Blagojevich: More Questions Than Answers For Now

If you're a Republican partisan, there are some delightful questions to ponder surrounding the Blagojevich corruption. And some answers are sure to come out.

Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous "Senate Candidate #5" whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News.

Did dad, or a surrogate affiliated with Rainbow Push step up to the plate for the younger Jackson?

There are strong indications that Candidate 1 may be Valerie Jarrett, Obama's close confidante who has since been named a special presidential adviser. Senate Candidate 1 is identified in the federal documents as an adviser to the president-elect.

She withdrew her name early on. Why? Was she tipped the appointment was going to be in the news in a way no one imagined at the time?

Obama has been and remains surrounded by Chicago boyz. We're supposed to believe that Rahm and Axelrod had no idea what Blagojevich was about, possibly even what he was up to here?

Yeah, right.

This one may just keep giving for a while! Though I also wouldn't rule out that we'll never know the whole truth of it. Let's hope Fitzgerald doesn't want to be a judge bad enough to go light on some elements of the case. He's holding both Blagojevich and his "thing" that's " f--golden" by the short and curlies now.

"I've got this thing and it's f-- golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for f--' nothing. I'm not gonna do it. And I can always use it. I can parachute me there," Blagojevich said during a phone call secretly recorded by the FBI Nov. 5, the day after the election, according to the affidavit.

Comments

[SacTownMan]

Chicago politics = Obama = "Change we can believe in"!

[IslamoLlama]

"-- Chicago politics = Obama = "Change we can believe in"! --"

Translation: I do not know the facts at all. Also, I am bad at math.

Obama pissed off Blageovich specifically because he refused to offer political favors in exchange for his preferred Senatorial appointment. Claiming that Obama is corrupt because he refused to engage in pay-to-play politics seems to indicate that you don't even know what political corruption is.

Of course, Blageovich's office was extensively wire tapped in the last few weeks. I'm sure if there was anything incriminating against Obama, the FBI would have gotten it on tape.

So - and I feel like we've asked this before regarding Michelle Obama and the word "whitey" - where are the tapes?

[Dan Riehl]

Clueless lame-o - how could Obama have refused to play, there was no contact according to him? ha ha

[Anon]

This is the same guy that Obama has been supporting for years, who Obama has said was a good governor.

So, that gives you two options. Either Obama is so stupid that, unlike the rest of Illinois residents, he had no idea that the governor was corrupt...

Or, he knew all along that the govenor was corrupt and like the typical Chicago pol, he was happy to be his friend and supporter as long as it was good for him.

It doesn't matter whether or not Obama was directly involved in this particular criminal act. What matters is Obama's long association with the govenor and his support of the governor, until it wasn't useful any more.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- how could Obama have refused to play, there was no contact according to him? --"

Axelrod claimed there was no direct phone call discussing the Senate seat. Clearly there was some degree of contact, as Blageovich is on tape rejecting Obama's preferred pick (Senate Candidate 1). Clearly Obama refused to engage in "Chicago style politics". Clearly, this makes Obama guilty of something the FBI is just covering up (Damn you hyper-partisan Patrick Fitzgerald!)

That said, remember that time when Stevens / Cunningham / Ney / Craig / Foley / Libby was indicted and Bush asked the sitting pol to resign? That was certainly an ethical stance Bush took there.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28155450/

"-- CHICAGO - President-elect Barack Obama is calling for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday. --"

Oooo. Feel that tingle? That's the HOPE and the CHANGE arriving.

Now quickly, back to investigating Obama's birth certificate before people get bored and the trail goes cold.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- It doesn't matter whether or not Obama was directly involved in this particular criminal act. What matters is Obama's long association with the govenor and his support of the governor, until it wasn't useful any more. --"

LOLS! It doesn't matter whether Obama was guilty of corruption. He's purely guilty by association?

What does that say of Ted Steven's allies in the Senate or his favorite Governor Sarah Palin? What does that say of the Republican Party for nominating Keating Five McCain as the Presidential Nominee? What does that say of the entire Florida delegation (Dem and Rep alike) for consorting with Mark Foley or Katherine Harris? Or of the entire state of Texas for consorting with Tom DeLay?

Guilty! All of them! Guilty, guilty, guilty!

[Fred Beloit]

Moe writes: "Obama pissed off Blageovich specifically because he refused to offer political favors in exchange for his preferred Senatorial appointment."
You must be wrong, Moe. Obama says he and his staff had no idea what Blagozhewich (phonetic spelling) was up to. How could he refuse an offer he never received. What's the matter with you, don't you read the news?

[Anon]

Obama has actively supported the governor for several years and has said he was running a sound administration. It is what it is.

Like I said, that means either that Obama is too stupid to have recognized his corruption or that Obama didn't care about the corruption. There is no other reasonable option. Everyone in Illinois knows that Chicago politics are corrupt and that the governor was corrupt.

There is no hope or change arriving.

Obama is a product of the Chicago political machine, expecting him to bring a new stronger ethical bent to DC is like expecting Dick Cheney's energy policy to be green.

[SacTownMan]

You know Dan it must be nice to see the world through those "Lame-O world vision glasses".

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

Nothing to see here - move along!

[Worst President Ever]

"Everyone in Illinois knows that Chicago politics are corrupt and that the governor was corrupt."

He was re-elected in 2006 - apparently not everyone knew he was corrupt.

[mark l.]

"LOLS! It doesn't matter whether Obama was guilty of corruption. He's purely guilty by association?"

there are two possiblities:

1. obama had a fair understanding of Rezko's role in politcal corruption, but still took his money and property.

2. obama knew nothing about rezko. he was completely unaware that Rezko was corrupt.

Argument 1 suggests he is just a cog in the political machine of corruption, while argument 2 suggests that he is too dumb to understand. I'd almost respect obama for knowing and being savvy. The second arguement provides for a complete lack of basic knowledge about his ability to understand corruption.

pick your poison.

[mark l.]

Obama should make Sgt shultz his next secretary of defense, keeping in line with the "I know nothing, I see nothing" interpretation being put foward in regards to his dealings with Rezko.

[Anon]

Ted Stevens was re-elected and Marion Barry is still on the DC city council, knowledge of corruption doesn't have much to do with getting elected especially if there is a huge political machine behind you.

[jharp]

Ted Stevens was re-elected?

Really? I thought he lost.

[joeb]

Lame-O: It is fun to see you having to play defense for a change instead of offense. How does it feel?
And how does this Chicago corruption stack up against the mountain made out a molehill about Sarah Palin's clothes? Who is the naked emperor now?
So far I find Barry Obama to be very slick avoiding guilt by association. Clinton just got by with so many bimbo eruptions and the Democrats looked the other way. Obama may ask the Governor to resign. But will the Governor resign? That is another matter. Wait and see. Maybe the newspaper sales in Chicago on this story will help the Chicago Tribune make a little money.
WPE those are Illinois voters what do you expect. Intelligence? I dont think so. The Governor being re elected is par for the course..Now of course his popularity rating is 13 per cent but it is too late.
They put Earl Long in the state nuthouse in Louisiana once and he responded by firing the head of the hospital. And walked out. Gotta love good old American(Republican and Democratic)politics.

[mark l.]

maybe, maybe not...

putting obama'a name in the same sentence with Ted Stevens and Marion Barry isn't a good start for the 'president-elect'.

[LOL]

Let's see here

time to list all the scandals with Obama as reported by the keyboard commandos:

He's a secret muslim, he's not a US citizen, he palls around with terrorists, his wife has a tape somewhere hidden where she screams about "whitey" (in spite of marrying a man with a half-white family?), he's a socialist, he'll be sworn in on the koran, he's secretly having an affairs--the details of which will come out at any moment, he's going to send american money back to kenya, Bill Ayers is the secret author of his autobiography, that there's another secret tape from African Press International where even Barack is saying racist things against white people, and now finally, that Obama is somehow involved with a pay-for-play scandal simple because of geographic proximity.

[jharp]

"putting obama'a name in the same sentence with Ted Stevens and Marion Barry isn't a good start for the 'president-elect'."

Ah, yes. Someone on a message board used Obama's name in the same sentence with Ted Stevens and Marion Barry.

How could you do this to us President elect Obama?

Pretty funny stuff here. I happen to believe the entire affair is a big plus for Obama.

As one thing is quite clear. Obama didn't want to play with Blago. And that's gotta be killing wingnut land.

[mark l.]

hmmm...

downing street memo, fitzmas part 1, texas arng/bill burkett, dui-with al gonzales getting him out of jury duty, arbusto/harken energy, patriot act, et al...

lot of traction out of those beauties.

"Obama is somehow involved with a pay-for-play scandal simple because of geographic proximity."
if he is involved he is corrupt. It's not like Michelle got a job working at the hospital for 350k, as a community organizer. Nothing to do with the fact that the doctors who sold the obamas/rezkos house worked at the same hospital. Nothing to do with the nature of Fitz' investigation into the same hospital and working group playing a major role in the corruption.

Obama is inextricably linked with rezko on so many levels, the argument of niavete is hysterical. I now obama isn't that smart, but do you really believe that he is that stupid?

[Anon]

The president elect has already had to deny he had any knowledge of this scandal and one of his key advisors has already had to admit to 'misspeaking'...only a fool would consider that anything but negative.

I doubt very much that Obama was involved in this particular scheme, just like I doubt very much that Obama had no knowledge of the governor's corruption.

He didn't care that the governor was corrupt when the governor was useful, just like he didn't care about Bill Ayers being a terrorist when he could be useful to him, didn't care about Rev. Wright being a racist when he was still useful.

Obama is nothing new, nothing different, nothing special, he's a politician like all the rest of them, he is not the new messiah riding in on a white horse whose going to clean up DC.

[Fred Beloit]

New lie from sombody: "As one thing is quite clear. Obama didn't want to play with Blago. And that's gotta be killing wingnut land."
Harpo believes Obama lied when he said he and his staff didn't know what Blago was up to. I say that because (1) Harpo claims Obama righteously rejected buying Blago's appointment and (2) Obama said he didn't know anything about Blago's offer for Obama to buy the appointment. Harpo can't have it both ways. It just doesn't work. But that doesn't bother Mr Unscrupulous any. He will keep repeating this and his other nonsense until his last breath. What a dork!

[IslamoLlama]

"-- It is fun to see you having to play defense for a change instead of offense. How does it feel? --"

Ridiculously easy. Helps when your guy isn't a dirty crook.

"-- And how does this Chicago corruption stack up against the mountain made out a molehill about Sarah Palin's clothes? Who is the naked emperor now? --"

Wait, are you calling Obama's non-scandal a mountain made out of a molehill or are you claiming Sarah Palin never ran up a six digit expense account on the GOP's tab?

I'd say the naked emperor on this one is the wildly corrupt Illinois Governor, but the "smear first ask questions later" wingnuts are working hard for second.

"-- So far I find Barry Obama to be very slick avoiding guilt by association. Clinton just got by with so many bimbo eruptions and the Democrats looked the other way. Obama may ask the Governor to resign. But will the Governor resign? That is another matter. Wait and see. Maybe the newspaper sales in Chicago on this story will help the Chicago Tribune make a little money. --"

That was confusing and disjointed. Not sure how Obama is being "slick" by avoiding guilty by association. Either he's guilty of corruption or he's not. Likewise, the Clintons never actually managed to commit a crime. Not sure what Bill's filandering has to do with anything.

Obama did the right thing in asking Blageovich to resign. Had he pulled a George Bush, announced he wasn't going to comment on existing investigations, and tried to sweep the issue under the rug, he might have spared Blageovich political capital. But when the President-elect abandons you, its harder to call in those political favors you've accrued. Will he resign? Can't say. But Obama certainly can't be accused of aid or abetting the disgraced Governor.

Really not sure what the swipe at the Chicago Tribune is about. It was one of Blageovich's biggest critics and is involved in the scandal in so far as the paper's owner refused to fire the editorial staff at the request of Blageovich triggering the Governor's office to fight the paper's sale of the Cubs to raise capital to save itself. Of course, this was all caught on tape and serves as a second indictment. The Chicago Tribune was pivotal in bringing down a corrupt Democrat in a deep blue state. One would think conservatives would be pleased and appreciative rather than mocking and scornful.

Actually, it's kinda funny. In their race to blame Obama for the whole mess, conservatives haven't done much indicting of the Governor himself. Dan himself has neglected to say a single bad thing about the Governor.

DAN! DAN! WHEN WILL YOU CONDEMN THE CORRUPT AND FOUL ACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS GOVERNOR?! I've heard exactly nothing on the governor's Senator-for-sale scheme or this site's condemnation of it. All wild speculation, no addressing the issue at hand.

Why do conservatives continue to go dodo hunting for crimes they can't find while letting a major scandal like this escape any condemnation?

[mark l.]

"A former Illinois bank official, now claiming whistleblower status, says bank officials replaced a loan reappraisal that he prepared for a Chicago property that was purchased by the wife of now-convicted felon Tony Rezko, part of which was later sold to next-door neighbor Barack Obama."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/18/whistleblower-hits-obama-friends-appraisal/

"I doubt very much that Obama was involved in this particular scheme, just like I doubt very much that Obama had no knowledge of the governor's corruption."

they bought the property on the same day, rezko sold it less than 6 months later, after selling the adjacent lot for a song. I'm sorry, but I'm not as stupid as obama. Did I mention that rezko was under investigation when he sold it?

At present, Rezko's conviction is far more serious than the libby to cheney to bush nexus that produced volumes of liberal fantasies. Forgive me for indulging.

[jharp]

"He didn't care that the governor was corrupt when the governor was useful"

Just makin shit up again? You have any evidence to back your claim?

[mark l.]

"Helps when your guy isn't a dirty crook."
so...libby's guilt should not be shared by cheney, especially since no charges were filed against cheney?

There is a classic joke:

two irish ditchdiggers outside a brothel-

a rabbi walks out and one digger says to the other, "oh those jews".
a protestant minister walks out and the two look at each other, "oh those protestants"

a catholic priest walks out and one says to the other-

what a pity. one of the prostitutes must have died.

[jharp]

"Harpo claims Obama righteously rejected buying Blago's appointment"

I did not claim Obama rejected an offer. I claimed Obama didn't want to play. Obama not offering anything for the appointment is not evidence that Blago asked him for something.

Another wingnut fantasy goes down in flames.

[Anon]

My opinion is that Scotter Libby took the bullet for Dick Cheney and that nobody would have been maligning a CIA agent unless Cheney gave the okay.

I don't think Rezko is going to blow back on Obama and I don't think this scandal will blow back on Obama other than it becomes one more questionable association and one more person who he previously supported that turned out to be a bad actor.

A question nobody is asking though is why Fitzgerald didn't wait to see who would BUY the Senate seat that was for sale and instead arrested the governor before his scheme could come to fruition...

[IslamoLlama]

"--
there are two possiblities:

1. obama had a fair understanding of Rezko's role in politcal corruption, but still took his money and property.

2. obama knew nothing about rezko. he was completely unaware that Rezko was corrupt.
--"

Al Capone is the leader of the Chicago Mafia. Al Capone also has the biggest car dealership in Chicago. Buying a car at fair market value from Al Capone's car dealership makes you either

1. Guilty of being in the pocket of the Chicago mafia
2. Unbelievably naive about the existence of organized crime.

THERE ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS.

If Tony Rezko sells you a house, you are guilty! Guilty, guilty, guilty! Of something! Because it is physically impossible to conduct business with a future felon without you yourself committing a federal offense.

I mean, my god, why stop at Obama. Why not just round up and arrest every single individual who has ever purchased a house from Rezko? Who cares what you can prove.

Likewise, everyone who has ever attended the University of Chicago and taken a class with William Ayers is a terrorist or terrorist sympathizer. How can they not be? Either they're
1. Aware of Ayers' past history and therefore completely approving of his actions 50 years ago
or
2. Too ignorant to have made it into college to begin with

[IslamoLlama]

"-- A question nobody is asking though is why Fitzgerald didn't wait to see who would BUY the Senate seat that was for sale and instead arrested the governor before his scheme could come to fruition... --"

From Dan's original post:

"-- Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous "Senate Candidate #5" whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News. --"

Reading comprehension. Get it.

[mark l.]

"I claimed Obama didn't want to play. Obama not offering anything for the appointment is not evidence that Blago asked him for something."

rezko and obama held similar roles in the food chain. rezko bundled cash for both. He was the handler, the governor and obama were just two parasites feasting on the same corpse. Rod held no power over obama.

The issue of whether the two directly helped each other is secondary...

the tape which provides that rb had some nasty things to say about obama?
like two crack ho's arguing amongst themselves-it has nothing to do with them buying the crack. Crack dealer-rezko, crack buyer-rb. It would appear that obama was also another buyer of rezko's product.

[Fred Beloit]

OOOOOOWWWWwww'''cc
Big lie here, Moe; " Likewise, the Clintons never actually managed to commit a crime." Bill Clinton committed the crime of perjury. You are quite a nasty piece of work for lying like that. And I believe that cattle futures money was a bribe to Bill through Hillary. Not proven of course.

[mark l.]

"Al Capone is the leader of the Chicago Mafia. Al Capone also has the biggest car dealership in Chicago. Buying a car at fair market value..."

lama-

we aren't talking about a car dealership.

everyone knew who al capone was...what would have been the implication of buying an adjacent house and property from al capone, only to have him sell you the adjacent proerty for a song, immediately before selling the house six months after he bought it.

I'm glad you accept that Rezko's criminal role in chicago politics was public knowledge, in comparing him to al capone.

The relationship was casual?

We arent even talking about a car, but the equivalent of twenty cars.

[Fred Beloit]

Harpo you have surpassed yourself in absurdity, congratulations:
"I claimed Obama didn't want to play. Obama not offering anything for the appointment is not evidence that Blago asked him for something."
Blago said Obie didn't want to play. How did, how could, Blago know Obama didn't want to play, hhhhhhmmmm?

[Anon]

No, I don't get it. Jackson has said he had no involvement, but the tapes indicate otherwise. Jackson has said the feds told him he wasn't under investigation.

So, it appears to me that the governor was arrested too early and that it would have made more sense to let the scheme play out and VERIFY whether or not Jackson was involved or whether or not anyone else would come forward to buy the Senate seat.

Now, maybe the Feds know that the 'intermediary' was a fake and that Jackson wasn't involved at all and had no knowledge and this can be proven....But even if that is correct, I can't see why they wouldn't let things play out to see if anyone would come forward to buy the seat.

This way, they ensure that nobody else is ensnared in the governor's web other than himself.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- Bill Clinton committed the crime of perjury. --"

Strange that the incoming Bush Administration and Republican Congress never actually managed to prosecute him for it. Clinton was certainly slick, I won't argue that. And we can argue over what the definition of "is" is. But the bottom line is that when the Republican Congress was attempting to nail him on whatever it was that lead to the Monica question (sexual harassment or something, I don't even remember and I doubt you do either) he was asked whether he had sex with her. He answered "No". And, given that there was no proof of intercourse, I'm not sure what you're claiming he lied about.

Now having sex with your intern certainly isn't illegal, and it was hardly the focus of the original charges against Bill. So someone could easily point out that after six years of witch hunts the only thing the GOP ever managed to nail Clinton on was fudging the definition of sex while under oath. But when you consider that this entire "scandal" began with a real estate deal in Arkansas which they still never managed to actually convict him on, you really do have to begin comparing Obama and Clinton in a different light.

Namely, how you've got a right wing media and political establishment trying to nail a pair of Presidents on various crimes they didn't commit - be it Whitewater land deals or Rezko houses, Christmas Card lists or not having your Senate candidate picked by a corrupt Governor.

And one other thing, Fred. I STILL haven't heard you condemn Blageovich himself. A hundred words against Obama. A dozen words against Clinton. Not one word against the Democratic politician who ACTUALLY committed the crime. Not one diatribe against buying a Senate seat. Not one disgusted remark against accepting bribes for power.

This makes me think you don't give a flying fart about the crime or the Illinois Governor. You've got such extreme tunnel vision, trying to nail the new President for a crime you STILL can't name, that you're willing to give an actual criminal - a Democrat criminal - a pass.

[jharp]

"Blago said Obie didn't want to play. How did, how could, Blago know Obama didn't want to play"

Because no offers were made?

And this is what Blago said.

"they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."

I take that to mean that Obama offered nothing.

[jharp]

"Blago said Obie didn't want to play."

No Blago didn't say that, I did.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- everyone knew who al capone was...what would have been the implication of buying an adjacent house and property from al capone, only to have him sell you the adjacent proerty for a song, immediately before selling the house six months after he bought it. --"

Except Obama paid retail for the house. He wanted the property. It was legally owned by Rezko. He bought the property from Rezko. Rezko received no political favors that you can name. Obama did not unlawfully profit from the transaction. If Rezko later went out and murdered twelve people with an axe, that doesn't make Obama guilty of murder by association. So we're still left asking what exactly Obama did that was illegal. No one can answer that question. It's back to "guilt by association". Exactly the same as the Ayers bullshit.

"-- No, I don't get it. Jackson has said he had no involvement, but the tapes indicate otherwise. Jackson has said the feds told him he wasn't under investigation.

So, it appears to me that the governor was arrested too early and that it would have made more sense to let the scheme play out and VERIFY whether or not Jackson was involved or whether or not anyone else would come forward to buy the Senate seat.

Now, maybe the Feds know that the 'intermediary' was a fake and that Jackson wasn't involved at all and had no knowledge and this can be proven....But even if that is correct, I can't see why they wouldn't let things play out to see if anyone would come forward to buy the seat.

This way, they ensure that nobody else is ensnared in the governor's web other than himself. --"

Fitzgerald has been, to date, pretty good at his job. And we hardly know all the details of the case. Perhaps Fitzgerald wanted to move before the Senate seat actually got sold to prevent the political quandary that would result from a US Senate forced to reject a new appointee. Perhaps - with an indictment under way and no fish biting - Fitzgerald didn't want Blageovich appointing himself and moving the Lt. Governor into his slot as that could create further complications.

Perhaps the case was just wrapped up and they had all they needed. Or perhaps they screwed the pooch and let a bad apple float away.

Again, I'd like to see this play out a bit more before I hand Fitzgerald for negligence.

[mark l.]

"I know the GOP loves guilt by association (until someone says the name Abramoff) and I'd be happy to play the game by linking - say - John McCain to the Myanmar military junta.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/136321 "
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2008/09/dont-look-now-a.html#comment-129149798."

lama.

"Even with the stable Clinton economy during most of her mayoral tenure and Jack Abramoff's crony she hired to lobby Washington to help her now indicted buddy Ted Stevens ring up $27 million in federal pork for tiny Wasilla (pop. 5000 when she entered office) she still managed to leave the town swimming in debt. Three of her pork projects even made McCain's own wasteful spending list."

http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2008/09/dont-look-now-a.html#comment-129149798

jharp.

so for lama,-"I'd be happy to play the game"
and as for jharp, associating/benefitting from a coworker of jack abramoff's is enough to question individuals crediblity.

It would appear that obama's connection to rezko is far less tenuous to mccain/myanmar or palin/abramoff/stevens. Nice of you boys to supply a threshold.

[mark l.]

"Rezko received no political favors that you can name"

michelle obama recieved 100k boost in salary, working at the same hospital that is under investigation for kick backs with rezko. the same hospital where the doctors who sold the houses at 300k under market value worked on the board.

She was making 350k a year to do community outreach. I know jharp thinks our healthcare system is broken. Paying someone twice what a doctor earns to go out to the community to get people to use the hospital(or in this case-any hospital but 'theirs') is pretty wasteful.

I'll bet she was really dedicated to her job.

If laura bush had been employed by a jack abramoff slush fund company, bush wouldn't have made it thru the first term.

[mark l.]

jharp-

glad you reccommended talkleft.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/4/27/145012/154

"The Times points to Obama's autobiography to show he was broke at the time:

In his book "The Audacity of Hope," Obama tells how his finances had deteriorated to such a point that his credit card was initially rejected when he tried to rent a car at the 2000 Democratic convention in Los Angeles. He said he had originally planned to dedicate that summer "to catching up on work at the law practice that I'd left unattended during the campaign (a neglect that had left me more or less broke)."

the link also provides one small example of how obama bennefited from his political office.

the larger nexus of the payout schemes involves the hospital:

"Fearing a suburban hospital project might be torpedoed by politics, its backers sought out a consultant ostensibly to help keep the focus away from clout and on health care. So who got the job? A former Chicago ward boss.

Witnesses at the corruption trial of Antoin "Tony" Rezko on Wednesday laid bare an upside-down world of hospital regulation in Illinois, where medical need took a back seat to political connections, an old-boy network and a delicate balancing act of favors."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-13-bothmar13,0,207038.story

the heading on the link?

"Rezko ran hospital planning board behind the scenes, jury told
Ex-chairman says Rezko ran the board behind the scenes"

to repeat:
"where medical need took a back seat to political connections"

but obama is going to fix healthcare, right?

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Damn, when I said it was the right's turn to bitch and moan, cast aspersions like DaLeftises have for 8 years. I had no idea you'd sound EXACTLY like them. Can we at least get a little mo' info before we impeach the soon to be president elect?

[Fred Beloit]

"...they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation." Holy crap. So you, Harpo, turned that into "didn't want to play". Big BIG deal. The question remains how did Gov. Blaggard know that Obama wasn't willing to give him something? Obama says he... oh oh, I better be very careful here, Harpo allows no one to paraphrase except he himself, ditto Llamette...Obama said:
"I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so we, and so I was not aware of what was happening."
Allow me to paraphrase this just once, "Whaz happenin'? I don know."

So tell us Harpo, how did Blago know when "WE" and "I" didn't know themselves?

[mark l.]

wiki obama, and the rezko connection isn't clear.
wiki rezko, and the treasure trove unfolds.

"In 1990, after Barack Obama was elected president of the Harvard Law Review, Rezmar Corp. offered him a job, which Obama turned down. Obama chose instead to accept a job with law firm Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland,[30] which primarily worked civil rights cases, but also represented Rezmar and helped the company get more than $43 million in government funding and whose former senior partner, Allison S. Davis, later went into business with Rezko and, in 2003, was appointed to Illinois State Board of Investment by Governor Blagojevich at Rezko's request.[7][31] On July 31, 1995 the first ever political contributions to Obama were $300 from a lawyer, a $5,000 loan from a car dealer, and $2,000 from two food companies owned by Rezko.[32] Starting in 2003, Rezko was one of the people on Obama's U.S. Senate campaign finance committee, which raised more than $14 million.[7] Rezko threw an early fundraiser for Obama, which Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendelland claims was instrumental in providing Obama with seed money for his U.S. Senate race.[1] Obama has since identified over $250,000 in campaign contributions to various Obama campaigns as coming from Rezko or close associates, and has claimed to have donated almost two thirds of that amount to unspecified nonprofit groups.[33][34]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Rezko

the plan is simple.

secure grants from state/feds for hospital, rezko runs the disbursement of the funds, and michelle obama, coincidentally gets paid 350k for what can only be described as a 'fictional' job. Obama and Rezko have been linked together for the past 18 years. I guess if it took obama 20 years to figure out his preacher might be a racist, he probably would have figured out that taking his money and having him secure employment for his wife might not be the brightest thing to do in the next two years...

federal prosecutors just beat him to the punch.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- michelle obama recieved 100k boost in salary, working at the same hospital that is under investigation for kick backs with rezko. the same hospital where the doctors who sold the houses at 300k under market value worked on the board. --"

Yeah, I heard this one too. Except the salary boost was supposed to be from the $1 million Obama secured for a new hospital pavilion. And, again, there's no actual link between Michelle and Rezko save that they both worked with the biggest hospital in the 3rd biggest city in the country.

It's wonderful to claim "guilt by vague association" but where's the quid pro quo? The $300k under market value bullshit was cooked up from nothing. There's no indictment against the Obamas and no evidence of wrong doing.

Unlike with Cunningham or Ney or Stevens or Blago or Scooter, there's nothing to even begin to investigate. You're simply digging up number - Michelle got a raise, Obama secured a grant, Rezko sold a house - mash them together and declare "scandal". Even if the whole Obama clan was dirty as sin, there's no indication of any specific wrong doing in any of these cases. What legislation did Rezko get by securing a sweetheart land deal? Where did Michelle's $100k bonus come from in the hospital budget? None of it actually connects.

Please never go into criminal law, you'd be laughed out of the court room.

"-- She was making 350k a year to do community outreach. I know jharp thinks our healthcare system is broken. Paying someone twice what a doctor earns to go out to the community to get people to use the hospital(or in this case-any hospital but 'theirs') is pretty wasteful. --"

She's the head of public relations at the biggest hospital in the third biggest city in the country. She makes a salary comparable to the other managers at her office.

And I know how conservatives love to cut corners, but $350k is ultimately small change when you're on the director's board in the private sector. Compare her to a K-Street lobbyist or an Abramoff crony, and she's making pocket change.

Where was all this anger when ex-Halliburton CEO Cheney took office and started handing out no-bid contracts to his company? I mean, at least then the lines were pretty stark and clear.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Fred, I just dont believe that Obie is that stupid.......someone working for him? Maybe. Has it come out who started the investigation from da jump? Just saying I need more to go on before I throw the gwan be prezzie under da bus...........

[ET]

The libs point to Blago's anger at Obama's rejection as proof that barry is pure as the driven snow. Another interpretation is that Blago was angry precisely because he had every expectation that Obie would play, since he had played similar games in the past. That would account for his "indignation" at being thrown under the bus, which we now recognize as barry's core competence.

Barry is just an opportunistic Chicago pol. All you dolts who fell for his hope and change bs got worked.

jharp, you must be proud to have dragged your son to the Messiah's big rally. How does it feel to explain to your own son that his father is an idiot?

[Anon]

All this scandal proves is that Obama is not the white knight [no pun intended] who is going to ride in and clean up Washington that his supporters think he is.

He is part of the Chicago political machine, whether or not he was smart enough to ensure that everything was totally plausible [which he was], it is hard to believe that this person who was knee deep in criminal political associations and questionable deals is any different from any other politician.

My beef with the Obama people has always been their bizarre belief that he was above it all and too pure to ever make a back room deal like getting his wife's hospital a nice grant, that could of course, be argued on its merits as well. Wink, wink, nod, nod.

He's a politician, he is as beholden to special interests and lobbyists as any other politician out there.

[Fred Beloit]

My only point, Wahoo, is they can't have it both ways. Obama is an unreachable pol hero or he didn't know anything at all. One has to choose.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Fred, I'm not totally disagreeing with you, it certainly isn't a huge reach to "possible". I merely want clearer evidence thta Obie, or anyone really close, is this stupid. I would want the same opportunity if it were my guy.....or (especially) if it were me. This sepeprates me from partisan screechers who often don't look very bright to me.