Posted on 12/10/2008 10:01:55 AM PST by IrishMike
Former top Democratic aide-turned journalist George Stephanopoulos appeared on Wednesday's "Good Morning America" to downplay the connection between Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, charged with trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat, and President-elect Barack Obama. He helpfully argued that the profane references to Obama on the FBI's tapes indicate that "Blagojevich himself is the President-elect's best character witness."
Stephanopoulos and co-host Diane Sawyer did discuss the apparent contradiction between Obama's claim on Tuesday that he had "no contact" with the governor and chief spokesman David Axelrod's comments on November 23 in which he asserted, "I know he's talked to the governor." A very credulous Stephanopoulos explained, "Well, first of all, David Axelrod put out a statement late yesterday, where he said he simply misspoke there...That is backed up by everyone else on the team, as well." So, while an ABC graphic read, "Political 'Crime Spree': Will Allegations Affect Obama," the former Clinton aide obviously didn't think so.
In addition to playing the contradictory clips of Obama and his spokesman, Sawyer did observe, "I have to think this is like being handed TNT in the Obama transition. Are they nervous that somebody from the camp will be on one of those tapes?" However, Stephanopoulos appeared to be going out of his way to isolate the damage to Blagojevich. At one point he derided, "And they're [Obama aides are] very dumbfounded by how brazen and delusional the governor appears in these tapes."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
“Obama is chain-smoking again I bet.”.....
Back to three packs a day in no time....
That's the million dollar question. Whether or not Axelrod is lying (sure appears he is, from the definitive way he indicated having knowledge of Obama and Blago speaking), can Obama be in trouble for refusing to report the guy, even if he did refuse the bribe?
Obvious humor aside, he’s got a good point. If all Blago could say in what he thought was privacy was “bleep him” for not paying to play, it’s pretty telling.
Ah, Campbell Brown, “No Bull, No Bias”. It’s hard for me to even type that with a straight face.
-PJ
Blago wanted payback for something Barry did for him...simple
As soon as they have been sanitized.
“Hope and Change” is morphing into “corruption and bribing”, me thinks.
I'm convinced Axelrod is absolutely lying. The nature of his earlier comments were way too specific and clear for them to be passed-off as a simple misspeaking now.
No surprise here. That's how they portrayed every woman that ever came across Clinton's path. They even went one further and called Lewinsky a "stalker".
You'd think they'd try to be just a little original or at least that the DBM would start to tire of the retreads.
“Blagojevich himself is the President-elect’s best character witness.”
Apparently George is privy to all the tapes and evidence. What would be sweet is if tv pundits like George could be made liable for their disinformation campaigns.
The only way out I can see for Hussein on this one is that he informed and cooperated with the DOJ to nail Blago. In any other scenario, having knowledge of the crime without reporting it, is at the least obstruction of justice. Especially for a President elect. At the worst, he is a co-conspirator in the scam.
We are about to find out just how good Hussein is at playing dodge ball. Thus far, he has been highly successful. But for this one, he’s going to need to be exceptional.
The problem for them is that there was someone else on the line speaking to Blago and his bagman in a bunch more conversations. Those conversations are not public, yet. Indeed, Fitz just said "BO's not implicated in this complaint". Methinks this thing is long from over...
Stephanopoulos is so in the tank for Obama. He’s the one who when during an interview, Obama said “my muslim faith”, Stephanopoulos corrected Obama with “you mean your Christian faith”.
As former Chief Apologist for der Schlickmeister and Frau HildaBeast, Snuffy is experienced in making excuses for crooked politiicians.
However, it's off the mark in another respect: I don't believe that Blago has any love for Obama. Blago was the lead candidate for the Chicago machine's nominee for President, until Obama stabbed him in the back. Blago may be a different kind of witness one of these days.
Tony Rezko! Hey, guess who’s tied up in all this mess? Convicted felon Tony Rezko, who once sold Obama some land, and donated money to Obama’s pre-presidential campaigns. So Rezko donated to Blagojevich in exchange for jobs for his friends and associates. Blagojevich’s wife was Rezko’s real-estate agent too, of course. And Rezko is now shorthand for “corrupt dealings in Chicago involving Barack Obama,” even though the Obama-Rezko connection remains the smallest of potatoes compared to what went on with everyone else in Chicago politics.
“They’re trying to paint the governor as mentally unstable.”
He’s as crazy as Gary Hart was, since they both dared the feds to bug them for evidence. It may not be crazy, but it certainly is hubris (extreme dangerous pride), which the Greeks always use as the tragic downfall plot device.
C’mon, y’all. If W was a senator instead of the governor and in the same situation, no one would be paying any attention to this at all!
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