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Open Thread * Pat Buchanan’s Chosen Emphasis on the Shocking “Senategate”

By Lena Grove aka nasuS on December 13, 2008 at 7:35 PM in Current Affairs

Pat Buchanan has written a provocative, thoughtful essay, “What Obama Offered Blagojevich,” about the astonishing Blagojevich story that is of such complexity that it requires — demands — as much input and observations from as many of our brightest and most insightful writers as is possible. Mr. Buchanan is one such writer. He is a gifted man with a prodigious memory for history whose thinking has somehow never been wholly saturated and overtaken by the standard-issue D.C. points of view despite his having inhabited that milieu for decades. How does he do it? To live among them, to be surrounded by them, to hear them and read them morning, noon and night, but not have his opinions arrested and possessed by theirs?

Please consider these passages, the key points of which I have boldfaced and underlined. Those passages are about DUTY. The duty that each man had, when confronted by Blagojevich’s either overt or scarcely obscured demands, to REPORT what they had heard to the proper law enforcement agencies that they knew — everyone knew — were investigating Governor Blagojevich.

[I]f Obama’s staffers did talk to Blagojevich or his staff, did the governor or his men suggest a big-time pay-off might purchase a Senate seat?

For Blagojevich is overheard on the wiretaps complaining that all that Obama, whom he slurs nastily, was offering was gratitude.

How did Blagojevich know that?

Who told him Barack would not pony up and play ball? And if any Obama aide was solicited for a bribe, did they relate that to Obama? Did they report it to the FBI or the U.S. attorney’s office?

The point is expressed again and again in Mr. Buchanan’s “What Obama Offered Blagojevich“:

[...]

No one is yet convicted of anything. But if this scandal touches any member of Obama’s White House staff, who may have spoken with Blagojevich and listened to his solicitation of a bribe without reporting it, we are going to have a new special prosecutor in Washington, D.C.

Indeed, the U.S. Senate should probably make the confirmation of Eric Holder as attorney general, the Clintonite who midwifed the pardons of Marc Rich and the Puerto Rican terrorists, contingent on his naming an independent counsel in the Senategate scandal.

As for the Bush-to-Barack transition, which Americans have applauded as graceful and uplifting, it is now mired in mud.

Yes, indeed, it is — a sad day for America.

And now, it is your Open Thread:

  • Strawberrybitch

    How the hell did we get here? We’ve had the worst president in history, followed by the most corrupt president elect and I’m agreeing with Pat Buchanan. When did we die and go to Hell?

  • Mary Richards

    No joke, Strawberry, I’ve been asking myself the same question for months.

    Ever since I found myself, a lifelong Democrat, reading & agreeing with conservatives assessments of Barack Oblahblah and having to turn off CNN in favor of FOX.

    When did we die and go to Hell, indeed?

    Let’s just think of it as Purgatory for now, truly I believe we’ll be all smiles when Patrick Fitzgerald is done with the very BIG job that lies ahead of him…!

  • Andy

    I have wondered the same; if BO was being “extorted” in some way by Gotojailvich
    why didn’t they reported or threaten to do so? Why keep the lines of communication open and exchanges going b/t the two camps (of designated intermediaries) for weeks ?

    I also wonder about how the word “appreciation” came to be…
    What if someone on the Team BO said to the Gov: ” well if you choose VJ or someone on my list PEBo now and POTUS in a few days will surely show you his appreciation”

    That surely would sound quite different than the way Gotojailvitch words are being interpreted now…

    • Kal

      But there has to be so much history there that BO could not afford to make it look like he was suddenly pulling the plug — once in, its hard to get out scot free.

  • http://cinie.wordpress.com Cinie

    Has anybody else considered that Fitzgerald might not have talked to Obama, but might have previously talked to, and been spurned by, Blagojevich? Maybe his arrest before he could carry out his scheme was designed to flip him, not convict him. Fitz is looking to corroborate Rezko’s singing about something, and it obviously is not enough to implicate Blago. Something to think about.

    • NCgirl

      I read that it was because Fitz wanted him arrested him before he could appoint anyone to Obama’s senate seat and avoid the problems that would cause.

      • http://cinie.wordpress.com Cinie

        I know, but is that really his job, or his intent?
        Wouldn’t Blago’s arrest after the fact invalidate the selection? In fact, would the selectee be guilty of a crime, too?

        • Kal

          Not necessarily. And once appointed etc., its hard to undo things — unless the Senate had refused to accept that person’s credentials, and whose pocket are they in again?

    • AnnieO

      I heard that a Chicago newspaper ran a story about Blogo being under surveillance, so they had to act and arrested him the next day.

  • juan

    I, too, agree with Pat. The Arab One surely has a bunch of SEEDY Friends.

    The Sad thing is the Obamabots will just turn their Heads.

    And some thought Bill & Hillary were Bad. I’ll bet they are disturbed about this.

    HANG in THERE BLAGO.! We need you.!

  • http://americanpumainitaly.blogspot.com/ American Girl in Italy

    Huckabee just said there is a new movie in the works for the Blago scandal, and then he showed a clip from Jerry McGuire – the one where Tom was yelling *show me the money!*. now he is showing the funny fake commercial video with all those posters of obama that are advertising tvs, etc. ahah too funny.

    That is a great article by Uncle Pat! Thanks for postin!

  • Leibniz08

    Right on Pat~ Now on to MSNBC and right in the face of Mathews and Olberman and the rest of these postmodern fascists!

  • MrMike

    IF Barack Obama has a law license doesn’t he as an officer of the court have a duty to report any overtures Blagojevich made for selling the seat?

    • jbjd

      He voluntarily relinquished his license to practice.

      • Strawberrybitch

        Why would he do that? All those school loans and he gives up his law degree?

        • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82qCwLX9piE Woman Voter

          Don’t forget Michelle too, only practiced from 89 to 93 (the record that no longer is accessible ) and we were told she was more educated than Hillary…cough, cough… Lets face it, Bill even said he was taken by Hillary’s brain power and all her teachers had stories of her early years.

          For me the ‘brilliance’ is in the work, the acts, the record and Hillary will always be the best candidate that just happens to be a woman.

          • tutoress

            I heard MO had to take the bar exam twice. Surprising being an ivy league graduate.

            • Baba Rum Raisin

              JFK Jr took three attempts. TWO for MO looks like she got graded on the Affirmative Action Scale.

              • RPL

                I also thought it took Hillary two attempts to pass the bar. While I hate the Obamas, and I think they got handed everything, this is nothing to waste time over.

            • trixta

              Lots of people take the Bar exam twice, but Michelle is in NO WAY equal to HRC on any level!!!!

              Of topic a bit, but a woman friend of my husband passed the Bar exam without the benefit of law school! Yup, it was all home study for her. Now that is what I call brilliant!

      • elise

        Why did he do that and when? Even if he had no plans to practice, that is a big step. I’m not trying to make a particular point. It just seems odd for he and his wife to have dropped their right to practice before the bar without knowing if they would someday like to return. It’s much more difficult to be re-instated than to keep up to date.

        • Kostermann

          It was my understanding the bar suspended MO’s license.

          • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82qCwLX9piE Woman Voter

            The record is no longer accessible?!?

            Transparency??????? I think NOT!

          • Kal

            MO has not been suspended.

            She is voluntarily inactive.

        • Margaret

          Is his license inactive? I’m an attorney in MA, I’m inactive because I don’t practice. But all I have to do to reactivate my license is pay a fee and I will immediately be back on active status.

          • Chicago Joe

            Yes, they are both inactive by choice.

            • Kal

              MO’s ARDC file says:

              “Voluntarily inactive and not authorized to practice law – Last Registered Year: 2008″

              This just means that she has to pay an extra fee to go active. It could be done with one phone call and a credit card number.

              Ditto BO.

              • Lyn

                Why does MO say Court order and BO does not say it?

  • raGing

    in private business it’s called an ethics violation. if someone knows of it she or he is obligated to report it, or they themselves are subject to disciplinary action. our government officials haven’t got wind of the “changes” going on in the business world.

  • bemused

    O no longer has an active license. I think we can all figure out the JJJ part, and not go too far out on a limb to speculate that Rahm did indeed convey opinions between O and B.
    But Buchanan mentions the real mystery, why did he stop when he did? He could have waited until the prospective seat buyer made the deal. I think it was just about to happen and Fitz is hoping that person is very very grateful he is saved, or at least has some chance. And I think it was going to be JJJ because he had the most money out, and as O was not going to reward B with a nice job, then B would go for the top dollar. B looks ready to spite O anyway, just on principle. Rahm will be abandoned by O, who will say his man spoke out of turn. (cue sad violin)
    I also think B’s bail was so low in order that he would be sure to get right out and trigger some other event.

    • Andy

      I don’t think Emmanuel will gow down quietly (he’s well known for paying back those who betray him…). If Emmanuel knows something it is where all the corpses are buried and BO would have to promise Emmanuel sth.big in exchange for his resignation … Emmanuel is no martyr.

      • mimi

        I agree with this. Rahm is no hero. I see him John Deaning first.

  • Mar

    I live in one of the Chicago suburbs and work in the city itself. In listening to the coverage of Blago’s arrest, I have heard more than one person compare the arrest with the “transcendent” evening of Nov. 4, 2008 in Grant Park. It makes me want to gag.

    Not one person who has made this comparison even realizes that for PEBO to get to that point involved his surrogates/operatives stealing the caucuses.

    Both PEBO & Blago are mental lightweights who got as far as they did through dumb luck.

    Blago won the 2002 Dem. primary for governor because there were three candidates, one of whom was African-American. Many African-Americans did vote for him, and he came in third. The best candidate, Paul Vallas, came in second. Blago won the nomination. The Reb. candidate was a Jim Ryan. (The Republican candidate who dropped out of the 2004 race against BO was Jack Ryan.)

    I believe that Watergate hardened the divisions between Republican and Democrat so that Democrats perceived Republicans as dishonest and Republicans perceived Democrats as goody two-shoes.

    Because many of us could not vote for a man who has so many character issues, we have paid more attention to Republicans because “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

    And so we are finding that we do share some viewpoints.

    I ordered a new edition of the book “Nightmare” by Tony Lukas yesterday. It was written shortly after Watergate but I want to learn more about that time period.

  • Mr. X

    I think Fitzgerald indicted Blago to see certain people scurry around and slip up. Blago could have indeed been indicted at any time. Perhaps Fitz knows that he needs to close this by the time Obama takes office. Otherwise, all of this would be swept under the rug.

  • NCgirl

    I really like Pat Buchanan. I get his articles sent to my inbox via his website. Pat isn’t a Neocon like Bush and company. I was really surprised how much I agreed with him on things when I first started reading his articles. I’ve read two of his books. He is a wonderful historian. I just wish he’d quit MSNBO. His talents would be better served somewhere else.

    • trixta

      I began to take Buchanan seriously when he started to criticize Bush on the Iraq War some years ago. And I used to think Pat was the fascist! He’s a Boys’ Scout compared to the Neo-cons and the Neo-liberal fascists.

  • Strawberrybitch

    The Bush administration refused to let Obama and Mechelle move into The White House guest house early according to AP. Anyone care to link? The nerve of those two.

    • NCgirl

      Here’s an article about that for you Strawberry:

      http://www.charlotteobserver.com/551/story/411308.html

      • Strawberrybitch

        Thanks NCgirl. I find it interesting that both sides are saying the transition is going smoothly. Remember the last time?

      • KintheNorthwest

        It will cost the Obama’s about 60 or more to send his daughters to the school

        http://www.sidwell.edu/admissions/tuition.asp

        Thats more than most people make in a year….Guess Obama doesnt have to cut down in our recession

      • Lyn

        http://www.suntimes.com/news/sneed/1325772,CST-NWS-SNEED11.article
        article was a day before everyoione elses with better details, of course most MSM left out this part
        • The backshot: A source tells Sneed: “There were reportedly two reasons for the request: Obama’s children start school in early January — and the move could be interpreted as a New Year’s symbolic gesture showing the president-elect in a presidential capacity across from the White House on Jan. 2, the day after New Year’s Day.”

        • • The buckshot: Blair House, the president’s guest house for visiting dignitaries, nixed the request. “It was a polite rejection,” the source added. “But I’m told Blair House was appalled.”

    • AF catfish

      And Obama’s team leaks it to the press. The Obamas had every right to ask and the Bushes had every right to politely decline.

      But for the Obama transition team to leak it to the press? Petty.

      • WildChild

        It brings back memories of when Darva Conger was refused entry to parties after the Oscars.

    • Margaret

      Sickening

  • drkate

    I think Blago’s bond was pretty low…but he had not committed a crime, only talked about it. The indictment clearly sites this as just one of many charges brought forward, each of which should carry significant bond, etc.

    So Fitz sprung now to trigger something else, and I agree with the comment above suggesting this is related to something Rezko is singing about (and his sentencing has been postponed again).

    As to the dem senate and house having hearings or a special prosecutor–what a position they will be in, lol. Here is where I don’t think they will act except to produce a manufactured crisis to divert attention from this issue.

    • ILBlue

      Hi DrKate..

      As usual I agree, unless their is a Special Prosecutor the Dems have enough of a Majority in both houses to keep an investigation from going anywhere. No Way would Nancy and Harry allow it after all there hard work to make their SELECTION.

      So unless Rezko or now Blago/Harris is singing about Obama ( remember Michelle also worked at City Hall like Harris and business with Rezko -Hospital ) It’s just a matter of wait and see where the next shoe drops. And pray Obama ( who is corrupt) gets caught finally in a web of his own lies.

      Let’s not forget that Blago will need to try and protect his wife ( for the children’s sake ) and he may just be jealous enough and pissed off enough to rat on Obama. After all Blago had visions of himself running in 2008 not Obama and that was a plan in IL. at one time. I don’t beleive Obama was originally on the plan to run in 2008 but later on.

  • DaddysDarlin

    This is just the beginning of Obamagate. His shady associations should have been red flags from the beginning, they were to those of us who paid attention.
    One by one, they will fall, until it comes to Obama’s turn and it will be his turn. I have no doubt about that.
    I for one am going to enjoy the show!

    • ILBlue

      DaddysDarlin

      There are many of us waiting for that day. IF he becomes POTUS… well we see already that what we have been saying It will be the most corrupt in our lifetime.

      He has already surpassed Nixon. He makes Nixon look like a boy scout. And I say that with mixed feelings because I was not a Republican but Nixon as parnoid as he was …did some good things as POTUS.

      But then again I just survived 8 yrs of GWB/Cheney(POTUS IC ) and looking at Obama. Nixon was a saint.

  • moliere

    Daschle for health???

    • bert

      Makes me sick.

      • Kal

        Not the desired effect! :)

  • dixi68

    Fitzpatrick may have rushed this up to insure that obama could not fire him on January 21, or he may have gone after the Illinois governor so that he would not have to go after obama, who is surely in this up to his ugly eyeballs.

    • ILBlue

      I can’t help but wonder alot about how this transpired.. Why didn’t Fritz wait for the exchange , what was the urgency??

      Unfortunately I also have a nagging answer in the back of my mind that wants to be heard..which is “Is Fritzgerald protecting Obama??

      Did he stop this when he did because he didn’t want Obama to go over the line. Maybe Obama’s already on the rest of the 300 minutes of tape talking to Blago and maybe he would be the next one on the phone to close the deal with Blago.

      Is Fritzgerald protecting Obama?

      Didn’t I just see something recently where Bush W/H had put out order before the GE not to do anything to Obama ( not just the illegal aunt but Obama? )

      If Obama skates on this my gut says Fritzgerald and the Justice Dept. let him skate and that’s why the investigation was shut down before the final agreement.

      Now someone tell me why ? Why do I even think that’s a possibility or have I trualy lost my mind this year.

      • extreme ways

        Well, now that Fitz made this move, he has Blago, JJJ and Emmanuel to talk to. Since all three have seen their careers evaporate in the last couple of days, it may lead to someone special. There is also the possibility that Fitz can have chats with Blago’s wife and Michelle.

        Yes, I’m clinging for dear sanity that Fitz is clean.

        • Strawberrybitch

          Compare Blago’s wife and Michelle. They both have the eyes of a hammerhead shark. It’s creepy.

      • Chicago Joe

        I am so with you on all of this. This whole experience has been surreal. Actually, it started in 2000 when I did not think the American people were dumb enough to elect Bush—and then again in 2004. This whole Obama fairy tale (Bill was right!) has been absolutely inexplicable, and the fact that the vast majority of the electorate hasn’t heard about any of this stuff, or worse, doesn’t care scares me into thinking that even more bizarre scenarios (as if these aren’t crazy enough) might actually come to pass. I feel like I am losing my mind.

        • trixta

          Fairytale(?) . . . more like a NIGHTMARE!!

  • Pingback: Open Thread * Pat Buchanan’s Chosen Emphasis on the Shocking

  • http://donnadarko.wordpress.com donna darko

    From today’s Tribune:

    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.

    All are Democrats and Obama supporters. Clinton was not able to choose “acceptable” replacements and the suggestion of Obama supporter Caroline Kennedy was yet another hateful, sexist dig at Clinton.

  • http://lamecherry.blogspot.com/ LC

    Far too often blanket statements are fashionable like “worst President in history” which is completely false if one understand the entire Bush 43 tenure. For those who were around for Jimmy Carter, he was the worst and Bill Clinton the most corrupt.
    “Worst in history” was invented by the liberal spin machine to deflect from the realities at hand so Democrats could take over the Congress and White House again.
    One must always tread with care in using parrot phrases such as showed up on Newsbusters and helped Obama steal this election.

    Pat Buchanan is correct in his assessment, but is a great deal like Noel Sheppard quoting a liberal lesbian. He waves the white flag for Eric Holder who is as big of a criminal problem as those he claims are at fault.
    No one has yet noted that perhaps Rahm Emanuel stirred this pot for a reason as he is connected to the intelligence circles out of the Israeli state. If it was not Mr. Emanuel who warned off Obama on the criminal dealings of Mr. Blagojevich, then someone in the US Attorney or FBI was warning Mr. Obama as immediately Valerie Jarrett’s name was pulled.
    All of that is illegal.

    As my blog was the first to note many things worse than what Gov. Blagojevich is accused as he is an innocent man until convicted, how is it the Illinois AG whose name was submitted by Obama for his seat even trying to shred Illinois Constitution in removing the Governor illegally. She should be off the case.
    Joe Biden was awarded pay for play in his son illegally arresting Lawrence Sinclair to silence him.

    Into this as my blog noted Barack Obama promised to keep Patrick Fitzgerald as US Attorney and Mr. Fitzgerald gave a glowing and unheard statement in how innocent Barack Obama is.
    In this entire venue where Patrick Fitzgerald is notorious for finding and creating legal nuance to indict people, holding off on clearing Bush 43 and Vice President Cheney, how is it when there are ACORN, Obama lying about his involvement with negotiations and money fraud that Mr. Fitzgerald offers up carte blanche for Mr. Obama.

    That is what Mr. Buchanan is suspect for as too many are as Mr. Gibbs told the world US Attorney and FBI were illegally briefing the Obama camp on the Blagojevich investigation.
    It is nice Pat joined my call for a Special Counsel, but I demanded President Bush appoint one with grand jury indictment powers to conclude by January 20.

    Mr. Obama deserves as Gov. Blagojevich his day in court. We already know that Mr. Obama is guilty of making misleading public statements to the public and that includes investigators which is a crime in interfering with a federal investigation.
    That is exactly what Mr. Fitzgerald convicted Scooter Libby on.

    The question is why is Mr. Fitzgerald not seeing that law.

    • Strawberrybitch

      Bullshit. Nobody died because of Bill’s blowjob. And as far as I remember far fewer people in the Clinton administration were indicted or went to prison then either Reagen’s or Nixon’s.

    • ILBlue

      LC..

      I will agree to disagree with you on Presidents . ok?

      The rest of your comments : I agree the AJ Lisa Madigan should take herself out of the mix when it comes to the Govenor. After all she wants his position. Simple conflict of interest.

      And I also agree I question what Fitzgerald is doing , from what I could tell in all I read regarding the Rezko criminality Obama was dirty and should have gone down by now.

      For whatever reason even though Obama had one of his People sit in the courtroom throughout the entire Rezko trial they deliberately went out of their way not to call him as a witness or bring up his name. Only 1 of the accused and the Defense team did somewhat. First of my “WHYS”?

      If a man is that corrupt ( And I only mentioned the trial ) but there is from what I have read evidence of wrong doing on committees etc. why not take him down and save the country from more Corruption????

      Sorry LC I know it’s obvious I’m not skilled as you are in trying to put down what I’m thinking . Especially this late at night.

      I will check out your blog though and thank you for your thoughts even though I will never agree entirely with some of what you profess.

    • Ferd Berfle

      Blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah

  • workingclass artist

    Well…all I can say is here at NQ a lot of us have been following this..Waiting for the pimple to explode for a long time…Back when RBO was called Rezko Watch…

  • hashfanatic

    Sarah Palin’s Church Torched, Badly Damaged…

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/us/politics/14palin.html?ref=politics

    Remember, our way of life is NOT being threatened…

  • mountainaires

    Blago-Bama-Rahma-Gate:

    Rahm Emmanuel talked to Blago:

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rahm-obama13dec13,0,3359611.story