Axelrod on Morning Joe

MSNBC ^ | 12-17-08 | Chuck Todd

[STARWISE]

Earlier today, we noted Obama senior adviser David Axelrod's appearance on Morning Joe, where he parried questions about Obama's and Rahm Emanuel's ties to embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

*snip*

SCARBOROUGH: Hey, David, help us out with some inconsistencies here that have been confusing us over the past couple of weeks.

*snip*

Before the scandal broke, you had said that you knew Barack had talked and to Blagojevich.

AXELROD: Yes.

SCARBOROUGH: After the scandal broke, you said you were mistaken. Before the scandal broke, Rahm Emanuel said that he and Barack had run Blagojevich's 2002 campaign.

After the scandal broke, Rahm said he was mistaken. Before the scandal broke, Emanuel was caught in the wiretaps saying that Valerie Jarrett was at the top of the list for the U.S. Senate.

After the scandal broke, team Obama said, "No, no, no, we never wanted her to be in the Senate."

And I understand the third question does touch on the wiretap so if you want to push that one aside, we can. But there are these inconsistencies.

Should Americans be concerned that right now, the Obama communication team can't get their story straight when it applies to Blagojevich?

AXELROD: Well, listen Joe, I say this respectively: Let's first get your story straight, and then I'll answer that question. No one ever said that Barack Obama ran the 2002 Blagojevich campaign. He didn't even support Blagojevich in the primary for governor. He was an elected Democratic official, and I think he went to a couple of meetings, one or two, about the Blagojevich campaign in the general election in his role as a Democratic elected official. So let's lay that aside.

*snip*

SCARBOROUGH: I've got to stop you there then, because Rahm Emanuel told Ryan Lizza -- and you know this ---

[STARWISE]

VIDEO - Alexrod on the phone with Morning Joe

~~~

*** The Dem albatross:

Just six weeks have passed since Election Day. But with the Blagojevich scandal still dominating the political news, the TV ads haven’t stopped. Yesterday, we reported that the pro-business group Americans for Job Security is up with an ad in Arkansas, Nebraska, and North Dakota -- states with conservative- to moderate-leaning Democratic senators (including two up for re-election in 2010) -- that links Blago with SEIU in the business group’s campaign against a union-backed measure that would overhaul labor law and forbid employers from mandating that workers cast secret ballots in union negotiations.

And now the Illinois GOP has a new TV ad demanding a special election for Obama’s Senate seat rather than an appointment.

What if F-Rod doesn't leave office soon? Won't he be an easy target for quite some time? This is the frustration Obama's team and congressional Democrats are feeling right now. Blago’s a distraction that will keep on giving to the GOP.

[STARWISE]

~~PING!

[lormand]

Morning Joe is a Washington Insider kiss fest.

[ClearCase_guy]

Obama has not even been inaugurated yet and already his transgressions outpace what Nixon had to resign over.

No way this guy lasts four years. The MSM has desperately tried to avoid investigating this guy -- and even then, we find ourselves mired in this deeply illegal scandal.

Economically, Domestically, and Internationally we are going to go through some tough times. Obama isn't up to it and at some point even the sheeple will realize it.

[brownsfan]

“Obama isn’t up to it and at some point even the sheeple will realize it.”

You have much more faith in Americans than I do. I have watched my own brother go over the edge with BDS.

Obama isn’t ready, and he will make the Carter days seem like the good old days. But the sheeple and the MSM won’t waver in their support.

The average American is too stupid, and the MSM is too evil to behave any other way.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

So Joe just let him off like that? Axelrod never answered - he skirted and danced for him, but avoided answering and he let him off.

[Red_Devil 232]

The Obama communication team can’t get their story straight because they don’t know which lie to tell. I bet they have been pulling in every IOU to try to find out just what Fitz knows. And until they know that they don’t know which lie will get them in trouble!

[nominal]

“He didn’t even support Blagojevich in the primary for governor.” - axelrod

On the Chicago TV show “Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz” on June 27, 2002, state Sen. Obama said, “Right now, my main focus is to make sure that we elect Rod Blagojevich as Governor, we…”

“You working hard for Rod?” interrupted Berkowitz.

“You betcha,” said Obama.

“Hot Rod?” asked the host.

“That’s exactly right,” Obama said.

In 2004, then-Gov. Blagojevich enthusiastically endorsed Obama for the Senate seat after he won the nomination, and Obama endorsed Blagojevich for his 2006 re-election race in early 2005.

[T. Jefferson]

Congenital liars always get caught. Clinton was under investigation before he took office. Obama and his Clinton staff will be defending lies and scandals all four years.

[maggief]

Here’s a link:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html

[Leep]

They are going to trip over each others lies for the next four years.
They will mostly get a pass, as usual, and the economy will be the excuse.
I'm surprised they haven’t called it a mandate yet.

Anyways, the Right needs to lighten up.
I mean its only lies,
It is only homegrown terrorism, its only a racist minister, its only a questionable land deal.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

Axelrod can bullshit his way out of a toilet of turds but it is only he that does not know he looks like a con.

[STARWISE]

Don’t you love the smell of video tape in the morning ??

LOL...

[Osage Orange]

No way this guy lasts four years.

What would you like to bet?

[Right Wing Puppy]

I thought that about Clintoon and eight years later.......well you know the rest.

[Palladin]

Saw this on ABC7Chicago site—worth repeating:

5 n_danger1 12/17/08 2:10 PM EST

and from the open sewer of illinois politics arose a savior, barack hussein obama, able to walk on sewage, the hem of his garment not brushing the effluent beneath him...and they all lived in shared misery ever after.

[STARWISE]

How aptly descriptive.

[Osage Orange]

I know...that’s why I want to bet.

[carola]

Axelrove is Obama’s Karl Rove. He wouldn’t be president without him.

[Jim Robinson]

Axelrove is Obama’s Karl Rove. He wouldn’t be the unindicted president-elect without him.

Fixed it.