[Sub-Driver]

Uh huh..........

[hoosiermama]

Obama is SO screwed!

[Mr. Jeeves]

Patrick Fitzgerald’s charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have drawn a chorus of shock and outrage.

Against Blagojevich or Fitzgerald? ;)

[OCC]

In a 2005 op-ed, Axelrod argued, in effect, that trading political favors – including jobs – is part of the grease that makes government work.

Otherwise known as Community Organizing!

[randomhero97]

“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.

I thought obama ran on a platform of change?

[TheWasteLand]

He ripped Fitzgerald at the time for trying “to use the criminal code to enforce (his) vision” of “entirely remov(ing) politics from government.”

I guess this is why Fitz dropped this now, rather than waiting until Obama took power.

[STARWISE]

Axelrod Backtracks Statement that Obama had Talked to Blagojevich about Senate Seat
By: Ian Welsh Tuesday December 9, 2008 4:05 pm

###

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.

http://firedoglake.com/2008/12/09/axelrod-backtracks-statement-that-obama-had-talked-to-blagojevich-about-senate-seat/

###

Tarred by his own words:

Axelrod: Obama has talked to Blago about replacement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=konL35ur0Bo&eurl=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html

[proxy_user]

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.

[JoeFromSidney]

A few years ago, when I was still on the Republican Central Committee, we had a visit from some guys at the State committee. Their news was that under a new law, we could no longer give out patronage jobs in the county roads dept., etc., to Party members.

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.

[onemiddleamerican]

Blago was a big pusher of "sweeping ethics reform" in Illinois. For a chuckle, read this press release from Governor Blago, ca. 2003.

[rodguy911]

astroturfing your way into the oval office! No one better at it than axeldork.