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Title: Obama clears himself and staff in Blagojevich case (LMAO !!!!!)
Source:
Los Angeles Times
URL Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationw ... ma16-2008dec16,0,6444483.story
Published: Dec 16, 2008
Author: Christi Parsons and John McCormick
Post Date: 2008-12-17 01:22:39 by Rotara
Keywords: None
Views: 320
Comments: 7
Poster Comment: You gotz 2 luv it !!!!! LOL
The president-elect says an internal review shows there were no inappropriate conversations with the Illinois governor about who would fill the vacant Senate seat. Reporting from Washington and Chicago -- Barack Obama said Monday that an internal investigation had found his staff had no inappropriate conversations with Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich over who would succeed the president-elect in the Senate.
But Obama said the review of his staff's contacts would not be made public until next week at the request of federal prosecutors, who are investigating whether Blagojevich put Obama's Senate seat up for sale. "I had no contact with the governor's office, and I had no contact with anybody in the governor's office," Obama said at a news conference called to introduce his energy and environment team. He said the review showed the Blagojevich scandal "had nothing to do with my office."
Obama's comments came as Illinois state lawmakers moved to impeach Blagojevich. The Illinois House voted 113 to 0 to create an investigations committee to consider allegations that the governor, a Democrat, had abused his office.
"We plan to proceed without delay," said House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who is also head of the state's Democratic Party.In addition to allegedly trying to enrich himself through his power to name Obama's Senate successor, Blagojevich is accused in a criminal complaint of scheming to exchange state favors for campaign funds and of plotting to get Chicago Tribune editorial writers fired for writing pieces critical of him.
Ignoring a chorus of calls for his resignation, Blagojevich reported to work Monday and signed a bill giving tax credits to filmmakers who do work in Illinois.
The scandal has become a distraction for Obama during what had been a smooth transition.
The Chicago Tribune has reported that at least one senior member of Obama's staff, Rahm Emanuel, who will be White House chief of staff, had conversations with Blagojevich's administration about who would replace Obama in the Senate. Sources did not suggest that Emanuel was involved in any discussions about making a deal.
Obama's transition office said in a statement Monday that the internal review had "affirmed" the president-elect's comments that he had not talked directly with Blagojevich or his office and that Obama's staff "was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff."
Obama has promised to release the review. But he said it would not be made public until next week at the request of U.S. Atty. Patrick J. Fitzgerald, who is leading the Blagojevich investigation.
"Those facts will be forthcoming to all of you in due course," Obama said at the news conference. "We just want to make sure we're not interfering with an ongoing and active investigation."
Fitzgerald released a statement backing up Obama's account that a delay had been requested.
"After the president-elect announced an internal transition team investigation, the United States attorney's office requested a brief delay of the release of a report of that investigation to conduct certain interviews," Fitzgerald said in the statement.
One former Justice Department official said prosecutors often wanted to control what was publicly known about the statements of witnesses.
"Information may be released about what one witness says that could compromise the effectiveness of interview or grand jury testimony of other parties to that conversation," said George Terwilliger, a former deputy attorney general.
"Prosecutors never want somebody else mucking around in what they're doing and releasing the results of their own inquiries, whether it's a private company, the Congress or, in this case, a political operation," he said.
Political strategists said the delay would be helpful to Obama, moving the release of new information into a week when people will be more focused on Christmas.
"From a public relations standpoint, it mitigates the exposure somewhat," said Thom Serafin, a Chicago-based political and media advisor. "The unfortunate thing for the president-elect right now is that he's operating out of Chicago, which is ground zero right now."
Parsons is a writer in our Washington bureau. McCormick writes for the Chicago Tribune.
cparsons@tribune.com
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#1. To: Rotara (#0)
Zell Miller, the new owner of the Chicago Tribune who suddenly declared banqruptcy, is also a slimeball par excellenace, Don't loose sight of the sub-plot in this Blago scandal. Check out Zell - he's no angel and to believe that Zell "helped" the feds nail evil Blago out of some altruistic nationalistic love is to believe that Santa Claus exists.
Prosecutor Fitzgerald is a controlled asset that is used to run interference and stop gaps for the cabal. Blago went "Mafia Governors Gone Wild" and Rahmbo made sure they clipped it before it got too close to Obamessiah.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
Are Obama's handlers paying Blagojevich hush money, or threatening to have him killed? Maybe that's why BHO has Hillary on his team - she's been an expert at finding fall guys ever since Whitewater.
I understand former congressman Cox at the SEC has likewise cleared himself in the Madoff matter. I feel better now.
LOL, I just cleared myself of anything and everything past, present and future - through an internal investigation, too !!!
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”—Samuel Adams
Through an internal investigation, I am preemptively clearing myself for anything I may do in the future.
#2. To: scrapper2 (#1)
#3. To: Rotara (#0)
#4. To: Rupert_Pupkin. all (#3)
Illicide bump
#5. To: Rotara (#0)
The president-elect says an internal review shows there were no inappropriate conversations with the Illinois governor about who would fill the vacant Senate seat.
#6. To: Jethro Tull (#5)
I understand former congressman Cox at the SEC has likewise cleared himself in the Madoff matter. I feel better now.
#7. To: Rotara (#6)
LOL, I just cleared myself of anything and everything past, present and future - through an internal investigation, too !!!
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