Current Article

[UPDATED] Barack Obama: “I Investigated Myself, and I Decided I Am Innocent”

By Truthteller on December 15, 2008 at 6:52 PM in Current Affairs

That is what I glean from an article entitled “Obama: Review shows no inappropriate contact”. I quote:

CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama said Monday a review by his own lawyer shows he had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement, and transition aides “did nothing inappropriate.”

In other words, Obama has mimicked George Bush’s behavior in the wake of the Bush administration’s bungled response to Hurricane Katrina: he will investigate himself and his staff, and he will decide whether he and his staff engaged in any misconduct. Bush was rightly and roundly criticized for deciding he would be the one to “investigate himself.” How odd it is that the chorus of government critics who raised their voices in 2005 is silent now that Barack Obama has decided that George Bush’s version of transparency is the model to follow. Does anyone seriously believe Obama’s attorney would claim Obama and his staff are guilty of engaging in inappropriate discussions with Governor Rod Blagojevich about the Senate seat Obama vacated? Does Obama believe we are that easily duped?

It gets better. I quote again:

Obama said he is prepared to make the review public, but decided to hold off because prosecutors asked for a delay and “I don’t want to interfere with an ongoing investigation.”

Transparency was and will remain a campaign promise. Any excuse, including that of an “ongoing investigation,” will be cited in order to shirk any form of accountability. Because the investigation of his office’s conduct is independent of the investigation of Patrick Fitzgerald, one would assume it would not interfere with the federal probe. After all, it was Obama who on Thursday stated the following:

I am confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat. I think the materials released by the U.S. attorney reflect that fact.

If he truly believed the documents Fitzgerald and the FBI issued last week confirmed he and his staff were in no way entangled with Blagojevich’s attempts to secure kickbacks for Obama’s vacant Senate seat, he would release information compiled by his attorney. For he and staff do not, if I may quote Obama, “have any part of the deals related to this seat.” I hope he clarifies this at his next news conference.
————————-
[UPDATED]: According to the article I cite, Fitzgerald confirmed his office asked Obama not to release the materials his attorney may or may not have compiled. This leads me to ask why an internal investigation of Obama’s office would interfere with Fitzgerald’s probe. Are members of Obama’s transition staff already under investigation? That a conflict would arise if evidence from an internal investigation that claims everyone is innocent was released reveals that there is more to what Obama discovered during the internal investigation than what he related to reporters today. Notice how he avoided answering questions about Rahm Emanuel.
———————-

Let us continue to read the article. I quote:

Controversy has swirled around the president-elect and his incoming White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, following Blagojevich’s arrest last week on charges he schemed to trade Obama’s Senate seat for personal gain.

Obama, fielding questions at a news conference, sidestepped when asked whether Emanuel had spoken with aides to the governor.

Emanuel was one of several aides who watched the news conference from the wings.

Was Obama’s staff engaging in inappropriate conduct with Blagojevich or not? Why is Obama incapable of answering reporters’ questions about Rahm Emanuel’s confirmed conversations and written correspondences with Blagojevich’s Chief of Staff Mike Harris and the other operatives whose words are recorded in the Criminal Complaint filed by Special Agent of the FBI David Cain? Is Rahm Emanuel not Obama’s Chief of Staff? And why is Rahm Emanuel ducking reporters? Why is he present at a press conference when he is not answering reporters’ questions? Moreover, why is the President-elect who claims to be transparent unresponsive when asked about his Chief of Staff’s confirmed communications with Rod Blagojevich’s staff? What about the list of candidates Obama approved that was handled by Emanuel? Will Obama hold Emanuel accountable, or will Obama continue to instruct Emanuel to avoid reporters? Is this change in which those who desire transparency in government can believe? Or is opacity the new transparency?

Here is the penultimate paragraph of the news article:

The president-elect pledged the results of the investigation by his incoming White House counsel, Gregory Craig, would be released “in due course.”

What is “due course?” May we have a date? And why are we expected to believe that your future White House counsel, Gregory Craig, conducted a thorough investigation? Are we expected to simply believe you? And why is anyone expected to accept your pledge as sincere? Did you not renege pledge after pledge both during the primary and the general election? And how are we to take the investigation conducted by your future White House counsel seriously when we learn this in the final paragraph of the article?

He said the probe was complete and thorough, but did not say which of his aides Craig interviewed, whether any of them was under oath at the time, or any other details.

We have no idea if anything remotely resembling an investigation was conducted: so much for Obama’s intention to run an open and transparent government. Or maybe he will arbitrarily deem his secretive tactics transparent, and all the reporters and mindless drones who support him will stupidly nod their vacuous heads in slavish agreement.

Obama: Dubya 2-Electric Boogaloo

“That’s not the me that I knew.”

pm317

I am not the one I am waiting for.
oowawa

“That’s not the me that I knew.”

I’ll bet he was saddened and sobered by this self-knowledge.
AF catfish

HAHAHA thank you. IN his presser all the first-person pronouns just leaped out “I will create jobs and I do not know and I don’t have a crystal ball.”

lark

The Dem party leaders love him now.

heartland dem

“U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald today confirmed that his office asked President-elect Barack Obama to delay release of an internal presidential transition-team investigation.”

This post is DOA. Obama wins again! lol.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/ Truthteller

No, it is more relevant than ever, for obviously Fitzgerald does not want Obama to presume everyone in his office innocent. That would interrupt the probe.

It seems there is a lot more to be learned about Obama’s engagement with Blagojevich’s staff in the future.

heartland dem

You can’t have it both ways. Then by this logic either Obama is “hiding” the results of his internal probe, or Fitzpatrick is requesting he not speak on the matter until his investigation reveals Obama’s “guilt”. Which way does your reality-distortion field reflect??? LOL.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/ Truthteller

you are creating a false dichotomy. my points stand, and the diary remains relevant and rigorous.

enjoy the evening.

TeakWoodKite

A well stated and documented article TruthTeller.

Heartland dem is the symptom of what awaits us in the coming administration. You are right to point it out. The US Attorney requested that the information not be released. Fine. What escapes Heartland dem, is that a criminal investigation is examining BoBo’s contacts with an indicted person who is alledgedly involved in a criminal enterprise. Members of Obama’s staff are on tape as reported.

Any representation made by BO or his minions are not valid as to legally determined facts.

Bo has NO credibility. That is what escapes Heartland dem.
jrterrier

The most telling development is the one that Fitzgerald asked Obama to delay releasing his internal investigation so as not to interfere with the official one. The only logical way to read that is that there must be one or more person on the Obama staff being investigated or under suspicion by the Fitzgerald investigation.

I don’t see how it can be read any other way.

spOILer

Will investigations into this Charismatic Messianic Figure ever materialize, or just get buried like the Phil Berg lawsuit in Federal Court in Philadelphia, which claimed (with a lot of evidence) that BARACK HUSSEIN MOHAMMED OBAMA (formerly known as Barry Soetoro) is not really even a US Citizen at all, therefore INELLIGIBLE to run for or become US President.

If this BOMBSHELL of CLASSIC CHICAGO CORRUPTION does come out proir to January 20, 2009, will the US SUPREME COURT hear the dismissed Phil Berg Lawsuit at last??

Then this charismatic messianic whatshisname can be tried & deported and he can run for the ultimate executive position… ANTICHRIST!!! The world seems to have embraced this silver tounged liar.

Chuck

Heartland dem

My sentiments exactly. What you must realize is that this blog, ever since Obama defeated HRC, has been hell-bent on destroying Obama’s character and reputation. The writers here have made it their mission to impugn him and make their readers continue to resent and mistrust him. This story is a classic example. There is absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing on Obama’s part while there is evidence that his camp was doing all of the right things, but the writer is insistent on continuing to ask questions that have already been answered, make contradictory points, and throw out suggestive innuendo in an effort to create a caricature of our next president as an unseemly, untrustworthy, secretive guy. It never ends.

Ferd Berfle

My sentiments exactly. What you must realize is that this blog, ever since Obama defeated HRC, has been hell-bent on destroying Obama’s character and reputation.

Nice try, there bot, but That One has been doing it all by himselfand doesn’t need the help of NQ. Try taking your garbage elsewhere, like the nearest RCRA-licensed landfill.
http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

I have known not to trust Obama since last February or March and even when this blog was writing give O a chance articles I was not buying it. I trust people until I have reason not to. O has given me several reasons not to and not a single reason to trust him. I will decide for myself. I despise Barack Obama. I think he is a major league criminal and I will watch for his big loud thud fall from his undeserved pedastal with or without No Quarter. He lost me early in the Primary and has no chance to win me back so stuff it stupid bot. If you want to love and blindly trust him, go for it, but don’t think you can tell me what to do. I’m an independent woman and I am probably the last one here who will ever come over to the O side.

NEVAH!

Kristen

csuzeq,

AMEN sister!

frankly0

And what do you mean by “all the right things”?

Let’s just suppose that the Obama camp knew perfectly well what Blago was requesting, knew that it was criminal, and did nothing to report it or stop it.

Tell me, please, how that would be “the right thing”, given that this is the very team and President that is soon going to be in charge of enforcing the laws in this country?

Do you maybe think that that might be “inappropriate” of the Obama team?

Look, the basic fact is that on Monday Nov 10, during the day, Blago had a 2 hour conference call discussing openly all of his criminal ideas, and by that evening Obama’s favored candidate, Valerie Jarrett was declared by “prominent Democrats” as being out of the running. Does anybody past age 10 not believe that Obama’s side had not heard of these suggestions, and therefore Obama turned down the request? Who else but Obama would have been in a position to deny that request (save, perhaps, Obama’s intimate advisor Jarrett herself). How do you think any of this was explained to Obama? Does anybody past age 15 think that the criminal stuff was not even mentioned to him? What else would constitute sufficient justification for this dramatic turnabout?
smartwoman

What about MO? Her salary tripled when BHO became senator…….pay to play, just like Blogo
Chuck

Point. Proven.

WildChild

LOL not so much. We can’t destroy BOBO’s character and reputation. Only BOBO can do that. And he’s certainly doing one hell of a job. Being a big fan of everything BOBO does it shouldn’t bother you at all that we’re cheering him on now should it?

KathyNeocon

Being a big fan of everything BOBO does it shouldn’t bother you at all that we’re cheering him on now should it?

ooh ooh ooh!! Me first!!!

Give me a B!
Give me an O!
Give me a B!
Give me an O!

What’s that spell???

BOBO!!!

Go BOBO GO!! Sell that Senate seat! Scrub the web! Destroy your birth certificate!!! YEAH BOBO!!!

jrterrier

Chuck, no one on this blog is trying to destroy Obama’s character and reputation. We are just thinking human beings, who despise the blind adoration of anyone. We live in a republic, not a monarchy. We believe in the First Amendment, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

So we question those who are elected president.

http://myfugue.wordpress.com Barrington

The missing ingredient is “critical thinking skills”. You can’t just say “Fitz asked him to hold off, la dee da, everything is roses”. You gotta think critically – it can start with the question “why?”.

WHY did Fitz ask them to wait? Doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily come up with the answer, but taking the step to ask the question “why?” will open your mind

(I’m not being snarky – I’ve just noticed a lot of Bobots have poor critical thinking skills – not much curiosity – they just easily accept whatever they hear – I think there’s a problem with our schools)

http://donnadarko.wordpress.com donna darko

Obots are low-information ignoramuses.

Chuck

Or maybe Fitzgerald still has a few more interviews to conduct with people in Illinois and the Obama report would provide knowledge to those people that would give them an advantage not present before the report is released. Fitzgerald already made clear no one, NO ONE–and that includes Rahm Emanuel–in the Obama camp is implicated in anything Fitzgerald is investigating. You’re chasing a ghost. Get off of it. All of you.

Ferd Berfle

Get off of it. All of you.

As if anyone here is going to listen to orders given by a delusional half-pint troll like you. Shove off, drip, and take that dud Heartland dem with you.

http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

Since their guy is so fantabulously awesomous, I have no idea why they care what we think!

Ferd Berfle

And he’s like so awesomely fantabulous, they, like, you know, should hang with the other bots in botland, where the Kool-aide is free and comfotably numb doesn’t refer to a song by Pink Floyd.
Ferd Berfle

And he’s like so awesomely fantabulous, they, like, you know, should hang with the other bots in botland, where the Kool-aide is free and comfortably numb doesn’t refer to a song by Pink Floyd.

http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

He might really be fantabulously awesomazing to some bots, too.

workingclass artist

hmmm…Csuzeq you are getting quite good at Obamaphonics…chuckle…I’ll bet your a speeddemon at texting…Yo should start a feature on NQ…A glossary of sorts to translate for the rest of us Obotspeak…You seem to have developed a knack…Quite funny…

http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

I have been good at making up the names, etc. for That One. I will consider a lingo link.

At work, thankfully, all of my coworkers hated Odrama with a passion so we made up dumb O stuff daily. I have to share our Scooby Doo meets Barack Obama episode we created. Keep in mind it would be funnier if O had lost the election. Anyway, in this special episode, the gang (all Clinton supporters) has captured That One and he says, “And I’d have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling PUMAs!” Then as the gang does at the end, they pull off Obama’s mask and he is really Osama Bin Laden (my 14 year old son added that part).
http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

I’m not sure what is wrong with the comedians these days who say O is too flawless to make fun of. He seems to me to be a comedian’s dream!

Chuck

Thanks for proving my point guys.

WildChild

you mean the one where BOBO met with BLago on NOV 5 to discuss the replacement for the junior senator from Illinois seat? I love that point

TeakWoodKite

Get off of it. All of you.

You mean “off of it” as in your cloud?

Or the fact you will be appearing on David Letterman to do your impression of “Stupid Jedi Mind Tricks”…
jrterrier

I think the biggest problems for Obama and his staff is that the Blago scandal has forced the media for the first time since he ran to focus on the political sewer pot from which Obama rose and with which he chose to associate himself. Not a pretty picture for Obama to be starting out with.

Second, if one is to believe what Fitzgerald claims, then there is every reason to believe that Blago was just as demanding and blunt with the Obama staff, especially Rahm Emanuel, who once worked on Blago’s campaign.
In fact, there is support for this theory in the claimed audio of Blago saying all the Obama camp was willing to provide was its appreciation. In otherwords, when the Obama camp was given the same shakedown proposal to pay-to-play, its response was to say, we’ll pay with appreciation.

The questions then arise, did Emanuel or anyone else on the Obama staff go tell the President-Elect what was going on? Did the we’ll pay with appreciation come from the O or from his staff without consulting him. Did anyone from the Obama staff tell Blago that what he was doing was illegal? Did the staff of the President-elect report the shakedown to the authorities?

Indy G-Dog

“

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald today confirmed that his office asked President-elect Barack Obama to delay release of an internal presidential transition-team investigation.”

How do you reason that, I see a cover up.

Speaking of reality distortion, do you actually believe what you write?

WildChild

They don’t want BOBO feeding Blago the story he tells fitz. It’s important they squeeze blago for a while longer with out BOBO interference.

TeakWoodKite

BOBO interference.

As in Obsrtuction of Justice or the noise on the radio?

WildChild

the former

heartland dem

Ahh…there it is. Finally – FITZGERALD is in the tank. Yes, that’s it!It’s all a big cover up. None of you addressed my point. And instead, your tit for tat rapidly disintegrates into masturbatory and grotesque name-calling. Chuck is right- This site is sad. Kind of reminds me of one of those Hieronymus Bosch paintings where everyone is in their own ecstatic yet somehow perverse private world.

TeakWoodKite

FITZGERALD is in the tank…

swimming with the sharks of Chicago.

it’s called spear fishing and Fitzgerald is good at it. If I were BO, I would not fuss with him.

pm317

Perfect title.

All I can do is laugh and laugh out loud at this fool and his minions if it were not so serious. Do those newspapers printing that stuff, do they know how they look? Does he really think we are such dopes?

Ani

Truthteller — great article.

And yes, pm317, they do think we are such dopes. And why shouldn’t they? He got elected, didn’t he?

PE Obama has been feeding this same line of nonsense to the American people all year and apparently enough of them bought it hook, line and sinker to vote for him. It is known as Bush Derangement Sydrome or “lalalalalalalala, but Obama will bring change!”

But of course, during the primary, these same gullible souls were willing to believe any filth about Hillary — but Obama — even when facts were presented — no, that’s just a smear!!!

You are right, this would be funny if it were not so tragic. The U.S. has elected American Idol to be leader of the free world. Heaven help us.

Further, I watched his press conference today, and he does not seem capable of delivering a clean sentence. Why is the truth so hard to spit out for someone who graduated from Harvard? I thought he was so brilliant. Ah, er, uuh …

And he just doesn’t want to give a straight answer on this Blago stuff. What is the big deal? He’s clean of this, right? Right? And so is his staff. Right? …Right?? Just spit it out already. All this hemming and hawing just stokes the fire…I wonder why.

http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

Preach it, Ani! Great points! You, too, pm317!

Truthteller, outstanding post!!

Oh, and I LOVE “I am not the one I am waiting for.” Too funny!!
Barbara

first a frat boy as president, now an american idol? will the american people never learn?
http://myfugue.wordpress.com Barrington

I don’t think the subject matters – I think the only thing that matters is if he is reading from his teleprompter. Without it, he is literally PAINFUL to listen to.

Chuck

He’s not a fool. He’s actually shown himself to be pretty wise (several examples from the campaign can be cited). He doesn’t make pejorative statements about people without any evidence to back it up. Maybe you guys should take a cue from him. You guys just say stuff with no meaning. What is the point of comments like this? Does this make you all feel good, feel a sense of community, unified in your contempt for a decent man who seems to be on his way to becoming a transformational president? Why? What did he do to you? He has historical approval ratings for a president-elect. The country is behind the guy. He seems like all he wants to do is make America better. Why do you guys hate him so?

Ferd Berfle

Why do you guys hate him so?

You’re another in a long line of trolls who comes here baying at the full moon while eating scat.

For the last time, no one here “hates” That One. We merely see through his thin veneer of deceit. You were either born yesterday, just fell off a produce truck, or are an obamabot. Which is it, dullard?
jd4hill

Transformational? You know, I wouldn’t mind giving him the benefit of the doubt, but this idol worship with no evidence for bestowing these accolades upon him just make him laughable.

All he has ever done is talk. Words, just words. There is no evidence ANYWHERE in his record to suggest he has the strength, the will, the character to do anything but what he has always done – cover his own behind. Which obviously he is still doing quite well.

Transformational? Just because the media has invested so much in him, and even they (see CNN, WaPo, NYT and many others), admitted after the fact that they did not do their jobs this year and gave him a free pass, that doesn’t mean they actually believe this crap either. They just want to sell “The Obama Story” — many of the networks have already committed to specials about him — $$$ and ratings.

Transformational? Let’s get real here.

The only thing transformational will come from any of his good cabinet appts. (aka, Hillary, Steven Chu, etc.) who know how to get the job done.

That makes them transformational, not him.
pm317

Watch this video and come back and tell us about what your transformational guy has accomplished? Where is the fxxking evidence? He could not accomplish a fxxking little thing in his district. Guys like you are the same ones who elected Bush twice and now Obama. You have fell for his brand name and Axelrod’s glittering package and what you find inside is a wimpy, no-clue, unprepared hack of a politician. This guy is even more dangerous than Bush, because he is even more corrupt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP-YoB5mnZs
TeakWoodKite

several examples from the campaign can be cited)…..
I am waiting….
…for Godot

workingclass artist

lol….Funny that Teak…That is a brutal wait…

jrterrier

Come on Chuck. If Obama is half as smart as we are led to believe and and as you profess, he knows that Blago and Dailey are dirty stinky corrupt. He knows it not because of this but because of the many dirty, stinking corrupt deals he has seen go down.

Look, any other politician in America would have gotten indicted for the Rezko house deal given all the money that Obama participated in sending Rezko’s way over the years. And if W or Cheney or any other R would have been engaged in such a strange sweetheart deal, you would have never let it slide. Be honest.

juan

SING ABOUT OBAMO, BLOGO…!!

HEY, REZKO — SING ABOUT OBAMA…!!!

Bet Obama, Michelle & Richardson are worried about the quandry they are in.

HILLARY should say “NO, Thank You.”

She would ne smelling like a Rose.
juan

SING ABOUT OBAMO, BLOGO…!!

HEY, REZKO — SING ABOUT OBAMA…!!!

Bet Obama, Michelle & Richardson are worried about the quandry they are in.

HILLARY should say “NO, Thank You.”

She would be smelling like a Rose.
babamooie

Hm.

Seems like someone is creating his own reality.
The Robot

Obama “sidestepped” when asked whether Emanuel had spoken with aides to the governor?

Sounds like some hoodwinking – the ol’ okey-doke!
stevec

Obama’s BullSh** meter is pegged again.

Sorry to say this but “We the People” have been betrayed by our Government.
I fear that a call to arms at the voting booth is the only way to save the Republic.

Natural Born citizen is a requirement, not a suggestion.

I refer to “Laws of Nations” and the CLEAR definition of “Natural Born” is self evident.

Book 1 Chpt. 19
§ 212. Citizens and natives.
The citizens are the members of the civil society; bound to this society by certain duties, and subject to its authority, they equally participate in its advantages. The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights. The society is supposed to desire this, in consequence of what it owes to its own preservation; and it is presumed, as matter of course, that each citizen, on entering into society, reserves to his children the right of becoming members of it. The country of the fathers is therefore that of the children; and these become true citizens merely by their tacit consent. We shall soon see whether, on their coming to the years of discretion, they may renounce their right, and what they owe to the society in which they were born. I say, that, in order to be of the country, it is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; for, if he is born there of a foreigner, it will be only the place of his birth, and not his country.

§ 215. Children of citizens born in a foreign country.
It is asked whether the children born of citizens in a foreign country are citizens? The laws have decided this question in several countries, and their regulations must be followed.(59) By the law of nature alone, children follow the condition of their fathers, and enter into all their rights (§ 212); the place of birth produces no change in this particular, and cannot, of itself, furnish any reason for taking from a child what nature has given him; I say “of itself,” for, civil or political laws may, for particular reasons, ordain otherwise. But I suppose that the father has not entirely quitted his country in order to settle elsewhere. If he has fixed his abode in a foreign country, he is become a member of another society, at least as a perpetual inhabitant; and his children will be members of it also.

Used by John Jay – First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, when they were not afaid to stand up for the Constitution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82qCwLX9piE Woman Voter

OK, I burst out laughing when I heard this on CNN, that Hannity cleared him, then they played a clip of Hannity. lol

Investigation over!

You take a listen (to the full clip) and see what he said:

Hannity Giddy Over Blagojevich Indictment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9L382LQGzo
AnnieO

I hope Fitz got a review copy of that “investigation”.
Ferd Berfle

The only thing I see that is transparent with That One are his lies. He telegraphs them all. One only has to do is wait for it….
NCgirl

I love the title Truthteller. I don’t understand why the FBI is trusting Obama to turn over the records of any correspondence between his operatives and Blago. They would subpoena the cell phone records and confiscate the blackberries of anybody else. That is the only way the truth will be found out with this crowd.

AnnieO

I don’t understand why the FBI is trusting Obama to turn over the records of any correspondence between his operatives and Blago

Probably to see what they don’t turn over.

misstickly

Fitzgerald had enough evidence to obtain warrants to wiretap and conduct surveillence on the Obama camp by the time the Jarrett part of the negotiating fell through.

The complaint says after that point, negotiations became more frequent for the next three weeks until Blagojevich turns his attention to JJJ in the final days, none of the audio was detailed.. Fitzgerald completed his investigation on Obama, it’s JJJ’s deal that may have been cut short.

What happens during the missing phase of dealmaking grows from Blago’s suggestion that although the Jarrett deal may have fallen through, he could still playball with the Obama folks by bankrolling both the senate seat and 5th Congressional District seat for a deal that could involve’ the others.’ I assume ‘the others’ is a reference to the candidate list he was provided by Rahm.

During that three week period several of the names on the Obama list were noted by the press as being on “the short list’ of potentials. Sounds plausible that negotiations continued with Obama to me. Some of the press reports on these candidates has them admitting to have met with or spoken to Blagojevich VIA PHONE about potential appointment.

I don’t think Fitz is relying on Obama’s review for anything more than calling out the discrepencies in a court of law and perhaps he delayed the release to foil any strategy Obama came up with concerning this opportunity to hypnotize the press and get whatever message out. Fitz may have blown four precious days of strategizing on Obama’s part by doing that. He’s probably collected a truckload of potential evidence by now.

I also suspect they have a timeline already in mind for how any more arrests or indictments happen, they could be buying time or just simply preventing messages from reaching key players via the press disclosed ‘review.’ Not so coincidentally, that’s part of the M.O. outlined in the complaint.

sevan

I recall Rezco sent a letter to a Fed prosecutor saying that Blagojevich and Obama were both innocent. That should save a lot of investigation time and money. If course Rezco also called himself innocent. Is that how it works?
Harvard law review scholar declares himself innocent.
Ferd Berfle

Further, I watched his press conference today, and he does not seem capable of delivering a clean sentence. Why is the truth so hard to spit out for someone who graduated from Harvard? I thought he was so brilliant. Ah, er, uuh …

That One is completely lost without Mr. Teleprompter. I didn’t think much of his oratorical abilities at the beginning of the primaries and I think even less of them now. He has a few catchphrases and buzzwords which are then interspersed between crockfulls of ums, ers, and ahs. Beyond that his oratory is bereft of any real substance. Gifted orator, my arse.

oowawa

To think that this paragon of eloquence is dependent upon Mr. Jon Favreaux for his oratory powers.

Ferd Berfle

For sure, oowawa. It is just dumbfounding, isn’t it? A miscreant writing for another miscreant. How did someone as wet behind the ears as Favreaux get into a position of writing for a presidential candidate/president-elect?

Oh, he’s as shallow and callow as the one he’s writing for. Never mind.

AnnieO

Truthteller, thank you for another great article.

I found that this AP article well done. The reporter did not accept BO’s statements as fact and reported BO’s reluctance to answer questions regarding RE.

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/ Truthteller

I notice the article was just extended. I wrote this when it was a six or seven paragraph story. Now I realize it is quite long. I guess this happens when one writes about “breaking” news.

AnnieO

I only saw the short version, too. I’ll go back and check out the update. Thanks.

Pingback: Barack Obama: “I Investigated Myself, and I Decided I Am Innocent …
pal3

Barack Obama: “I Investigated Myself, and I Decided I Am Innocent””

Shit,That’s funny!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Three-Basic-Parenting-Styles&id=744499 Northwest rain

It is so . . . bush – like or is that bush light?

oowawa

“I don’t want to interfere with an ongoing investigation.”

I am so sick of hearing these words from politicians that all of the snark has been knocked out of me. It just leaves me numb.

pm317

That’s how I feel.

FenelonSpoke

The title was hysterical and some of the follow up comments were as well. Sometimes all you can do is just laugh at the total absurdity of Team Obama.

pm317

It took us a year or so before Bush became a laughing stock (and then of course turned into the incompetent buffoon). But this guy has not even been sworn in yet.

http://home.comcast.net/~vincep312 VinceP1974

This is exactly the rection from Iran I expected.

Iran wants war.

President-Elect Barack Obama’s initial attempt to reason with the Iranian government on the issue of nuclear weaponry was disdained by Iran’s conservative parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani. “I find Mr. Obama’s emphasis on phallic implements offensive and inane,” Larijani said. “There is nothing he can offer. There is no threat he can utter that will deter us from our holy mission to wipe the Jews off the map.” Larijani scoffed at Obama’s so-called “nuclear umbrella” for Israel. “The Americans don’t have the stomach for death that we have in Iran,” Larijani boasted. (
CG

a grateful admirer, appreciative of your thoughtful and articulate analysis, thank you Truthteller; it is an informative treat to listen to you on the radio as well as read your posts.
jeremy

i find it very interesting that obama was told to keep his internal investigation to himself until after fitzy conducts his interviews. but wait obama said there was nothing unethical about his contacts. well then why the need to keep his report silent. there shouldnt be any question needed to obamas staff. i dont get all this double talk!!
SportPolitics

Somewhere I read that Rahm and the Ob gee why are part and parcel of the Daley Chicago machine works, whereas Blago is supposedly part of those who felt the Daley minions had an unfair advantage.
I guess that means the Daley machine tricks don’t exist anymore, since the new veep to be got his job on that famously racist or “really good for us” quote ” he’s clean !? ”
So now, just as before on his 2 lyingly embellished books, his care for the least of the(his half) brothers, his place of birth or even his till 21 yrs old Kenya citizenship – or his British at birth too citizenship, or the certification not certificate, the green 2007 paper not the 1961 is it really there, the government matched funds or not, the stopping of the war, no not really…. the endless stream of total BS before even being President…
yes so now just as before I’m supposed to take the O’s word for it…
Maybe I’ve never paid attention closely enough, but I sure have never seen this many whoppers before a person is even sworn in.
I guess all told I know this much after all these years long days of news – Obama was at some meeting in southside Chicago for some low rent or HUD housing rabble rousing crew he riled up, and he fought for…umm…was it insulation … or was it allowing some of the low rent people to get some portion of some city job bank office that could open closeby if pushed for… or maybe it was cleaning asbestos out of the housing…I’m not really sure because it was so pathetic really it never made any sort of impression and as the claimed and admittedly very deepest story I’ve ever seen on him, it kind of ended up that he somehow had a bit of success at it on that one thing.
I think his wife is more accomplished as some Hospital administrator or board member of some sort (although by reports paid off when Bammy became a senator and therefore then qudruply or more overpaid)
So – you know, just knowing Obama has never done anything at all, kind of makes his lying line seem reasonable… ( if it weren’t for the fact that everything he has ever done with whomever is locked away by some lawlerly legal vaulting and padlocking).
I guess I don’t believe him. I really tried, but I just can’t buy it.

interested party

I guess I don’t believe him. I really tried, but I just can’t buy it.

My thoughts entirely. Who in God’s dear name do the bamapologists think blago was negotiating with? The wall. Certainly there was feedback coming from some Obama source. Who was it? And how could anyone commit without Obama’s knowledge?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Three-Basic-Parenting-Styles&id=744499 Northwest rain

Perhaps what makes humans — humans — is that we have a built in bs detector called cognitive dissonance.

But somehow when someone becomes addicted to a cult leader they are able to suspend cognitive dissonance — and just accept whatever their messiah tells them IS reality, IS the truth (for that day, or moment).

As soon as Obama started contradicting himself — I knew that he was going to be just another bush light.

The DNC in their brilliance (NOT) found a light weight version of GWB — hoping that they could lead him around. They just wanted a figure head as Prez.

To be anything like the democracy that our forefathers envisioned there needs to be three strong co-equal branches of government — that means a strong, INTELLIGENT president as well as a Supreme Court (willing to make tough but wise choices) and a Legislature (also the legislature is supposed to be balanced — twirpy house of Representatives and the more mature Senators).

This year the DNC are the copy cat to the Republicans — the Democratic party really really is dead and gone. Which makes it very easy to be an Independent — the ONLY choice left.

angrynana

I wonder what contact Michelle has had with the Blago wife in the last few weeks? How about any contact Vera Baker might have had with a Blago operative?
Andy

How dandyish of Obama…. Of course that statement makes no sense. We know that Emanuel contacted
Blagojevich with a list. You have to be really a fool to believe Emanuel was not acting on behalf of PEBO.
So, what are they going to say? That Emanuel was not in PEBO’s transition team or that it was not “exactly” working for PEBO since the contact was made days before the offical announcement that Emanuel would be BO’s Chief of Staff?
None of this make any sense. Blagojevich will be Gotojailvich and deservedly so. But even if BO makes Emanuel take the fall and resign “for the good of the country” it is “Mr. Squeaky Clean I am above all this BO” the one who needs to take responsibility: Emanuel before or after being named Chief of Staff was giving Blago “the list” on behalf of PEBO. It is that simple.

These guys grew up in the sewage of Chicago politics.
Blagojevich, Delay, Emil Jones, Rezko, Obama and Emanuel are all cut from the same cloth.
I’m a Linda too

roflmao

And, who decides on what is inappropriate? Does he mean he didn’t already give money or promise a position?

It sounds like the ‘ol question “well, define torture”.

Or, another Bushism, if anyone in his adminstration leaked the name of Valerie Wilson, they will be fired”.

(he was holding his fingers) And we know, Bush gave the order, so he was telling the truth at that moment.

They all rest an entire lie on one word that they can weasel. “I am not, I never have, I am totally innocent”…..(boohoo hoo)”I’m sorry for the crimes I’ve committed.

I’m a Linda too

I meant, Bush had his fingers crossed…..

….

And tt, great post. I think his internal investigation was the same as Bush’s Plame investigation. Make sure everyone is asked and advised there should be nothing showing anything to the contrary than what is advised to him and then THAT’s IT, investigation complete.

gazzerro@hotmail.com

This is just more of the Wizard of Oz adminstration that is about to take over Washington, this is all pretty scary stuff, who knows what is next for our country.
Andy

It is very intriguing for Fitzgerald to tell Craig (BO’s lawyer) to hold on to their
own and inside “investigation” until December 22 : why? If there was nothing improper from anyone in Team Obama (as PEBO stated today) what conflict could there be with Fitzgerald?

My guess? PEBO will say Emanuel contacted Blago “before he named him Chief of Staff” and hence was not “officially” in his transition team. He will then send
Emanuel under the bus and throw him to Fitzgerald with full culpability.

The MSM are so stupid and dishonest that they keep spinning BO did nothing wrong: but how do they really know?? If then are NOT doing their jobs of investigating deeply and with critical (instead of adoring) eyes?
The MSM is still wetting themselves every time BO’s name is mentioned…
It is utmost pathetic….
Andy

Truthteller: you have been writing excellent posts !! Thank you.
William L. Donlon

Ultimate Denial as an Art form

“The man in the mirror is not the man I knew!”
DisenfranchisedVoter

The title of this post is hilarious yet so true. Obama seems to be the only person this year to investigate himself. Okay, back to reading.
Bazooka

There is an investigation going on. Maybe they are limited about what they can say. Maybe Rahm Emanual was the one who ratted out the governor. Maybe he is involved in helping the investigators? Who knows?

“The U.S. attorney’s office requested the public release of the transition review be deferred until the week of Dec. 22 in order not to impede their investigation of the governor,” Pfeiffer said.

So your knit-picking about Obama holding back info is complete BS.

Obama has done everything right. It is perfectly understandable that his people talked to the governor about his own seat. Nothing wrong with that. Obama never said his people did not talk to the governor about the seat. He said his people were not involved in any “deals”. In fact, by saying that he would release correspondence between his people and the governor he is actually saying that his people talked to the governor. If Rahm Emanuel talked to the governor’s people so what? Nothing wrong with that!

As far as your point on transparency, that is complete BS. Obama is being very transparent, given that it is an ongoing investigation. He has said that he will release correspondence from him people, which is pretty damn transparent. The Bush Admin would have just claimed executive privledge like they did on everything.

rolling_thunder

Obama has done everything right

You are naiive. Hahahaha.

Or do you mean “Obama has done everything right” in order to hide his constant thuggery and dirty deeds.
pm317

Ani, we have one of those dopes here.
HARP

The Bush Admin would have just claimed executive privledge like they did on everything.

But I`m sure their spelling would have passed the smell test.

Now hit the books Sparky.
interested party

It would be difficult for Obama to claim executive privilege given that he’s not president (remember, one president at a time?), and he didn’t say he will release correspondence from his people, he said he would release the results of his internal investigation. If you know of any correspondence, please advise us of its nature.
jd4hill

You’re kidding, right? Last week he said something entirely different than this week — last week he said his staff had NO contact — this week, they had no INAPPROPRIATE contact. What will he say next week?

I never understood this either. Why wouldn’t he admit that they had contact all along if they did nothing wrong? There is certainly nothing wrong with talking with the Gov. about the Senate Seat — or showing an interest — why the subterfuge and evasion? Hey, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. He is not capable of behaving according to that rule, apparently.
cc

I’m just speculating here, but I don’t think RE ratted out Blago..reason is that Blago has loads of dirt on both RE and BO…and they know it. Personally, I think RE and the fraud are sweatin’ bullets, afraid of what Blago will tell the feds.

HARP

If you watch the press conference, he is blinking a lot.Body language tells us he is lying.

Blinking

Blinking is a neat natural process whereby the eyelids wipe the eyes clean, much as a windscreen wiper on a car.

Blink rate tends to increase when people are thinking more. This can be an indication of lying as the liar has to keep thinking about what they are saying. Realizing this, they may also force their eyes open and appear to stare.

Blinking can also indicate rapport, and people who are connected often blink at the same rate. Someone who is listening carefully to you is more likely to blink when you pause (keeping eyes open to watch everything you say).

Beyond natural random blinking, a single blink can signal surprise that the person does not quite believe what they see (‘I’ll wipe my eyes clean to better see’).

Rapid blinking blocks vision and can be an arrogant signal, saying ‘I am so important, I do not need to see you’.

Rapid blinking also flutters the eyelashes and can be a coy romantic invitation

http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyes_body_language.htm

KintheNorthwest

When has Obama told the truth this year.
Indy G-Dog

This is worse than Bush.

I cringed every time Bush opened his mouth, same with Cheney, but this is even worse.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Three-Basic-Parenting-Styles&id=744499 Northwest rain

Someone needs to create a check list of body language for Obama. AND then those who have the strongest stomachs need to watch Obama and check off of the body language — time stamp the observation to be compared against what he really says.

“I did not lie” — while Obama is nodding his head YES. Often the body contradicts the liar.

Parents are generally experts at detecting liars.

One of the worst liars I’ve ever encountered (besides bush & Obama) was a young person who was raised by two deaf parents. Apparently children commonly tell whoopers at a young age — and parents help the children learn that it is unacceptable to lie (in our culture). This young man’s deaf parents could hear his babbling lies as a youngster — so he just continued this behavior as he got older.

It would seem that both GWB and Obama sort of grew up on their own — without a lot of adult guidance during this critical age of social learning. (Or perhaps lying was part of the culture that both of these men came from???)

Lying is also part of the Narcissistic personality.
Ferd Berfle

I remember someone else who blinked a lot, as well, during a senate hearing–Clarence Thomas.
http://myfugue.wordpress.com Barrington

They said on the news a couple of weeks ago that the stress has given him an eye tic. Maybe he was “ticking” and not blinking…?

rolling_thunder

he had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement

“no direct contact”
WE KNOW SLOWBAMA!
You had INDIRECT contact through third parties like you always do. Sheesh. WE WOULDN’T EVER EXPECT YOU TO BE FORTHRIGHT OR IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THUGS AND MINIONS. YOU have someone else relay the message of bribes or talking points or slamming upright honest candidates WITH LIES..you are so WEAK! The world sees it and we are focked.

KintheNorthwest

seems like the governor’s web site had meetings, along with other sites that have now been scrubbed
http://therealbarackobama.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/blagogate-did-obama-talk-with-blago-after-election/

Ferd Berfle

The scrubbing ~~bubbles~~ bots have been all over cleaning up the web, hygienic little toadies that they are.

KintheNorthwest

Luckily several people have done a good job of doing screen shots.

http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

No. I did not have direct contact. I talked to him by phone, but none of it was inappropriate.

WildChild

I said hello. Blago congratulated me. I was so moved I offered to have MOMO send his wife over some fresh baked strudel. ~~We discussed the sale of the senate seat DAMN!~~ I said ba Bye. That’s all I remember. It was all very appropriate.

workingclass artist

Lol…WC…You are on a roll…chuckle….

mel

To quote Bill Ayers:

I never killed anyone!

I only gave the orders for every WU bomb, but I personally never blew anyone up!

And Odumbo doesn’t know Ayers…..lmao
HARP

There was no “inappropriate contact” between……

Blago…Wright….Rezko….Flager….Acorn…… It`s like watching Law And Order SVU.
lark

Blago is innocent. My conclusion. If Blago schemed to sell the seat to empty space on the other side. If one commits a crime and no one was there at the other end to receive the injury was a crime committed?

Blago schemed to sell.

There was no one on the other side to listen to the scheme or react.

Blago is innocent. Just a case of speaking to himself.

HARP

LOL…..If a politician lies and no one is listening…..is it still a lie ???

workingclass artist

rflmao….( there goes my keyboard…)
KintheNorthwest

lmao ty ty for the laugh

workingclass artist

HARP should put that on a T-Shirt or Bumper Sticker…It’s a classic…chuckle..

cathnealon

He needs his teleprompter and a body language prompter because he LOOKS like he’s lying constantly. Perhaps they could insert a chip or something under his skin that controls his facial and upper body movements as his umms and uhs are coming out of his mouth. And I don’t think he has a good frame of reference for what constitutes “inappropriate contact” as he seems to have been rubbing elbows with radicals, crazy preachers and real estate crooks for a long, long time.
OBushMa

Common, this is the guy who “lost” all his state senate records and claimed someone else filled out a questionaire for him in his name. And the stupid Obot media continues to let their standard slide into the abyss.

SportPolitics

Right, and after losing all his state senate records and after quitting smoking he fell off the wagon a couple of times…
What does the press do with their O smoking videos .. do they burn the film and DOD zero delete the memory cards ?
Ahem ! , this is the office of the Secret Service elect attachment again, The Office of the President Elect is going on break now, please remain seated, table and turn off all your cellphones and cameras, and keep your eyes pointing forward. Buckle your seat belts, and if you don’t have a seatbelt keep your hands on your belt or sash area. Windowed seats pull the outside view blinds immediately, or expect a pianful takedown. Fast movements will be considered an attempted attack on the United States for the next 5-7 minutes. No bathroom breaks and no whispering. Nothing is going on, so don’t be alarmed. A few of you in the front pass your breath mints and Febreeze forward right now for confiscation. Those bottles and mints can be used for a deadly bomb we just discovered, so please, cooperate.

fif

Well, if he SAID he did a thorough investigation, then it MUST be true! I’m certainly convinced…

not.

WildChild

maybe BOBO has pictures of himself looking under his office furniture. That might help his public image.

yttik

Good job putting all that information together, Truthteller.

I was wondering if they were trying to have Blago declared incompetent and unfit for office so he wouldn’t be able to testify against anyone? If he were suspended due to his alleged mental distress, than I imagine if he were to point fingers at other people, it would be pretty easy to have his testimony dismissed.
sara

Fitzgerald renews interest in Rezko-Obama deal
Appraiser claiming fraud says prosecutor’s office talked to him after Blago arrest

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83760

WildChild

The irony is that BOBOweenies didn’t want a replay of the nineties. They were adamant about it. They frothed. Yet here we are, it’s ninety two and the president elect is being investigated in connection with a potentially fraudulent land deal. Except it’s 2008….. and the BOBOweenies were sooooooooooooooooooo against a reply of the ninties LOL

you got ta love it.

KathyNeocon

I do. Now that’s change I can believe in. I’m going to run out and get an Obama-face “Hope” bumper sticker for my car.

WildChild

sorry not the other night.

WildChild

correction…sorry about the other night

KathyNeocon

Me too. We have to stand together to ward off Koolaid saturated Obots.

WildChild

hey, I’m always here for you

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SportPolitics

Obama, after quitting smoking investigated himself, and found he fell off the wagon a number of times, but has done a wonderful job with the stress and circumstances, and that the no smoking rule of the White House you will not see being broken, because you’ve never seen him smoking up to now, and there’s no reason you should therefore see him break any rule in the future.
Obama lawyers investigating have determined that he indeed did quit smoking, broken wagon wheels notwithstanding, a technicality that should not impute undue influence. Proof is he claimed he has greatly improved his health, although it was so good already there was little room for improvement except by skipping troop visits and new pick church services, at which time no recollection of smoking has occurred at any point.
Blackberry addiction has also been addressed to the fullest extent, and Obama has determined he never texted the Governor before or after any questions arose. Thank you for your concern in reducing CO2 emissions, and as you can see the Office of the President Elect shares your concerns and has exhibited a perfect record in this regard, setting the example and a new precedent.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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So where did he have his secret nicotine sessions ?
Is there a single reporter in the entire world who can tell the truth ?
We are living a lie.

http://baddemocrat08.wordpress.com csuzeq

Is it a pay to play scheme if Obama promised us all ponies?

SportPolitics

Thousand dollar stimulus ponies do not fall under the eithcal rules requirements determined by the overwhelming construction of all such tradtional and legally sanctioned measures applied heretofore under the congressional or committee devised application of the ideals and promises contained in our democratic form of constitutional government by and for the people.
Thank you for your support.

http://donnadarko.wordpress.com donna darko

Obama has mimicked George Bush’s behavior in the wake of the Bush administration’s bungled response to Hurricane Katrina

Great point. Exactly.

Now he’s appointed another empty suit with connections (who played basketball with the right people), Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, for Secretary of Education. I don’t think he did much for schools in Chicago. See a pattern? Caroline Kennedy, another unqualified, undeserving appointment with connections.
http://topshelf51.wordpress.com/ pardonMyFrench

Just like a little kid trying to weasel out of what he did wrong. Mom, I know I didn’t break it. I was playing outside with Joey. You can ask him.

pardonMyFrench
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