Obama refused 'pay for play', say charges

Oh I believe it - clean as the driven snow! There are those little coincidences like the massive infrastructure projects to create jobs. Are all of the unemployed going to be pouring concrete come 2009, or is this just another opportunity to sell contracts for the billions in federal money. There was that little thing about the $2B payoff for construction work in IL, and I wonder how much the gov made for delivering the state to O.

iamright,

You don't have one shred of evidence to tie President Elect Obama to any of the incidents listed in your post and your accusation about future government contracts is based on pure conjecture.  You didn't even pause for a moment to acknowledge that he refused to play the game that the Governor wanted to play.  Biased much?

I'm glad (and not surprised) that Obama's hands are clean in this. 

Yeah, I'm also not surprised by the fact that Obama refused to be a part of this crap.

Our President Elect may be a lot of things, stupid is not one of them.  You'd have to be an idiot to say on a telephone, "I want to get paid" for doing your duty as the governor.  Geez...

I'm glad (and not surprised) that Obama's hands are clean in this. 

Did Obama or his staff report the pay-for-play scam to the FBI?

No.

Sure going to be interesting to learn what the Governor knows about Obama...

Did Obama or his staff report the pay-for-play scam to the FBI?

No.

We don't know that they didn't since this only came out today.

Did Obama or his staff report the pay-for-play scam to the FBI?

No.

We don't know that they didn't since this only came out today.

If Team Obama had they'de be the first to announce it...now Team Clinton...they're a whole different story.

There are those little coincidences like the massive infrastructure projects to create jobs. Are all of the unemployed going to be pouring concrete come 2009, or is this just another opportunity to sell contracts for the billions in federal money.

Give me a break. You think the only jobs involved in improving the infrastructure are the road crews? Don't you think they might have accounting staff, buyers, bidders etc. etc?

Subcontractors, truckers, and then maintance jobs created by those infrastructure contracts, look infrastructure is a great way to reduce unemployment, however it is costly, but it has a history of helping at least local economy, and if the right infrastructure policy is used, we may no longer be relient on foreign oil, or fossil fuels entirely.

Me, too. It would be bad for the country.

I was thinking the same thing Chum.  I know some want to tie him in, but the state can not change if no one ever stops the corruption and Obama said from the start he wanted a change in how Washington is works.  I don;t think you can have that without stopping these kinds of things.

Whew.  Why isn't this part being reported on the entertainment news tonight?  If the neo-wing nuts can believe in the birth certificate scam, I am sure  they are going to hold on to this for dear life, anyway.

I have  heard that you can be proud of some of the enemies you make.  Thank goodness our guy hung tuff! 

It's good news to hear the most popular figure in American politics declined a backroom deal.  And he got called an MF in the process. 

Emersontwain, you're correct, President Elect Obama should be proud of making this guy an enemy.

How does one fall into financial straits while serving as governor?

Triple DITTO!  Just stand your ground Barack.  They are gonna try try try to mix you in or wish that you were mixed in!  But u already know the real deal as do we, your supporters know, no matter how irritated we may get at the naysayers, many who exist here entangled in the Vine. 

Heck, even the Gov is p'oed that you would not play his dirty games.  Triple DITTO! 

Get your head out, dude! It's harvest time. Of course the big Pinocchio has denied any knowledge of Blagojevich's activities, even though the FBI has been investigating them for over three years, but then he denied knowledge of Wright and Ayers and-and-and also. It's Chicago politics - the same Daley system that raised and trained and owns the big puppet. It's pay for play man!

iamright, so now Obama was party to the FBI's inner workings for the past three years?   So does that mean that the FBI was also part of this big conspiracy involving muslims, radicals, birth certificates, and apparently McCain as well since the election with his concession speech?  I would guess lots of the voters must have been as well.....  Maybe even Joe the Plumber, since he is now speaking against McCain?

If so, it is seeming that just about everyone is in on it.   Is it a conspiracy, or maybe, just maybe, the citizens of the U.S. spoke with their votes and it's time to quit trying to sabotage the American people.

It is sad to see so many people clammoring to see an individual fail and a country fail and that is basically what they say by their venomous comments.  We wanna see you fail "boy"!  So hurry up and do it already. 

What a group people we have as citizens? whewwwwwwwww

Basically Barack is simply NOT quid quo pro and so many can't handle that and refuse to accept that.  Makes me wonder about them actually.  If you are go gung ho on someone's failure, speaks volumes to your own personal character!  Actually!

Exactly!

I sincerely hope you never have to do that!

iamright,

That's not true as you are trying your best to imply that Obama is corrupt.

9.1

U know exactly what u are doing and have been doing since your time on this Vine and perhaps before in your own personal inner circles.  You are salivating at just the thought of perceived wrong doing and for that your very blessings will always be hampered.  When you dig one hole, turn around and dig two!

George and Elaine - don't call me a liar! It would be my guess that neither of you are not on the inside of the filthy Chicago political machine which has been in play for decades, nor am I. There is more room for speculation about O because he rose so rapidly by and through that historically corrupt system, especially since he has already claimed to have no knowledge or association with so many of its big players. You know, if you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas, however, both you and I have more to lose by O failing than by him succeeding. I am diametrically opposed to his politics and doubtful of his ability to lead the nation, as were many others, but we were outnumbered, and now are rowing the boat of which he is captain. You are hopelessly misguided or just plain stupid to think that I would want him to fail and leave the country with Biden or Pelosi at its helm.

i,

We didn't.  We pointed out that all your previous statements make it quite clear that you certainly do not hope that Obama has nothing to hide in this situation.

Now, if that makes you a liar? well, I can't help what you would consider a person who has done what you have done.

ahhhhhhhh  Iam..............         I did not call you anything except a naysayer and a harsh critic but certainly not a liar.  So get your responses correct TO ME!  I said exactly what you are.  At the Dem Natl Con where I first laid eyes on BO and heard his first speech; I said then he had presidential makings and thus I was correct.  I saw the man, the vision, the projected ability; the audacity of hope. 

Rising fast through the system might, and now I am stepping out on the proverbial limb now, BUT just might be talent, intelligence and temperament and blessings have a little to do with it?!  I don't know, but I feel pretty secure it was not by wrong doing.  So therein you prove me right once again... "Lawd knows dat good old colored boy jest can't be no pres'dent of dese here United States; he jes ain't smert enough.... he done mess 'round and rose on up, Wheesy!  By jillergers what we's gone do?  Dar's one of dem in dat big ole fancey whitteeeee house tryings to call some shots.  My lawd, what a morning!"

And that is exactly the mentality!  Exactly!  So maybe your own conscience is speaking, certainly not George or I.  I am simply ONCE AGAIN calling it like it is.  Has been that way since day one!  And will continue on to day NONE! 

Chicago politics has been dirty since the Civil War time, the Lincoln era and any student of history knows that. I may be be a Chicago native or product but I am a deep deep South product and I know what I know from eras that you have ONLY to read about in some cleaned up school history book.  The Black on the skin does not mean dirt.  For some of us, it simply does not wash off.  Believe me, many of us might wish it did to satisfy naysayers like yourself.

ain't! :)  ok, maybe.  we'll see, tee hee!  okey dokey but u know I'm right.  :)

Oh, get a life.  You've been peddling this crap since before the election and you have yet to provide one shred of decent evidence.  And your word just doen't cut it.

11

Just another, one of many other hole diggers. 

Yeah, even though Fitzgerald explictily stated that Obama isn't implicated in this case, Mike...

Mr. Obama, who Mr. Fitzgerald said was not implicated in the case

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10Illinois.html?ref=us

So nobody else is able to see the possibility that Obama turned the dime on the Governor because he was asking too much for the seat?  Really?  How many does this make now, close associates of Obama's that have been arrested or in prison for corruption? 

Never mind.....they were just people in his neighborhood I suppose.

It have been posited that it was Rahm Emanuel, O's Chief of Staff, that blew the whistle on Blagojevich. Always send the baby to buy the beer.

How many does this make now, close associates of Obama's that have been arrested or in prison for corruption? 

Common Sense Mike, just what is your criteria for close associates?  Seems that if two people spend more than five minutes together in a room, that qualifies as being close associates, in your mind.

Even the news and every politician in Illinois have said that Obama and the Gov weren't and aren't close.  The news has even suggested that it was an Obama's phone call a few months ago that helped override said Governor's veto of an ethics bill, that may have contributed to the Gov's downfall.

During a press conference when asked what contact he'd had with the governor's office about his replacement in the Senate, President-elect Obama today said "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening."

However, on November 5, 2008, Barack Obama met with Governor Blagojevich in the afternoon to discuss the upcoming vacant Illinois Senate Seat. It was covered in the press.

Also, on November 23, 2008, his senior adviser David Axelrod appeared on Fox News Chicago and said that, while insisting that the President-elect had not expressed a favorite to replace him, and his inclination was to avoid being a "kingmaker," Axelrod said, "I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

Now the Obama's transition team is denying that the discussion with Obama and the Governor ever took place. Axelrod even issued a statement last night saying:

"I was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the President-elect has spoken directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then or at any time discuss the subject."

Mr. Obama has a relationship with Mr. Blagojevich, having not only endorsed Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006, but having served as a top adviser to the Illinois governor in his first 2002 run for the state house.

According to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., Mr. Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Emanuel, then-state senator Obama, a third Blagojevich aide, and Blagojevich's campaign co-chair, David Wilhelm, were the top strategists of Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial victory.

Emanuel told the New Yorker earlier this year that he and Obama "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two."

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/12/obama-met-with-blagojevich-in-chicago.html

I will stipulate that they met and discussed the Senate seat.  It would be ridiculous for them not to have.

However, as has been noted by the very Federal Prosecutor in this case, Obama is not implicated in trying to sell the seat, something you are saying he is even though there is no evidence nor ongoing investigation into.

My position still stands; you have been trying since before the election to smear Obama with whatever you can find, no matter whether there is any truth to that smear or not.

Again, the Federal Prosecutor in charge of the investigation has stated that Obama is not implicated in this scandal at all.  And he should know.  Your belief in guilt by association is dishonest.

I will stipulate that they met and discussed the Senate seat.  It would be ridiculous for them not to have.

Yet Obama says that no such meeting or talks ever took place.  Your not the least bit curious about that? 

Those of you taking a defensive stance on this are merely trying to protect your biases.  If you look at the situation with an open mind, there are many questions yet to be answered.  Did you watch the press conference today?  Did you find it curious that Obama says he needs a couple of days to talk with his staff to see if any discussions took place?  As serious as this is, don't you think he would have already discussed this with his staff?  There is more to this story than what we are being told at the moment.  You can buy into Obama's story that he was unaware if you like, but I'll ask, if he is so naive that he didn't know anything about any of this.........then what kind of president did we just elect?

Pot meet kettle.  Talk about protecting your bias.

How about we decide to point fingers at you as being in league with a pedophile because he happens to live in your neighborhood and you spoke to himon a given Sunday in Church?  What's your first reaction?

You're blaming Obama for doing something wrong because his first reaction is to behave like a normal human being and deny anything untoward.  His denial, btw, is a denial of having talked about selling his Senate seat, not about talking to Blagojevich about who should fill the Senate seat.

No, I don't see it as curious that he wishes to take a couple of days to discuss it with his staff, considering there are people such as yourself looking for any little item to place blame on him for.  Considering, he probably doesn't speak to all of his staff every day, there may have been a conversation with Blagojevich he doesn't know about.

You continue to accuse him of wrongdoing without a shred of evidence.  That's not only wrong, but just plain unfair. 

And I'll say that's your defensivness speaking, because I haven't accused Obama of anything, other than being "less than forth coming" at his press conference today.  I have simply raised questions, which I don't have the answer too, and I get piled on by Obama supporters defending him....geeezzzz

He has denied talking but he has to double check to see if anyone in his staff has talked is the real point. It is his staff and if someone on it has been talking with the idiot then it becomes his problem. Although I think what we will find is someone in his staff was suppose to have talked with the idiot who wanted favors. The staff member knowing Obama's view would have denied those favors but like anyone one else decided not to bother him with an issue they considered closed (mistake on there part because he should have been told).

 This is also the reason he will not be investigated. His staff has there marching orders and the only mistake was not to inform him (again big mistake because the member should have known better) when he should have been briefed.

I remember how, during the violence of the 1968 Democratic Convention, Mayor R.J. Daley said "The Chicago police are not here to create disorder; they're here to maintain disorder." He was kind of like a G.W. Bush on polish sausage.

PGonz:

He was kind of like a G.W. Bush on polish sausage.

Now there's an image ... :-)

Momma, if this had been the AZ governor involved with Sen. McCain's seat to be replaced, you'd be demanding a grand jury.  LOL! 

Already have and none found so case closed.