Will Obama Fire [Blagojevich Prosecutor] Patrick Fitzgerald?

Newsmax ^ | December 10, 2008 | David A. Patten

[2ndDivisionVet]

Once he assumes office, President-elect Barack Obama will face a severe “trial by fire” over whether to fire U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald and other U.S. attorneys, following Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s arrest Tuesday for allegedly offering to sell Obama’s vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Ordinarily, legal and political experts say, an incoming president has broad authority to change both the Cabinet and the U.S. attorneys who serve at his request. But with unanswered questions swirling over the degree of interaction Obama's team has had with Blagojevich, and the alarming level of Illinois corruption exposed by the probe, any move to fire Fitzgerald would be highly controversial as a possible conflict of interest.

“There are enough connections between the worlds of Blagojevich and Obama that the whole thing has the potential to grow beyond a colorful Chicago tale of corruption to entangle members of the presidential transition team, to test Obama’s carefully cultivated reformist image, and to distract the president-elect just as he is preparing to take office,” Time.com reported Wednesday.

Many of the concerns revolve around a statement Obama made Tuesday afternoon, which ultimately raised more questions than it answered.

"I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so we were not -- I was not aware of what was happening," Obama said, leaving open the possibility that his staff did have contact with Blagojevich. "And as I said, it's a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that, I don't think it's appropriate to comment."

Obama’s statement evoked concern among the mainstream media that it was too tepid to quell the rising hubbub. “I think it was a very passive statement by Obama yesterday. I don’t think it was enough,” NBC political director Chuck Todd told MSNBC viewers on Wednesday morning.

[Charles Henrickson]

BLAGO'S BLUE FITZMAS
Tune: "Blue Christmas"

I'll have a blue Fitzmas indicted
I'll have to do something to fight it
Allegations they read of the green that I sought
Don't mean a thing, 'cause as yet nobody's bought

And when my blue colleagues disown me
That's when my blue "F" words start flowing
My old pal sees my plight, but he throws me from his bus
So I'll have a blue, blue Fitzmas

I hate this blue Fitzmas disruption
It puts a crimp in my corruption
Senate seat up for sale should bring oodles of cash
But instead I post bail and I break out in a rash

And when my blue colleagues disown me
That's when my blue "F" words start flowing
My old pal sees my plight, but he throws me from his bus
So I'll have a blue, blue, blue Fitzmas

[Boiling Pots]

Obama would pardon everyone involved before he fired Fitz.

[Major Matt Mason]

Hmmmmm ... seems like this is a preplay of when Clinton took office. Fired all US Attorneys and some were, coincidentally, investing people who could have implicated Bubba.

Given the number of Clintonistas in Obama's cabinet and the fact that the media barely noted it the first time around, I'm sure that we will see a mass firing/replacement of U.S. Attornies once again. Democrats can do whatever they want with the lapdog media looking over them.

[GonzoGOP]

He can probably get away with firing all the other ones, but I don't see how he can fire Fitzgerald.

If he does fire Fitz I can tell you who will win the special election for senator in Illinois.

[doodad]

This is from a fairly high level lawyer friend in Chicago.

He says “Nobama” is in it up to his ears
but everybody is bailing him out and this could be bigger than Watergate. He
also says that the DA usually files all kinds of motions and investigations
and then files the complaint, but the complaint was filed first because
Nobama is going to replace the DA or Fed Att on January 21.

[ozzymandus]

Fitz is playing ball with Obama. He stopped the investigation before implicating Obama, Jesse Jr, Emanuel, Daly, and a whole host of other RATS. Contrast this to Fitz’s dragging out the Plame investigation for months in an attempt to find a crime when there was none. he had to settle for Scooter Libby’s head on some minor made-up charge.

[Jay777]

Scandals Shadow Obama Presidency Before Even Taking Office

[Holicheese]

I think the real question is why are we not investigating Bush firing 8 US Attorneys. I am sure the MSM and the Dem controlled congress will start more investigations into what is the real crime!

(Sarcasm Lamp is Lit)

[Non-Sequitur]

I expect he’ll fire every one except Fitzgerald. He’s not stupid.

[Roux]

President Bush should leave Obama a gift by appointing a special prosecutor to look into the matter.

[Obadiah]

You have just summarized the immutable truth.

[qwertypie]

Fitz is a tool. He’ll resign.

[Hattie]

Fitz will be appointed to the Supreme Court. You heard it here first.

[TexasCajun]

And will Obamah fire all the Federal Prosecutors just like the other “First Black” President did?

[Grampa Dave]

“Fitz is playing ball with Obama. He stopped the investigation before implicating Obama, Jesse Jr, Emanuel, Daly, and a whole host of other RATS. Contrast this to Fitz’s dragging out the Plame investigation for months in an attempt to find a crime when there was none. he had to settle for Scooter Libby’s head on some minor made-up charge.”

Excellent summary. I posted basically the same thing yesterday but not as complete as your reply.

Relatives in Illinois are hearing about 16 to 18 days of tapes/recordings missing. That will make the few minutes of erased tape in Watergate look very minor.

[Grampa Dave]

“Fitz will be appointed to the Supreme Court. You heard it here first.”

You are probably correct.

He will probably become the Asst. Attorney General/#2 in the Justice Dept. in the meantime.

[Grampa Dave]

Excellent Summary:

Fitzi’s covering 0bama’s ass. He’ll keep him on for the duration of his term.

First he delays the investigation so that there was no deleterious effects on 0bama’s election,

Then he quickly wraps it up before any “bigger fish” can get ensnared in with Blago.

Clear coverup