Obama’s Intervention for Ethics Bill Indirectly Led to Case Against Governor

NY Times ^ | December 10, 2008 | MIKE McINTIRE and JEFF ZELENY

[StAnDeliver]

And the AP buried Rezko's name in the 18th paragraph. Pity they're not as clever as the NYeT, then again, they'll be around a lot longer...

[pepperhead]

I doubt Blago has anything useful on Obama but if he does, I hope he spills his guts before he goes to jail.

I don't think he does either. I think Rezko does. But he did what he needed to do to in rolling on someone bigger than himself. Fitzgerald got his big fish and the Messiah won't be touched.

[bossmechanic]

I’m sure the BO never interacted with the Chi town poli
system. He wouldn’t stoop that low.
And I’m sure his real estate deals with Mr. Rezco et al are purely coincidental.
And, really, the COLB posted on his website is the real deal. Really.

Wonder what his buds at Occidental and Harv would say. Opps... can’t find any? Must be some mistake.

Nay... I’m sure the MSM will clear this up through their traditionally unbiased investigative reporting. /s

[pepperhead]

Are we to believe that the chosen one walks out of the corrupt Chicago machine untouched by it, clean as the driven snow? Some might believe it but the chosen one is definitely not who he claims to be.

Yes we are to believe 0bama is clean even though the Illinois bagman Rezko helped 0bama get a sweetheart deal on a home he couldn't buy on his own.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

You know, if Blagojevich could control the Tribune, why can’t Obama control the New York Times?

[oscars300]

Yea, operation buttcover is in full swing. Still, if this is the best they can come up with...

[browardchad]

I don’t see what the connection is between whatever Obama did and what the FBI and federal prosecutors did. This was a state law, anyway.

This was anti-pay-to-play legislation that will go into effect in Illinois in January. It was about to put a halt to Blago's main source of income, as he mentions in the FBI transcript, so he was scrambling to bribe/buy as much as he could and get the money  by the end of the year.

But the NY Times -- and the rest of the Obamedia -- is spinning this like a top to distort what actually happened with that legislation.

The Times of London reported back in March 2008 that Emil Jones, head of the Illinois Senate and the man who helped Obama become King of the Hill, had at that point spent a year blocking the legislation, and the Times predicted that Jones' well-known support of corruption would eventually hurt Obama's chances.

Six months later, Obama still refused to get involved -- claiming he had already helped pass a reform bill -- and the Illinois legislature was about to convene for the year, with the reform legislation still in limbo. (Blago tried to rewrite the bill in his favor, but that version was voted down, but it's a side issue, since the original bill continued to be blocked by Jones). See "Obama ducks call to push reform in Illinois," Chicago Sun-Times, Sept. 12.

After it became a national campaign issue, Obama finally called Jones (and we can only imagine what deal the two made on this one), and Jones agreed to call the legislature back and vote on the bill, which passed, of course, because under the circumstances none of the state senators by that time wanted to be seen as corrupt (ha!). Blago called his pal Obama out on it, saying he caved to Republican pressure.

So now the spin is that both Obama and Jones "supported the legislation," which is only true if you're an Obama sycophant.

[browardchad]

I agree with you, I see no connection either.

See #27. This reform bill, and O's "support" of it, are now being offered as proof that Obama is above this sort of thing, ergo his campaign couldn't possibly have been involved with Blago's scheme.

[maggief]

http://mobile.chicagotribune.com/news.jsp?key=177971

The ethics show returns
Chicago Tribune (IL) - Friday, September 19, 2008
Editorial

Yielding to pressure from “my friend, Barack Obama ,” Senate President Emil Jones finally agreed to put the interests of Illinois voters above those of his other friend, Gov. Rod Blagojevich .

At the urging of his former protege, now the Democratic nominee for U.S. president, Jones said Thursday that he would call the Senate back to Springfield next week to vote on the ethics bill he’s been stalling for more than a year. All that’s needed is for the Senate to override the governor’s amendments — a matter of about five minutes, judging from how long it took the House to do the same last week. But hold your applause.

Within minutes of Jones’ announcement, the governor said he was calling a special session for Monday to deal with “true” ethics reform. There’s no telling what mischief he has up his sleeve this time, but you can bet it won’t be pretty.

We thought Jones’ latest dodge, an original reinterpretation of the state constitution, was an inspired last stab at killing the ethics bill , emphasis on last. By delaying an override vote until November, long past the 15 days prescribed by the constitution, Jones was inviting a legal challenge that could delay the measure for years or kill it outright. “The law is in jeopardy,” Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan said, “and we know why.”

Yes, we do. The bill would prohibit businesses seeking state contracts of $50,000 or more from making campaign contributions to the state officeholder who awards the contract, or to any candidate for that office. It might as well be named the Rod Blagojevich Act. For more than a year, Jones and Blagojevich have proclaimed their support for ethics reform while doing everything they could to kill the bill .

When Jones put it on ice yet again, Cindi Canary , head of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, publicly turned to Obama . He’s running for president as a reformer; he pushed ethics reforms during his days in the Illinois Senate; and Jones has said he always listens to Obama . Others joined the call and after several days of nudging, Obama picked up the phone and urged Jones to pass the ethics bill “at the earliest opportunity,” according to a campaign statement.

The initial non-response from Jones left us wondering if Obama had actually spoken with his mentor or if maybe he’d left a voice mail.

(snip)

[nathanbedford]

I quite agree that that will be the party line and that is no doubt why the matter of the telephone call was leaked to the New York Times as the most reliable "authoritative" outlet to put a favorable spin on the situation. I'm just saying that I agree with unspun and I remain unconvinced that there is a chain of causation.

The Obama folks have one problem which is it is apparent that Obama declined (at least for two years) to pay the bribe demanded by the governor of Illinois, which implies: 1) they were negotiating and receiving demands for bribes and 2) the Obama camp was therefore aware that these demands were being made and there is no evidence that they reported the demands to Fitzgerald or any other prosecutor.

[browardchad]

Thanks. The Trib conveniently omitted the fact that Obama ignored this for months before getting involved -- delaying until the legislature had recessed -- while claiming he had already helped pass reform legislation -- which, IIRC, amounted to some trifling matter.

Maybe the price of Jones' cooperation was a bit too high, or Obama simply didn't want to step on the toes of the Chicago machine by slaying the golden goose of pay-to-play that he used so well to his own advantage. It's probably a toss-up.

[Islander7]

bookmarked

[freekitty]

So true. Don’t you just love the crap they want you to buy? Obambi be a super hero.

[rlmorel]

Obama: What happen?
Blagojevich: Somebody set up us the audit.
Clerk: We get summons.
Obama: What!
Clerk: Computer screen turn on.
Blagojevich: It’s you!!
IRS: How are you gentlemen!!
IRS: All your records are belong to us.

[Right Wing Assault]

why can’t Obama control the New York Times?

Bailout coming!

[maggief]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-obama-blagojevich20sep20,0,1755960.story?track=rss

Governor warns Obama of trap - He says senator fell for ruse by McCain

Chicago Tribune (IL) - Sunday, September 21, 2008
Author: Rick Pearson and Ray Long, TRIBUNE REPORTERS ; Tribune reporter Robert Mitchum contributed to this report.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich warned Sen. Barack Obama on Friday that the presidential nominee was falling into a Republican trap by siding against his home-state Democratic governor in a battle about ethics that is dominating Illinois politics.

Critics said Blagojevich was grasping to portray himself as a reformer amid federal investigations of his administration and putting his political self-interest before Obama ‘s bid for the White House.

Blagojevich accused Obama of buying into a “very clever ruse by the McCain campaign” in making a phone call Wednesday to Illinois Senate President Emil Jones that sought an expedited vote on ethics legislation. Jones, who mentored Obama in the state Senate, agreed to call senators back to work Monday to deal with the governor’s rewrite of an ethics bill .

(snip)

..
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1N1-123E2119358310F0.html

Who will it be?
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Friday, October 17, 2008
Author: Michael Sneed, The Chicago Sun-Times
THE OBAMA CONFLICT?

Sneed hears Barack Obama wants an African American to fill his U.S. Senate seat if he wins the presidency.

- The upshot: U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. wants the spot.

- Hmmmm. That places Gov. Blagojevich , who is charged with selecting Obama ‘s replacement, in a tricky place.

- To wit: Sneed hears Gov. Blago, who dismisses reports of a federal probe, wants to run for office again — and believes replacing Barack with an African American is a smart political move. But he is being urged to select state Sen. Donne Trotter, a close friend of Obama mentor/Senate President Emil Jones, to fill the spot.

- Another dilemma: Sneed is also told U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who is this/close to Obama and was a major Obama supporter from the get-go, is pitching to have state veteran affairs chief Tammy Duckworth fill Obama ‘s spot, and had the ear of Gov. Blago until recently. Blago is also a big Duckworth fan.

..

OT (Warning shot?):

http://article.wn.com/view/2008/10/28/Goodbye_gov/

Goodbye gov?
Chicago Sun-Times (IL) - Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Author: Michael Sneed, The Chicago Sun-Times
TIPSVILLE . . .

Sneed hears a plan is afoot to impeach Gov. Blagojevich following the presidential election next month. Word is the votes are there. Stay tuned.

[marktwain]

“Later, he said the Senate seat was a “valuable thing — you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

---

So, this implies: What did he get to put Obama in the Senate?

[countess]

that just sounds too much like CYA.

[Shady]

I voted FOR the Money BEFORE I voted against it.
What prime grade A priceless BS.

[tobyhill]

Obama was a US Senator, not a state legislator. We have at least 4 years of the MSM wiping Obama’s a** for him.