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

Lies/Change we can Believe In

“There was communication, and it appears that the offer of a position at “Change to Win” in 2010 was made.”

AHA!

So that is what they meant when Hot Rod quoted them telling him that “he had to suck it up for a couple of years!”

2008 + 2 years = 2010

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another superb Truthteller. So many chickens flying into the roost, and how fun is that? Is the massive koolaid high diminishing now, or is the denial quotient still overriding the withdrawal? Stay tuned. NoQ keeps me going.

The average joe knows how dirty Barky is…the problem is average joe doesn’t matter anymore.

Appropriate comments from the black community…..

Freedom Rider: Obama is Not King

by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley

“The cheap artwork and mindless sentimentality that seeks to elevate Obama to the level of King and Malcolm X is an affront to the memory of those men.”

In 2009, the official celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday will take place on January 19th. Barack Obama will be inaugurated president of the United States on the following day. Obama’s election is seen by many as the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream of a just society providing equal rights to all of its citizens. Despite the frenzied and dishonest efforts to link the two men, it is clear that Obama’s elevation to power symbolizes not that King’s hopes have been realized, but that they have been dashed.

It is the height of historical distortion to compare President-Elect Barack Obama in any way, shape or form to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King “is probably the only person in American history who gave up a close relationship with a president,” Lyndon Johnson, “because his convictions demanded it.” Those convictions were anchored in King’s opposition to “racism, materialism and militarism.” Obama, conversely, makes common cause with financial speculators and militarists. Under the current system, “It is simply impossible to be both a fighter for justice and president of the United States.”

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=920&Itemid=1

I don’t think Obamamites are morons, they just don’t accept any information unless it comes from a news source they deem a source. And that source has to be a pro-Obama source. What is going on with Obama is that we allowed him to set up any critisism of him as being racially motivated in nature. So if the major news says something that is in direct conflict with what your saying, they automatically either think you are play party politics or you are a racist. Its really that simple.

This isn’t due to people being dumb, just niave and simple. They don’t want to have to think beyond the box they put themselves into. It distresses them. I wish i had the capacity to divert reality willingly, my life would be so much more comfortable.

In otherwords, not even the top positions in the United States government confirms that the idea of racial equality has taken place. So, no dice, all those people whom thought that this election would go a long way to heal the “percieved” racial divide. Its not gonna happen. Thats what this article is essense saying.

Truthteller, this provides a great talking point viz a viz communication. It reminds me of the following. When my son was in the 2nd grade, I received a call from the school saying he had pushed a boy off the bleachers. My son insisted he hadn’t; the boy insisted he had. Well, whenever I hear such seemingly conflicting stories, I always assume everyone is telling the truth, and search for the common thread. Turns out, boy #1 and boy #3 had a fight at breakfast over boy #3′s refusal to share his toys. Later that same day, my son, call him boy #2, was sitting on the bleachers between boys #1 and #3. Boy #1, evidently still angry at boy #3 for not sharing his toys, pushed his shoulder into boy #2, my son, propelling him into boy #3, who fell onto the floor. But remember, these were 2nd graders.

Also, I highly recommend the other article you posted on the subject, listing the taped conversations chronologically. This made it much easier to follow the story.

Lisa Madigan
NEEDS TO BE UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY ALSO!

http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/7392

“BTW – Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has just lost all standing in this matter. Now that we know Obama provided her name to Blagojevich via Emmanual she cannot be calling for anything related to this case. She really needs to sit down and be quiet and make sure her name gets cleared. I am not saying she did anything wrong, but for her to put pressure on any of the key players in this could be seen as self serving.

This is such a mess.”

Thanks Truthteller. I noticed how BO emphasized the “I” in “I did not speak to the gov. blah blah blah.” It is just semantics. I read that PEBO had an appointment with the FBI the morning that Blago was arrested but cancelled it at the last minute. Obviously, he was tipped-off that was going to happen. I am so disgusted.

Ta-da!

Paramount is proud to present our selection for the new comedy trio – THE NEW THREE STOOGES!

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb-staff/2008/12/12/weekend-captionfest

Funny funny pic.

MLK preached, fought and suffered for his beliefs. Obama seems to have no discernable beliefs; he has a brand, commercials and contributors. Big difference.

Does anyone know anything about this?

http://strata-sphere.com/blog/

Major Update: Someone with sources inside the FBI has information someone ordered the delay of the Blagojevich charges until after the election to make sure it did not hurt Obama’s election chances. If so that too is going to cause a lot of heartburn.

I know for a fact FBI Chicago had enough to indict Blagojevich in June. They were 2 weeks from indictment in June based on cooperation and testimony at the Stu Levine trial. Levine was Tony Rezko’s bud, fund raiser for Blago, and our President-Elect.

I wonder what took them so long? My guess is when it started to look like a lock for Obama’s nomination by the Dems, someone at the U.S. Attorney’s Office put it all on hold, so as not to spoil “The Annointed One’s” shot.

hmmmmmm………

http://strata-sphere.com/blog/

Obama Admits His Reps Talked To Team Blagojevich

Published by AJStrata under All General Discussions, Chicago-Way Corruption Scandal

Obama has admitted two things today regarding the spreading scandal engulfing Governor Rod Blagojevich:

1. Team Obama did have contact with Team Blagojevich recently, and
2. Obama is not making a firm denial of wrong doing. Instead he is expressing ‘confidence’ there was no wrong doing.

While the liberal rags (thank god these dinosaurs are facing financial extinction) keep trying to spin the fact Obama did not participate directly in discussions, we know members of the team are the responsibility of the team leader (thus Bush is responsible for Libby, etc). What is important is how the teams communicated, not what Obama said directly to Blagojevich.

he has a brand, commercials and contributors.

a few handlers, some repetetive soundbites, and corn for the lowing herd.

Moo.

Joe and Joan ‘VOTERS/CITIZENS’ don’t seem to matter anymore. No one seems to be listening to us, we have once again become invisible.

Obama has already been involved in “pay for play.’ Remember the big raise Michelle received while working at the Hospital because Obama’s Bill passed in the State Senate.

CHICAGO’s WAY & THUGS are really scary.!!!

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

OK all you BOBOweenies listen up. I think I understand your disconnect. Writing is like texting, except it’s done on paper and not on your cell phone… and it takes longer to get there. If you have any question please write out your questions (it’ll be good practice for you) and then mail them (the kind of mail with the stamp) to..

I’ve Been Had
C/O WildChild
PO Box 2008
Honolulu, Kansas HA ha HA HA ha

What part of “I did not speak to the governor about these issues” don’t you understand?

He also didn’t mention Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s hard work and rendered him ‘the preacher’ and Rosa Parks, well she being a woman didn’t even get mentioned as ‘the bus rider’. Truly, a shame!

Obama lied when he uttered that statement.

the part where BOBO and the governor got together right after the election to speak about these issues.

oh, and not to confuse you or anything but please writes out all future questions (it’ll be good practice for you) and then mail them (the kind of mail with the stamp) to..

I’ve Been Had
C/O WildChild
PO Box 2008
Honolulu, Kansas HA ha HA HA ha

Which of these words/phrases do you need to have a definition for: prevarication, lie, falsehood, false witness, fib, untruth?

They’re going to have to fire everyone in Chicago. You’re right. What a mess!

Still, drafting a list of possible candidates is not offering money for the seat. I have no doubt that Obama is corrupt in many ways, but I believe it’s necessary to deal with facts and not innuendo.

Where did you see this, and did it sound like the appointment was made before the arrest became known? What would BO be seeing the FBI about at that time anyway?

Reading the section on the proposed offer of a position with “change to win” in two years will reveal that claiming obama and staff engaged in “pay to play” is not innuendo. Moreover, i mention the list, as it reveals he had engaged in communication with blagojevich about the senate seat. did not obama claim he never spoke with the governor about the senate seat? we now know he did, although it was in the form of a letter.

i recommend you read the complaint, and i recommend you read and reread my article until its full import and significance is comprehended. thank you.

Who there would be that pro-BO and that high up? Would seem to be a Repub, to be that senior.

This whole thing was orchestrated so the D. C, Dems wouldn’t have to share power with a powerful Clinton president and because the Democratic Party was losing black voters to the Republicans. Dubya created the Faith Based Intitiative and siphoned off black christians.

It wasn’t BOBO’s place to pick the next junior senator from Illinois. That was Blagojevich’s alone, and he was selling.

And given the clues they already had re BO’s activities, why would anyone that high up in the FBI want to give him such a pass?

Or is this the ultimate ‘operation chaos’?

And a speechwriter named Jon Favreau, who is a gang rapist.

Fitzgerald’s Report references the Hospital Board had 9 members in 2003. There were 15 members prior to Obama’s Bill. (9 can be controlled easier than 15). Perhaps Michelle & the Hospital are being investigated.

Just saying … they should.!

Obama’s problem is that he said he had no communication with Blago. Of course he discussed the seat with his governor. Now, he has to cling to the lie that he never talked to Rod. That’s unrealistic. He should have said he never discussed giving Rod a bribe for the seat.

As far as waiting until after the election to break this, that should be a surprise to no one. Look at everything else that’s been supressed.

It still seems to me that Obama offering Rod a position is an inference. I’m just saying you can’t take an inference into court and you’re going to have to have the concrete goods to go after the President.

How do you know BOBO didn’t discuss a bribe with Blagojevich? The governor was selling.

it can only be an inference, as intermediaries proposed this in the conversations documented in the complaint filed by fbi special agent david cain. yes, one infers obama approved that offer, as it is clear from the document that information was circulated between blagojevich and obama through multiple third parties.

because both parties conducted themselves in a covert manner as a result of fitzgerald’s investigations, one can only infer. but i am not discussing a legal problem here; i am discussing an ETHICAL problem.

and yes, offering positions through third parties is quid pro quo politics. i may not be able to press charges with that evidence alone, but it still reveals the modus operandi of obama and his operatives.

that is why i write these diaries, for i am concerned with ethics.

I think we all know that is not the way politics works. I don’t want to jump on assumptions about Obama and his senate seat because I know Hillary discussed RFK,Jr. as a replacement for her senate seat. I would not like it if anyone accused Hillary of pay to play just because she sincerely thought an up and coming Democrat in NY should have her seat.

I believe there is no doubt that Barack Obama has no ethics and no moral compass. In my heart, I believe he did engage in this corruption, but I guess I’m starting to get worried about the media projecting on this Hillary’s seat.

obviously the situation is different. you obviously fail to understand or to comprehend why this is a scandal. if you bother to read the complaint filed by special fbi agent david cain, you will understand that quid pro quo was proposed by those representing blagojevich and obama.

you will also realize obama LIED when asked if he ever engaged in communication with blagojevich about the open senate seat. you will also realize axelrod lied when confronted about his earlier statements.

perhaps you should read the complaint, focus on the case at hand and then formulate opinions about this scandal.

that will not occur, FOR THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF A FEDERAL PROBE.

You have stated the problem. We don’t know. Unless Fitzgerald has taped such a conversation and makes it public. I’ll be the first one popping the corn if that is the case.

that is why i write these diaries, for i am concerned with ethics.

Indeed. Something may be entirely legal but completely unethical. That is part of the reason we have so many problems to solve. No one, particularly politicians, seems to have any ethical standards to guide their conduct. The ends justifying the means and shit on your neighbor are now considered proper and necessary.

But we do know Obama and his campaign lied in order to disguise what is already exposed as a quid pro quo in the criminal complaint field by special agent of the fbi david cain.

i recommend you read the criminal complaint. sometimes reading before writing leads to more rigorously articulated opinions.

BO’s Friends:

http://www.barackbook.com/Friends.htm

First of all this has nothing to do with Hillary so lets leave her out of it.

This is a deal in the works between BOBO and Blagojevich. On one side of the table we have a governor who is selling. On the other side of the table I have BOBO producing a list of candidates acceptable to him. Now I’m going to speak to how politics works but I will speak to how negotiations for a sale work. When I have a governor on one side whose selling and a list of acceptable candidates being offered up by the other side, I’m watching is a negotiation in progress. The only thing we haven’t seen is the final price on the make and model of the replacement senator ordered.

I do not fail to understand that this is a scandal. I’m just not sure what is the point of getting hopeful or raising expectations that it will taint Obama if A. There isn’t evidence to taint him, or B. The officials and the media are going to cover for him no matter what.

I’m from IL. I’m not at all surprised about any of this, but I’ve watched since the primary how BOBO does all this crap and gets away with it. The mainstream media is silent on all of it. I come here hoping to get facts that are the news the MSM is not reporting.

what I’m watching is…

If Rham offered the bribe, or agreed to the quid pro quo, o tape, does Obama have to be directly implicated, by name, or does he have plausible deniabilty, in this case?

(BTW, this is the tip of the iceberg, this is not the only infraction upon which Fitz can charge Blago, or even Obama, given everything that’s out there).

This stuff goes back years, with Blago, Rezko, Daley and Obama.

I was thinking how unique it was to actually arrest a sitting governor — and necessary.

I can’t imagine if this ever reached the White House, an Obama White House, is there precedent?

Must be absolutely traumatic for Obama to witness, especially if he’s as close to this as it seems, especially if MO is involved.

Same for his inner circle of Jarrett, Axelrod, and Rham, et al, as Larry said.

Obviously, the web has been fleshed out, just a matter of chipping away.

I agree; this means something. (Sounds like “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind.)

What you fail to understand is that we are discussing information related in a criminal complaint. You also fail to realize this is not a court of law. I am not an attorney, and I am relying on evidence written in a criminal complaint filed in a federal court. I am also explaining the modus operandi of hardened machine politicians who know they are under surveillance.

Obama already painted himself in a corner by lying about his communication with Blagojevich. Axelrod and Emanuel have compounded the problem with their equivocations. And now when we read the complaint, we learn that Blagojevich was asked to wait two years to serve on “Change to Win,” an arrangement that was clearly communicated to Obama through and SEIU representative and Jarrett, who is Co-Chair of the Transition Team.

To throw ones hands up in the air because one does not have all the evidence is simply ridiculous. We have what is printed on the pages of the complaint, and enough is there to make a sound inference. While I too always exercise on the side of caution, I also understand that evidence is at times incontrovertible. And here we have incontrovertible evidence of a line of communication between Obama and Blagojevich that included multiple advisors and operatives. We also now know that Emanuel handed Blagojevich a list of candidates approved by Obama. Because we know he handed him that list, we can safely assume lots of other information traveled along that particular channel.

So you don’t know but you think BOBO should have said he never discussed giving Rod a bribe for the seat. That certainly sounds like one of the assumptions you didn’t want to jump to when you said I don’t want to jump on assumptions about Obama and his senate seat

are you sure you’re not a closet BOBOweenie here to play stealth troll for a day?

Here is where I read about it Kal:

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/12/09/obama-shifts-schedule-following-govs-arrest/

Is SEIU or the Leader of SEIU involved or implicated?

Let’s put it this way — MO and her whole family were involved with the Daley (Sr.) machine from birth, as a feature of their existence in a family headed by a ward boss, and MO ended up working in Daley’s office with Jarrett shortly after she met and got involved with BO. So it would not make sense for this to be a BO-only situation.

The SEIU is implicated, as one of their leaders, Tom Balanoff, communicated with Blagojevich, and he claimed we would speak with Jarrett about Blagojevich’s offer.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Reports_SEIU_Official_in_complaint_not_Stern.html

Maybe, but you know there are always those kiss ass slurpees, look at all those guys in the CIA, or even the FBI, the military, who cooperated with Bush, and Cheney, in regard to torture, and Iraq?

It’s a shame, but they do.

Maybe Fitz was subject to pressure, maybe he choose to hold back for that purpose, maybe he was ordered to, who knows?

Could also be Chicago is a smaller part of a larger case, too, Blago local, say, a guy like Rubin, or even Soros, like Conrad Black, national, or international.

Remember Louie Freeh, back in the 80′s or 90′s, had that Pizza thing, didn’t it reach all the way back to the Italian mob, or something?

Juan said:

“Fitzgerald’s Report references the Hospital Board had 9 members in 2003. There were 15 members prior to Obama’s Bill. (9 can be controlled easier than 15). Perhaps Michelle & the Hospital are being investigated.”

Juan, it seems to me that the real significance of this is that it was BO’s bill that cut that and several other boards down from 15 to 9, and then they were packed with friends.

But I agree, it would be a double blessing if this also led to addressing MO’s meteoric rise in the UC administrative machinery. I always thought that was a hokey appointment — Dir of Community Outreach or something, apparently responsible for having Ayers events. Some kinda community outreach that was!

If Rham is charged, say, or pleads, can Obama be held accountable on this charge, too?

I see him as guilty as all hell in this matter, all of it, but specifically, Fitz would need to prove it, right, say have Blago turn federal witness, and others verify, like John Harris?

Or does Obama need to actually be on tape, with Rham, or anyone else who wore a wire while doing the deed?

Are Blackberry communications monitered, too, in cases such as these?

They are in Chicago, after all, even Obama, all the players.

First of all, I don’t think that Obama would have ever made it in the Illinois Senate if he was a boy scout, straight arrow type. Second, Blagojevich had an expectation that Obama would be amenable to what he wanted in return for choosing who BO wanted to fill his senate seat or Blago wouldn’t have bothered. Humans tend to do what they know will work with the least resistance. Obama is in this up to his eyeballs. It doesn’t matter if he didn’t personally do any of it. People have other people do terrible things in their name all the time.

This reminds me of

Wham Bang — thank you

From politicians to the voters.

http://www.poorrichardsalmanac.biz
OUTRAGE!
REPUBLICANS GAVE MERCEDES BENZ $750 MILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO BUILD A NON-UNION PLANT IN ALABAMA!

ADVISE TO BLAGOJEVITCH:

TOUGH IT OUT!!!!

the part where BOBO and the governor got together right after the election to speak about these issues.

Link, please?

he is referring to the criminal complaint, you idiot. read it, and you will realize that the two offices were negotiating through multiple emissaries.

and by the way, they did meet.

http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/12/11/thats-not-the-blagojevich-i-thought-i-knew/

Here is a local news report claiming they met:

Duckworth comments on consideration for Senate
By Alexis Hunt
Saturday, November 08, 2008 at 9:48 p.m.

QUINCY, IL — Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled.

Obama met with Governor Rod Blagojevich earlier this week to discuss it. Illinois law states that the governor chooses that replacement. There’s already been speculation about his selection…from Congressman Jesse Jackson, Junior to Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth

the screen shot of the news story is in the link i cite above.

As I said earlier Obama’s un needed lying was going to catch up to him.
I do have a feeeling Obama and the governor have more connections that Obama wants the public to know about. But where Obama made his mistakes was lying about having talked to the governor about who migh fill his seat. Hey even Hillary has been talking to the governor of NY about her seat, its kind of expected.
I think when he started lying about those meetings many started wondeing what else lay beneath the scandals.

Maybe Fitzgerald wanted to see if a dem or repub won so as not to spoil the chance for a party? He can still take Obama down. Maybe he thought it would be fun to get the big fish this time? I hope he can still get Obama. If not Fitzgerald is as crooked as the rest and should just let the crime spree continue. Why bother fighting corrupting if you’re going to give a free pass to some.

Yup, they did, and by the way, this was within the time window of when Fitz was bugging Blago’s offices, homes, phones. I’ll bet my hard-earned money that Obambi was caught on tape, discussed some deal while he was in Blago’s office, and he knows it. For you skeptics who say, “but Fitz said O’s not implicated in THIS COMPLAINT”, it’s because “this complaint” was going after Blago, not anyone else, and it was just a small portion of what they recorded. You’ve got to look at what Fitz said very carefully. Yes, folks, Obambi himself is in one or more of those many many hours of tape. Question is, will Fitz have the spine to do something about it? Remember, it was just an 18 minute gap that took down Nixon. We may not even have a gap in the tape here. Maybe there is a god.

June wasn;t the right time to break this story. People and the MSM would have paid about as much attention to this story in June as they paid to the BC story in June. Plus Obama would have easily explained his way out of this one and the media would have eaten it up because they wanted to ensure that Clinton didn’t win.

Some Bloggers are reporting Blago will resign Monday or early next week.

I hope he stays and fights it. The One & his Misses has to be very, very nervous about all of this.

I hope they’re sweating bullets right now.

There will be a god when BO is behind bars.

Truthteller:

BO wrote a letter to Gotojailvich ??? WOW… This is the first I read about such letter…. (great catch). In whose hands is the letter now?

Of course Democratic Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan and now BO wants Gotojailvich to resign and pressure should be mounting for him to o so ASAP and quiet this down….. Because the alternative is impeachment and THAT will certainly air a lot of smelly stuff everywhere in Chicago….

Unreal. At this rate will never be able to have a good president for the country ever.

correct; and unfortunately, many americans have no ethical standards either, which is why they excuse this stuff. we are in a bad way.

For years of bla bla bla is what we are going to get now. For long long long years of bla,… bla,… bla.

[...] from No Quarter with permission. digg_url = [...]

Whether Blago stays as gov or goes, I hope he makes time available soon to have a heart to heart with Fitz.

The fact remains that no one here has demonstrated that Obama ever talked to Blagojevich about filling the vacancy. You have posted links to articles that don’t exist, and that even if they did exist did not say what you have represented them to say.

Suggestion: Change the name of this website from “No Quarter” to “The Sore Losers Club.” What a joke.

I did. I recommend you visit the link and reread the article. We have the screen shots.

We win, and you lose. Obama met with Blago, and we have the evidence.

My God what do you dumb-asses need as proof that Obama did in fact send a letter via his associate to Blagojevich? It is amazing to me that people will still insist that Obama is an honest politician, the two of those words rarely go together, and in fact in Obama’s case the distance between himself and honesty or integrity is immeasurable.
Obama’s time is coming, the cries of those Americans who voted for him will be deafening.
I for one cant wait!
We don’t hate to say we told you so, we were screaming it from the tops of our lungs, but you would not hear, you still wont.
The time will come when you can no longer deny what is truth, that Obama is an immoral, dishonest, Chicago thug, who lied, cheated and stole this election.
I am going to enjoy the One’s fall, he isn’t even the president yet and the scandals are just beginning.
I LOVE IT!!!

Truthteller is our Elliot Ness. Fantastic work as usual. He should be paid.

AMEN!!!

cripes, the trolls are worse than I thought, they can’t even face the truth about Obama when it’s right in front of their face.

Hey, I thought the trolls jumped ship.

Welcome – TOOO HELLLLLL! HA HA HA HA!

Sorry, couldn’t resist. No really, you guys still buying BO’s bs? I guess love does spring eternal.

“And wilt thou have me fashion into speech
The love I bear thee, finding words enough”

Post on, oh ye Obama faithful.

Just sayin’

[...] Writing Is Speech/Speech Is Writing: Obama Communicated with Bill Ayers, Bill Clinton, Bill Moyers Journal, Bill of Rights, Bill Richardson, Birth Certificate (Barack Obama), Birth Mystery, Black Agenda… [...]

Why are you surprised Obama is a liar. He has always been a liar.

[...] Emanuel submitted a letter with a list of candidates you preferred to Blagojevich. In other words, you communicated with the Governor about the open Senate seat. Moreover, news reports you and your operatives have attempted to remove from the Internet reveal [...]

[...] asked about his Chief of Staff’s confirmed communications with Rod Blagojevich’s staff? What about the letter of candidates Obama approved that was handled by Emanuel? Will Obama hold Emanuel accountable, or will Obama continue to instruct Emanuel to avoid reporters? [...]

[...] 21: no wonder why Rahm Emanuel is skulking about, standing in the wings and avoiding reporters. Participating in 21 conversations that the feds thought were relevant to their investigation of Blagojevich and “pay to play” politics in inner city Chicago, Emanuel is certainly redefining what Obama views as appropriate and inappropriate conduct. And we have yet to discuss the problem of the list of candidates Obama approved that Emanuel disseminated to Blagojevich’s operatives. [...]