Posted on 06/29/2010 5:06:01 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
W.H. quiet on Obama-Blago link By: Glenn Thrush and Jonathan Allen June 29, 2010 06:50 PM EDT
The White House was mum Tuesday after a union leader testified that Barack Obama personally asked him to approach then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich about appointing confidant Valerie Jarrett to his Illinois Senate seat.
In testimony at Blagojevich’s federal corruption trial, Tom Balanoff said Obama — speaking a day before his Nov. 8, 2008 triumph in the presidential election — said that Jarrett wanted the job and was qualified, although he wanted her to join him in the White House.
Balanoff, a close Obama ally and top official with the Service Employees International Union in Chicago, said Blagojevich countered by suggesting Obama appoint him Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Balanoff said he laughed off Blagojevich’s bid: “That's not going to happen.” He also made it clear that his SEIU local, which represents 40,000 janitors and security guards, wouldn’t support Blagojevich if the governor didn’t pick Jarrett.
White House officials were quiet on the trial Tuesday afternoon.
Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he hadn't heard Balanoff’s testimony and brushed aside questions about the Obama call. "I'm just not going to get into commenting on an ongoing trial,” he said.
But last year, then-White House Counsel Greg Craig told reporters that Obama, as president-elect, “had no contact or communication with Governor Blagojevich or members of his staff about the Senate seat.”
Balanoff says he met with Valerie Jarrett and Alexi Giannoulias, the current Democratic Senate nominee, to talk about his conversation with Blagojevich the day after the election.
(Excerpt) Read more at dyn.politico.com ...
The list, ping
bkmk
Ruh-roh!
No problem, lapdog Eric Holder can straighten this right out for Zer0, he’s good at it. /sarc
Just throwing in this old article for the heck of it...
Sources say they’ve been notified key Blagojevich probe figure is dead (Christopher Kelly!), Chicago Tribune ^ | 9-12-09 | Jeff Coen Posted on Saturday, September 12, 2009 4:57:04 PM by tcrlaf
Two sources with knowledge of the situation told the Tribune today they have been notified that Christopher Kelly, a key figure in the federal corruption probe into former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is dead. The Cook County medical examiner’s office today confirmed that a body identified as Christopher Kelly was brought to the morgue from Stroger Hospital. The office would not provide any details, including his age, address and manner of death, because the family had not yet arrived at the office.
Kelly’s attorney, Michael Monico, declined to comment today when reached by a Tribune reporter.
Kelly is a former confidant and top fundraiser for Blagojevich, who was accused of using his office to leverage campaign donations and benefits for himself and his family.
Kelly, who was indicted alongside Blagojevich in April, pleaded guilty this week in a separate federal case.
On Tuesday, in a surprise move just a day before his scheduled trial, Kelly, owner of a roofing business, pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud as part of a kickback scheme to illegally obtain $8.5 million in work at O’Hare International Airport.
At the time, Kelly, 51, said he was under pressure from federal prosecutors to cooperate in their investigation of Blagojevich, but he refused.
Kelly faced a sentence of almost 5 years in prison on top of the roughly 3 years in prison he got in June for his guilty plea to tax offenses.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsblogs.chicagotribune.com ...
-————Sources say they’ve been notified key Blagojevich probe figure is dead (Christopher Kelly!)Chicago Tribune ^ | 9-12-09 | Jeff Coen Posted on Saturday, September 12, 2009 4:57:04 PM by tcrlaf
They’re only temporarily quiet until like Clinton they can get their lies straight, then you’ll hear the denials with the usual talking points from the left wing media. And of course the union leader better be ready for a savaging in the press.
And, there's their 'ace in the hole.' He never contacted them when he was 'president-elect;' he only contacted them before he was elected!
Such corrupt slime balls.
The general US populace never knew that FDR was in a wheelchair and they’ll never know that Obama is a lying, communist, criminal from Kenya either.
No problem for Urkle so far.
I pray that I live long enough to see ALL these criminals perp walked thru the gates at Gitmo! Win one for the Gipper and Sarah....please save the Republic.
Two words: Case Dismissed..
Doesn’t matter Obama is black and America must be sacrificed in his twisted game and there is nothing we can do,He can admit to anything and NOONE will lift a finger or DARE say anything.
The general US populace never knew that FDR was in a wheelchair and they’ll never know that Obama is a lying, communist, criminal from Kenya either.
9 posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 8:25:24 PM by AmusedBystander
(Obamunists want to tear down our shining city upon a hill and open a community center in "da hood".) "
*****************************
*************************************
Good One!!!!!
Gunny G
aka: Dick Gaines
Good thing Zer0 is spending so much time on the oil spill. Wouldn’t want to be bothered with some silly little thing like this.
If this was Bush, it would be the front page of every newspaper tomorrow.
Fitzgerald and the judge are protecting Barry.
Fitz is holding back on hundreds of hours of recordings and the judge refused to allow the defense access to Barry’s FBI interview.
The recordings and the interview took place when Barry was riding high and feeling omnipotent.
The logical conclusion is that Barry perjured himself
and is very deeply involved in this scandal .
Imagine hundreds of hours of Scooter Libby tapes being sealed and the FBI interviews of George Bush , Dick Cheney or Karl Rove’s being sealed by Fitzgerald and a judge.
I’m sure the media would have been just as silent and as compliant as they are today regarding this scandal........not.
bump
I believe Fitzgerald arrested Blago when he did to protect the WH from themselves “to stop any further crime from occuring” was the quote I read.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.