National Media Continues To Ignore Impeachable Offense
A blockbuster piece of testimony happened yesterday during the Rod Blagojevich corruption trial that went literally unreported by the entire national media, but it made a fairly large splash here in the Chicago media market.
Under oath during trial testimony, Blago’s chief of staff, John Harris stated was in direct negotiations with Rahm Emmanel on behalf of none other than President-Elect Obama to appoint one of Obama’s four choices to Obama’s old Senate seat. Blagojevich is charged with corruption in trying to “sell” Obama’s old Senate seat after the 2008 Presidential elections.
According to Harris, Obama had a list of four candidates, of which he wanted one appointed complete the term of his Senate seat. The “list of four” included Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama’s political advisors since his Illinois Legislature day, Tammy Duckworth a former soldier who lost both her legs serving our country, and Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes. Blagojevich wanted US. Rep Jesse Jackson Jr. (the son of the race baiting poverty pimp Jesse Jackson) after Jackson had committed to holding a “major fundraiser” for Blagojevich.
Many Obama and Jarrett observers think that the two have had an “inappropriate relationship” for a very long time, primarily because of Obama’s insistence that Jarrett was “taken care of” at all points during his political career. As it turned out, Jarrett withdrew her name from consideration only after the Blagojevich scandal here in Illinois grew.
On a tape which was played for the jurors in the Blagojevich corruption case Emmanuel can be heard clashing with Blago’s chief of staff John Harris staying that Obama would not support Jackson as a candidate. A major clash between SEIU President Andy Stern, and Union Leader Tom Balanoff had developed between Blago and Obama on who to appoint.
It was on November 3rd of 2008 that Obama personally called Tom Balanoff to personally lobby for Valerie Jarrett to take his Senate Seat, according to Harris.
Harris went on to say that on November 10th, six days after the Presidential Election he received a call from John Wyma, an ‘intermediary’ for Emmanuel and Obama again lobbying for Jarrett’s appointment on behalf of Obama, saying “President-elect Barack Obama “would be thankful and appreciative” if Blagojevich would appoint Obama’s friend Valerie Jarrett as Illinois’ new U.S. Senator.”
For those who’ve gotten lost as to whether or not Obama directly or indirectly spoke with Blagojevich on who to appoint to his old Senate Seat to complete his term, and whether or not Blagojevich sought to get anything out of the deal, here’s a clip from David Axelrod on Fox News Chicago (Local Channel 32 in Chicago) in which Axelrod said specifically that Obama and Blagojevich had spoken directly about who his replacement would be: (1:22 into the clip.)
This wouldn’t be the first example of a quid pro quo between Obama and Blagojevich, politically speaking.
Obama not only endorsed Blagojevich for Illinois Governor in 2002 and 2006, he served as a top advisor to the Blagojevich campaign during his (Obama’s) first run for the Illinois State House.
Obama, Emanuel and former Democrat Party Chariman David Wilhelm were also “co-chairs” for Blagojevich’s 2002 Gubernatorial campaign.
Emanuel emphasized his role in a New Yorker article earlier this year that he, Obama and Wilhelm “participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod (Blagojevich) was running for governor and basically laid out the election for him.”
This tight-knit band of thieves not only conspired on Blago’s 2002 and 2006 election campaigns, they conspired on who would replace Obama after his miraculous ascendancy to the Presidency of the United States, and further conspired to defraud the people of Illinois of honest government service.
In the summer of 2006 as the investigation into corruption in the Illinois Governor’s office heated up, Obama “doubled down” on his relationship with Blagojevich.
In an interview with the Chicago Daily Herald in July 2006, then-Sen. Obama said, "I have not followed closely enough what's been taking place in these investigations to comment on them. Obviously I'm concerned about reports that hiring practices at the state weren't, at times, following appropriate procedures. How high up that went, the degree at which the governor was involved, is not something I'm going to speculate on.”
"If I received information that made me believe that any Democrat had not been acting in the public interest, I'd be concerned," Obama said.
That said, Mr. Obama said, "If the governor asks me to work on his behalf, I'll be happy to do it." Apparently the governor did. At the Illinois State Fair in August 2006, Obama spoke on Blagojevich's behalf:
"We've got a governor in Rod Blagojevich who has delivered consistently on behalf of the people of Illinois," Obama told the crowd.
In January 2007, Blagojevich's office reserved the Old State Capitol for Mr. Obama's presidential announcement at Obama's request.
The link between Obama and Blago is clear by this point. There is also way more to this story than meets the casual eye, and way more than a quid pro quo going on here. Obama-Emanuel-Blagojevich-Tony Rezko are part of a corrupt, criminal enterprise that have infested Illinois Politics for decades. They are but the latest examples of a long string of corruption that has denied the People of Illinois of honest government.
This band of thieves needs to be sent to jail. All of ‘em.
Links of interest:
Questions Arise about the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship
Harris: Obama Knew of Blagojevich Plot
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