to show the same negligence again. You are apparently about to make the same mistake with regard to Barack Obama. As you probably know, Evelyn Pringle has published detailed online articles concerning Obama’s participation in “Operation Board Games” crimes. Below, I reproduce paragraphs from your own Blagojevich complaint, and after them, a section from the Pringle Obama articles dealing with precisely the same facts as the complaint.

Her articles show in detail that Obama has committed the same 18 USC 1346 crimes you discuss in your Blagojevich complaint. And yet he has not yet been arrested. Why not?

Just as you allowed Blagojevich to get to the point where he was about to sell a United States Senate seat, so you allowed Obama to be elected President, and apparently you are willing to let him continue his own crime spree by actually becoming President.

It was irresponsible for you to continue to allow Blagojevich to continue in office when you had enough evidence to arrest him, and it is irresponsible of you now to allow Obama to continue in office and become President, when you have enough evidence to arrest him.

Arrest Obama now. It is irresponsible of you to wait any longer.

Sincerely yours,
John Ryskamp

Comment By John Ryskamp - December 14, 2008 at 12:11 PM

bttt


11 posted on 12/15/2008 5:34:12 AM PST by Matchett-PI (" Obama has committed the same 18 USC 1346 crimes you discuss in your Blagojevich complaint")
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To: pabianice

So, what’s the criminal statue and penalty for a journalist who blows an undercover sting operation on purpose?


12 posted on 12/15/2008 5:37:42 AM PST by MrB (The 0bamanation: Marxism, Infanticide, Appeasement, Depression, Thuggery, and Censorship)
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To: MrB

Depends on whether the target of the sting is a liberal or a conservative. If the former, no penalty, if the latter, beheading or stoning, take your pick.


13 posted on 12/15/2008 5:41:21 AM PST by Houghton M.
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To: Houghton M.

Pretty much the case.

Now, what happens when you back a bunch of folks, nearly half the country, into a corner where they can’t vote out (due to vote fraud and illegal immigration) the people who seek their demise, and the press actively supports those in power who seek their demise...
AND, these folks have the majority of firearms in the country?

They had better not leave us no other recourse.


14 posted on 12/15/2008 5:44:52 AM PST by MrB (The 0bamanation: Marxism, Infanticide, Appeasement, Depression, Thuggery, and Censorship)
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To: MrB
Chicago Tribune Stopped Working With Prosecutors, Forced Arrest of Ill. Gov. Too Early
15 posted on 12/15/2008 5:57:12 AM PST by Jay777 (My personal blog: www.stoptheaclu.com)
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To: Mr Rogers

Sam Zell is, or at least used to be, a big time Democrat. The owner of the Tribune Co., it is said that he is also in economic difficulty, big time. I wonder if somehow that doesn’t impact on this story.


16 posted on 12/15/2008 6:13:11 AM PST by Melchior
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To: pabianice

Simpson? OJ, Homer, Bart or Lisa?


17 posted on 12/15/2008 6:19:27 AM PST by Paladin2 (No, pundits strongly believe that the proper solution is more dilution.)
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To: Jedidah
“No.
Fitzgerald doesn’t protect anyone.”

I hope you are right. I am not passing judgment on Fritzgerald as really want to believe that he is on the up and up and is really working for justice to be done.

Have to admit that I am not up on all of the details of the Libby arrest, but did hear that he either misspoke about previous statements he made...or lied before the Grand Jury. I don't know but hope Fritzgerald will do the right thing and arrest all who are involved in the Blogo crimes.

18 posted on 12/15/2008 6:23:11 AM PST by seekthetruth
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To: MrB

Yours is a “pipe dream”. The 15 or so of us who would actually “take up arms” to defend Liberty would be squished like bugs in minutes.


19 posted on 12/15/2008 6:47:44 AM PST by wastoute
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To: pabianice

Why did the Chicago Tribune have the story in the first place? Who gave it to them?


20 posted on 12/15/2008 7:18:57 AM PST by Oldpuppymax (AGENDA OF THE LEFT EXPOSED)
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