Posted on 12/09/2008 5:11:41 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Axe ripped Fitzgerald’s patronage purge By: Kenneth P. Vogel December 9, 2008 07:08 PM EST
Patrick Fitzgerald’s charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have drawn a chorus of shock and outrage.
But Barack Obama’s message man David Axelrod once staked out a much more nuanced position on Fitzgerald’s anti-corruption crusade.
In a 2005 op-ed, Axelrod argued, in effect, that trading political favors – including jobs – is part of the grease that makes government work.
He ripped Fitzgerald at the time for trying “to use the criminal code to enforce (his) vision” of “entirely remov(ing) politics from government.”
The piece in the Chicago Tribune was prompted by Fitzgerald’s indictment of aides to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley for conspiring to give city jobs as political favors. Daley was Axelrod’s client at the time.
Axelrod stressed he wasn’t condoning the test-rigging or document shredding Fitzgerald alleged in that case.
Of course, the specifics of the 2005 case differ from the one Fitzgerald unveiled Tuesday, in which federal prosecutors accuse Blagojevich of trying to auction off Obama’s Senate seat and being involved in a wide-ranging pay-to-play scheme.
Still, Axelrod’s musings make for an interesting read while Obama – no doubt with Axelrod’s assistance – formulates a strategy for dealing with the Blagojevich case, which doesn’t implicate Obama.
“The democratic process is often messy,” Axelrod wrote in the op-ed. “Diverse constituencies fight fiercely for their priorities. Their elected representatives use the influence they have to meet those needs, including sometimes the exchange of favors – consideration for jobs being just one.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Obama is SO screwed!
Against Blagojevich or Fitzgerald? ;)
Otherwise known as Community Organizing!
There is a picture on Drudge right now on the right hand side..which I can’t copy the URL because too many characters to show up ...Obamanazi is aging fast.
I guess this is why Fitz dropped this now, rather than waiting until Obama took power.
Axelrod Backtracks Statement that Obama had Talked to Blagojevich about Senate Seat
By: Ian Welsh Tuesday December 9, 2008 4:05 pm
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STATEMENT FROM SENIOR ADVISOR DAVID AXELROD
I was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the President-elect has spoken directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then or at any time discuss the subject.
Apparently Axelrod had talked to Fox News Chicago and said:
Axelrod said, “I know he’s talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them.”
Interesting. Although, frankly, so what if he did? As long as there’s no quid pro quo, it’s no big deal. Of course Obama would be interested in who will replace him.
###
Tarred by his own words:
Axelrod: Obama has talked to Blago about replacement
He is almost right.
If Politician A chooses to help Politician B now, he may well get a favor in return at a later date.
But it is illegal to ask for payment in cash on the spot.
Blago was too low-class to understand how the game is played.
We were glad to hear of the new law. Every patronage job we gave out made at least two people mad at us, and we really didn't get much love from the guy who got the job.
I saw that pic,too -to me he’s got an “I’m screwed”look on his face,priceless,no?
It’s difficult to ignore his big, floppy ears in this photo.
how do you figure?
Seriously... who’s going to report his wrongdoings to the idiot masses? the MSM?
He ran on the word “change.”
caption Obama:
“Daaaammmn, am I the only Democrat politician from Illinois not in jail?”
This whole "I was mistaken" bit today does not pass the smell test.
Think about it - Axelrod was/is one of Obama's very closest aides, and he didn't say "I think" or "I assume" or "I expect"..... he said "I KNOW he's talked to the governor"
Axelrod is a careful, disciplined man. He does not say something like that unless he KNOWS what he says is true.
Ready to post it but Drenge started doing funny things on my computer....Hmmmm?
Sorry
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