Writing Is Speech/Speech Is Writing: Obama Communicated with Blagojevich (with Comments on “Pay to Play”)

One cannot agree more with this assessment of the scandal engulfing and enveloping inner city Chicago machine politicians Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich and Rahm Emanuel. I quote:

Here is the lie, which caught my eye because of the phrasing Obama was using during his press conference on Daschle’s appointment:

“I had no contact with the governor’s office. I did not speak to the governor about these issues. That I know for certain.”

It is a lie because now we know Obama’s Chief of Staff provided Blagojevich Obama’s list of candidates he thought should fill his seat. The news broke last night:

Another source said that contact between the Obama camp and the governor’s administration regarding the Senate seat began the Saturday before the Nov. 4 election, when Emanuel made a call to the cell phone of Harris. The conversation took place around the same time press reports surfaced about Emanuel being approached about taking the high-level White House post should Obama win.

Emanuel delivered a list of candidates who would be “acceptable” to Obama, the source said. On the list were Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Illinois Veterans Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, state Comptroller Dan Hynes and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Chicago, the source said. All are Democrats.

…

Sometime after the election, Emanuel called Harris back to add the name of Democratic Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan to the approved list, the source said.

Emphasis mine. Does Senator Obama really think the American people care about the parsing of ‘talked’ versus ’sent my list of candidates through my Chief of Staff’? Come on! Who gave the list to Emmanuel? Obama of course! It was Obama’s list of candidates Blagojevich was working with. OMG – are these people morons?

Yes, Obamabots, the obsequious media and those who still insist Obama is innocent are morons, for Obama did indeed draft a list that was sent to Blagojevich through Emanuel and other third parties. While it may not have been a speech communication, it was a letter. And yes, writing is a form of communication: speech is writing, and writing is speech. But even worse, there was a pay to play scheme involved, one I discussed Thursday. I quote Truthteller:

There was communication, and it appears that the offer of a position at “Change to Win” in 2010 was made. Is that “pay to play”? I certainly think so…

Strata-Sphere reproduces the relevant quotations from the criminal complaint filed by Special Agent of the FBI David Cain:

[statement 8] HARRIS re-stated ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s thoughts that they should ask the President-elect for something for ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s financial security as well as maintain his political viability. HARRIS said they could work out a three-way deal with SEIU and the President-elect where SEIU could help the President-elect with ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s appointment of Senate Candidate 1 to the vacant Senate seat, ROD BLAGOJEVICH would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign, and SEIU would get something favorable from the President-elect in the future.

…[Gap 5]…

[statement 9] One of ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s advisors said he likes the idea, it sounds like a good idea, but advised ROD BLAGOJEVICH to be leery of promises for something two years from now.

…[Gap 6]…

[statement 10] ROD BLAGOJEVICH’s wife said they would take the job now.

…[Gap 7]…

[statement 11] Thereafter, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and others on the phone call discussed various ways ROD BLAGOJEVICH can “monetize” the relationships he is making as Governor to make money after ROD BLAGOJEVICH is no longer Governor.

Strata-Sphere interprets the 2010 offer of a position on “Change to Win” as a dilatory tactic. I do not view it as such, as team Obama thought Blagojevich’s legal problems would no longer be as visible in 2010: he would complete his second term as Governor, and then he would disappear in the labyrinth of organizations that are bankrolled by the Democratic Party. Not only is this “pay to play;” it is yet another example of the “revolving door” in Democratic politics. K Street in Washington, DC, is now Dearborn Street in inner city Chicago.

Blagojevich was not pleased with this proposal at first. I quote the criminal complaint filed by Special Agent of the FBI David Cain:

ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that the consultants (Advisor B and another consultant are believed to be on the call at that time) are telling him that he has to “suck it up” for two years and do nothing and give this “motherfucker [the President-elect] his senator. Fuck him. For nothing? Fuck him.”

But Blagojevich eventually acquiesced as the negotiations between his team and that of Obama developed.

Obama did speak to Blagojevich about the open Senate seat through a letter, and according to the criminal complaint filed by Special Agent of the FBI David Cain, Obama’s operatives and advisors did propose a position with “Change to Win” in 2010. Not only did Obama lie; he and his Chief of Staff Emanuel apparently engaged in “pay to play” the inner city Chicago way with corrupt Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.