Media averts eyes from subpoenas to Obama top staff

Americdan Thinker ^ | January 25, 2009 | Thomas Lifson

[libstripper]

"And on the fifth day, subpoenas were served to Obama senior staff."

That's how Doug Ross of Director Blue puts it, describing the import of the story the media chose to ignore. In the deadest news hole of the week, Saturday, the list of subpoenas served by Patrick Fitzgerald was released. It contained:

[libstripper]

Looks like Fizzy is really interested in "What did they know about Balgo and when did they know it?" Warm up the popcorn popper.

[dascallie]

Well, just as the Richardson fiasco is now a dim memory....Obama is impervious.

[Venturer]

Why isnt Obama on the list?

[DanTheAdmin]

Now, be a good American and listen to the Leader’s MSM - there’s nothing to see here, move on! ;-)

[bray]

Rezko is the one to watch. He knows where all the bodies are buried and connected to Iraq.

Pray for America, our Troops and the Truth

[Kimberly GG]

“Now, be a good American and listen to the Leader’s MSM - there’s nothing to see here, move on! ;-)”

Sadly, “the Leader” is inclusive of the Bush Administration as well as Obamas. What we have here is a well controlled media by bi-partisan “powers that be”. Reminds me of what I was taught in elementary school about communist regimes.

Gov’t worried about media interest in Obama’s aunt

By TED BRIDIS and EILEEN SULLIVAN – 3 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department still is requiring high-level approval before federal immigration agents can arrest fugitives, a rule quietly imposed by the Bush administration days before the election of Barack Obama, whose aunt has been living in the United States illegally.

The unusual directive from the Homeland Security Department came amid concerns that such arrests might generate “negative media or congressional interest,” according to a newly disclosed federal document obtained by The Associated Press.”....

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iVVj5SjAgqpjIbqdmcOB74FtqRIAD95UOLP80

[ladyvet]

[Tarpon]

You never subpoena the target. That's for later.

Simple question, who was it that was offering the money to Blago? Ahh yes, that's who was making the bribe.

[mplsconservative]

Bookmark

[cookcounty]

WOW.

[Neverforget01]

Thanks for posting. I had no idea! Is this more history: subpoenas on day 5?

[cookcounty]

The List of Subpoenas:

+ David Axelrod, Obama's "Karl Rove" and the biggest surprise on the list.
+ Valerie Jarrett, Blago's "Senate Candidate 1", a real estate management executive and political hack of the first order.
+ Rahm Emanuel
+ Tony Rezko, Obama's first advocate, fundraiser and adviser,

Others served include:

• Patricia Blagojevich, first lady
• River Realty, her former employer
• Friends of Blagojevich, the governor's campaign committee
• Citizens for Blagojevich, his former committee
• Robert Blagojevich, the governor's brother and campaign chairman
• Christopher Kelly, former adviser and fundraiser for governor
• Alonzo Monk, former Blagojevich chief of staff, now a lobbyist
• Milan Petrovic, lobbyist and campaign fundraiser
• John Wyma, former Blagojevich adviser, now a lobbyist
• Paul Rosenfeld, lobbyist
• J.B. Pritzker, wealthy Chicagoan whom Blagojevich might have considered to replace Obama in U.S. Senate
• Gery Chico, former Chicago school board president and one-time U.S. Senate candidate
• Doug Scofield, former Blagojevich adviser, now a consultant
• Scofield Communications
• Service Employees International Union
• Tom Balanoff, SEIU Illinois president
• Change to Win, an SEIU-affiliated activist group • Sam Zell, owner of the Chicago Tribune
• Nils Larsen, an adviser to Zell
• The Chicago Tribune
• The Tribune Co., the newspaper's parent company
• Michael Vondra, owner of asphalt and construction companies
• Gerald Krozel, vice president of a concrete company
• John Johnston, president of Balmoral Park racetrack
• Fred Yang, Washington, D.C.-based Blagojevich consultant
• Garin Hart Yang Research Group, Yang's firm
• William Knapp, Washington, D.C.-based Blagojevich consultant
• Squire, Knapp & Dunn, Knapp's firm
• Doug Sosnick, political consultant

Blago's "Senate Candidate 3", Jan Schakowsky, was not served with a subpoena, but will have some questions of her own to answer in the days to come.

[cookcounty]

I like Ross' "thought experiment" about press non-reaction:

Now imagine it was Karl Rove rather than Axelrod who had been subpoened. Can you spell "firestorm?"

[Technical Editor]

Now at top-left column on Drudge (I left a link in the tip box and not sure if this is the one I left or not):

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/blagojevich-subpoena-012309.html

[jakota]

and so does his wife know where the bodies are. Let’s see how she holds up under the threat of a prison term.

[LibLieSlayer]

“JESUS walked on the water
And I know that is true
It seems to me this little hussein boy
Wants to do a little walking too”

My apologies to Charlie Daniels.

LLS

[browardchad]

The AP really made a mess of this story, as usual. The subpoenas weren't issued on Saturday, the list of the subpoenas already issued by Fitz to Blago for all information and records about that list of individuals was supplied in response to an FOIA request to Blago.

As far as I can tell, because it's such fuzzy reporting, the original issue dates for some were Dec. 8 (the day before Blago was arrested), and for others, Dec. 11. The AP also throws in some that were issued in 2005, but it's unclear if they're including those on the list.

The "internal review memo" clearing Obama's staff by his attorney Craig was issued on Dec. 23, so whether or not Craig knew about the people on the list depends on whether Blago told Obama's people about the subpoenas, or if someone else leaked the info.

Here's a link to the original AP story dated Saturday, Jan. 24: Top Obama aides subject of Blagojevich subpoenas

[GILTN1stborn]

bump

[libs_kma]

Oh come on. The messiah already said before the Christmas that there were no "inappropriate" discussions with Blago by any of his staff.

Like with the last sleazy, POS, Dim POTUS, we have to start parsing his words. Sure they talked about pay for play, but that wasn't considered inapproriate. That's simply how "@#$%^&@ sh!t" gets done in Chi-town. Everybody knows that, right?

[saquin]

This seems to be really muddled reporting. From what I can gather, there were no subpoenas to Obama top staff. The story was about a FOIA request for subpoenas issued in early December to Blago’s administration and that those subpoenas included requests for any information the Blago admin. had about its contacts with people like Axelrod, Jarrett, etc. That’s different from claiming there were subpoenas of those people.