ABC News has questions about the Obama - Blagojevich connection

ABC News White House Correspondent Jake Tapper is not satisfied with Obama's answers.

But there remain questions about how Blagojevich knew that Mr. Obama was not willing to give him anything in exchange for the Senate seat -- with whom was Blagojevich speaking? Did that person report the governor to the authorities?

And, it should be pointed out, Mr. Obama has a relationship with Mr. Blagojevich, having not only endorsed Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006, but having served as a top adviser to the Illinois governor in his first 2002 run for the state house.

In the Democratic gubernatorial primary that year, then-state sen. Obama endorsed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. But after Blagojevich won, Obama came around enthusiastically. At the same time, meanwhile, Axelrod had such serious concerns about whether Blagojevich was ready for governing he refused to work for his one-time client.

According to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., Mr. Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Emanuel, then-state senator Obama, a third Blagojevich aide, and Blagojevich's campaign co-chair, David Wilhelm, were the top strategists of Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial victory.

Emanuel told the New Yorker earlier this year that he and Obama "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two."

Wilhelm said that Emanuel had overstated Obama's role. "There was an advisory council that was inclusive of Rahm and Barack but not limited to them," Wilhelm said, and he disputed the notion that Obama was "an architect or one of the principal strategists."

Meanwhile, did you know you can become a "fan of the arrest of Rod Blagojevich" on Facebook? Proving the internet is a weird playground.

And before I forget, (through a spokesman) Obama did call for Blagojevich's resignation as governor today. I'm betting the Illinois governor probably said "Bleep that, you bleeping bleep. I want a bleeping golden parachute, or he can go bleep himself. Bleep."

Being upfront about Blagojevich

Compare and contrast.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) on his contacts and his staff's contacts with Blagojevich regarding the Senate opening:

Durbin and Blagojevich had spoken just once about the vacancy left by President-elect Barack Obama, and even that was freighted with drama. Durbin had called the governor shortly after the election to discuss possible candidates. His office, he said, made five more calls in the span of two days.

Later, Durbin said, Blagojevich aides suggested to the press that Durbin was avoiding a discussion. Eventually the two had a short telephone conversation, 12 days after Durbin's first call., In that talk, as the two discussed as many as 20 potential appointees, Durbin said he had no indication that Blagojevich was attempting to use the appointment to benefit himself, either financially or politically.

But, Durbin said, he felt that the governor was not taking his advice seriously. "I think he did it as a formality," he said.

President-elect Barack Obama:

Have you ever spoken to [ Illinois] Gov. [ Rod R.] Blagojevich about the Senate seat?

I have not discussed the Senate seat with the governor at any time. My strong belief is that it needed to be filled by somebody who is going to represent the people of Illinois and fight for them. And beyond that, I was focused on the transition.

And that was before and after the election?

Yes.

Are you aware of any conversations between Blagojevich or [chief of staff] John Harris and any of your top aides, including Rahm [Emanuel]?

Let me stop you there because . . . it's an ongoing investigation. I think it would be inappropriate for me to, you know, remark on the situation beyond the facts that I know. And that's the fact that I didn't discuss this issue with the governor at all.

The real danger of Blagojevich

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into custody this morning after a federal investigation into corruption. Blagojevich was accused of trying to use the US Senate vacancy created by Barack Obama's election for personal profit. Even more disturbing than allegedly trying to sell a senate seat:

According to a federal criminal complaint, Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

This type of corruption is the most troubling because it is an attempt to crush the First Amendment rights of a free press by a government official. This type of corruption and intimidation of Blagojevich's critics run beyond the ordinary selling of offices we are used to in Illinois, and presents a danger to the very democratic process.

Hopefully this type of Illinois politics did not rub off on our next president of the United States or his chief of staff.

Update! You can read the whole criminal complaint courtesy of the Chicago Tribune. (pdf) (ht: NRO)

Natives are getting restless already

Ed Garvey is looking for "change" and not seeing any.

But if friends don't let friends drive while drunk or vote Republican, then FOO--Friends of Obama--must, at a minimum, ask what the hell is happening on Iraq and the new quagmire Afghanistan?

Haven't heard boo about either unwinnable war or have we? Hillary "Hawk" Clinton at State, Gates to stay on for a year at least, Rahm "Super Hawk" Emanuel as Chief of staff. And, no real changes at CIA or NSA.

Peace advocates complained with good reason that W.wouldn't listen to our stop the war rallies. Is it time for FOO to find out if the president-elect is listening?

Note that Garvey and the like will not be happy until the War on Terror is abandoned entirely, including in Afghanistan. I expect Garvey's disappointment is just beginning.

Hussein and Israel

Okay, Ed Garvey makes a funny observation.

Candidate Obama joked at the Al Smith dinner that whoever "gave me my middle name (Hussein) wasn't thinking about my candidacy."

Lots of bigots tried to swift boat Barack on Ayers, socialists, Saul Alinsky and his middle name. None of it stuck. In the last desperate weeks of the campaign, John McCain came unglued about a videotape supposedly held by the L.A. Times showing a speech by Obama praising a Palestinian scholar--OMG!

Obviously the McCainsters were playing to Jewish voters in Florida to support a steady friend of Israel, McCain, not some guy with that name and possible hidden anti-Israeli sentiments. Will we ever forget the "Who is Barack Obama" postcards and TV spots?

Fast forward. Obama's first appointment is, I'm not making this up, a guy whose middle name will settle any argument. Rahm Israel Emanuel. Talk about your middle names.

Garvey then goes on to criticize Rahm Israel Emanuel for being too much of a political moderate. Does that make Garvey an anti-Semite?

As a descendant of Israel Wigderson, I take any criticism of Israel personally.