Temerity? Gall? Chutzpah? Fat lot of nerve? Any or all of the above, which all mean pretty much the same thing, tempered only by political correctness and the degree of respect one has for the person, people, or entities engendering one’s respect, or lack thereof, for their brazen behavior, alone, or in tandem with one or more of the rest? Whatever you call it, a lot of folks seem to have an abundance of it.
In the case of former Illinois governor, Rod (Cabbage Patch Weeble) Blagojevich, (D-FU Obie) ya gotta go with the fraternal, testosterone-loaded, high-five, fist pump, attaboy designation of “balls.” Seems almost a year to the day from the date of his arrest, in response to having the Pretendident of the United States use the United States Senate to neutralize a former political rival, the architect of the Roland Burris Revenge Strategy wants to once again turn the tables on the naive Bush Leaguers what designed the so-far ill-fated, “Get Blago” campaign, and use one of their own instruments employed by that Gang O’ Mastermidgetminds against them. In other words, Blags’ lawyers want the transcripts of the FBI interviews with Rahm Emanuel, (D-R) ValerieJarrett, (D-Gentrification) and the Nobel War is Peace Prize winning Pretendident, (D-Uh) himself. And, even though the Chicago Sun-Times reports that prosecutors usually withhold such evidence until approximately 30 days before trial, the Blaggone-ator’s henchmen want ‘em now: Read the rest of this entry »
I am not a bandwagoneer. It takes a lot to get me to go along with anything, or anyone, at any time. Given the way perceptions can be radically shifted by agents employing fairly subtle techniques, I have a hard time accepting things that are reported as “prevailing wisdom,” or “common knowledge,” or anything suggesting that whatever being discussed is something “everybody knows.” Everybody knows shit. Nobody knows squat. However you want to say it, unless you’re under the age of 17 and trying to cajole a parent into granting permission for something you want, but know good and well you shouldn’t have, “everybody knows” has no place in anybody’s vocabulary. Everybody knows that.
When I hear people compare the current power struggle in Iran to last year’s Democratic party primary shenanigans here in the United States, and cast the Iranian dissidents in the role of PUMAs, i.e., disgruntled voters outraged about voter fraud, I can only scratch my head. Trying to cast Mir Hossein Mousavi into the Hillary Clinton part is way too big a stretch for me. Although in the primaries and caucuses, the “establishment” was felt to be unfairly supporting Obama, especially in the case of Michigan and Florida, and it was Obama who bussed shitloads of people to out of state caucuses and gangstered them, not Clinton, and it was Obama who bought off the superdelegates, and strong armed any number of people in order to circumvent a true floor vote at the convention, it was Obama’s camp that threatened to riot in the streets, and, who spread their message through the social media. It was Obama who captured the malleable passions of the latest gullible campus bound Pepsi Generation, and conscripted them into an online army. Read the rest of this entry »
Though I make no claims of being a financial wizard, or a political maven, even I can see that all is not right on Wall Street, D.C. where the heart and soul of our country is on life support, currently being administered to by second graders who want to be doctors when they grow up. And, I’m sophisticated enough to recognize that a lot of what I read about our dire national situation is presented in the media by people representing the political party so far out of favor they have to look to bloviating blowhards for advice, or worse, can be made to appear to need to do so. I get that. However, in spite of all that, the forces pretending to represent the white-hatted good guys in this classic Adventures in Administration movie, armed with their heralded sky-high approval ratings for their poor man’s Dark Gable leading man, simply can’t mount enough of a stampede to disguise the fact that the dustcloud that follows them like Charlie Brown’s pal Pigpen’s is not the result of riding hard and strong over the dusty trail, but merely the wispy smoke trails from their “throw ‘em off the path,” hastily built, diversionary cookfire. In other words, they got nothing.
Stalwart bastion of the Obamedia protection service, Salon Magazine, has an article by former Clinton labor secretary and Obacolyte, Robert Reich, in which he pitifully attempts to pooh-pooh rightwing claims that the Obamessiah himself is responsible for our economic woes by trying to lay them at the feet of the finger-pointers:
When it turns out that people like Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, who took home $68 million in 1997, was the only Wall Streeter in a meeting last September at the New York Federal Reserve to discuss the initial AIG bailout with Tim Geithner, then New York Fed chair, among others, at the very time Goldman was AIG’s largest trading partner, a distinct scent of self-dealing begins to emanate. When it turns out that Citigroup got a bailout deal last October far more generous than that given to any other distressed bank, when a top Citi executive was advising the Treasury and Fed, the scent increases. Goldman’s past CEO was treasury secretary at that time, by the way, and another former Goldman CEO was a top Citi official and also a former treasury secretary. I am not suggesting anything so crude as corruption. But could it be, given these tangled webs, that — innocently, unintentionally, perhaps even subconsciously — the entire bailout effort was premised on saving these companies rather than protecting the public? Or that the distinction between the two was lost, and still is?
Yet, Reich gleefully and disingenuously, ignores the fact that the people he’s defending his ObaMaster against are the people who funded his campaign. Not only that, the central figure in Reich’s little morality play, Turbo Tax Timmy Geithner, tax cheat, (TTTG,tc) has a family history of sorts with Barry Sutoro, and is currently employed as the Blameless One’s lapdog and whipping boy. To point out that he may have colluded with the banksters against the public in ripping off the country on the other team’s watch is…well…stupid.
Why would anyone purporting to defend the Obama administration draw attention to the man quickly becoming the public face of its incompetence? Especially when the author can’t even make it through to the end of his own piece without acknowledging at least some of the complicity of the Obama Drama Troupe?
The Wall Street and Republican media attack machine doesn’t know exactly what to make of this. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, along with CNBC, alternates between attacking Obama for bailing out Wall Street and excusing Wall Street’s excesses. But then again, Obama doesn’t seem to know exactly what to make of it either. He seems to vacillate as well — one moment scorning Wall Street, the next moment justifying further bailouts. I do hope he takes a firmer hand, drawing a clearer distinction and making a clearer connection between clearing up these financial balance sheets and helping average people. Otherwise, the next populist uprising will be born in this moneyed quagmire. It is here — within the muck that was created by AIG, Citigroup, Fannie and Freddie, other giant financial institutions, now in combination with the U.S. Treasury and Fed — that the public is most confused, bears its most serious scars, and is potentially most burdened in future years, by decisions still made in secret.
You know, even though I was born and raised a Democrat, and remained one all my life until the lying rat bastards showed themselves to be the slimy bunch of lying rat bastards they are during this election cycle, every day I find myself agreeing with Republicans more and more. Not because I think they’re right about anything much, but, because I’m beginning to hate Democrats, too. What a sniveling bunch of whiny assed, wannabe crooks and schnooks y’all elected to guide this sinking ship to the bottom of the hellish Ocean of No Returns they keep dumping our good money after bad into via the coffers of the greedy corporate bankster masters they serve. And no, I’m not talking about Rod Blagojevich and his hapless Senate appointee, Roland Burris, I’m talking about the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou charlatans fingerpointing scapegoats like school children jockeying for position at the head of the line for the teeter-totter, stepping on each other’s toes and poking each other in the ribs as they holler for Teacher, only to adopt angelic visages and mumble, “he did it,” in disingenuous attempts to escape attention when faced with the wrath of authority.
Buncha schmoos.
Obacrats of every stripe are vainly trying to lay their entire culture and history of corruption at the feet of two dimwits stupid enough to make it easy for them to do so, while pulling every sneaky, underhanded, trick in the book so they can stack the deck in their favor. Fuck an election, who cares who the people want in Barack Obama’s vacated Senate seat, who even cares if the one they got stuck with is a perfectly acceptable warm body, party line voting seat filler, like the one holding place for Jo(k)e Biden’s son? No, the Barack Attack is hell bent on race-baiting, bribe arranging, blame-shifting Candidate Number 5, Jesse Jackson Jr., now that his first choice, Valerie (Throw ‘Em in the Street) Jarrett, had to be sacrificed up to White House staff and National Economic Council member on the downlow.
No, Obie’s Boyz got a game plan, and anybody that doesn’t sign on is headed under the bus. Or worse. Even the Obasucking press is starting to see that. Commenting on White House shill Robert Gibbs’ ominous sounding, thinly veiled warning to Roland Burris, that the president wanted the clueless pawn to take some time off and think about his future, The Swamp’s Frank James wrote in the Chicago Tribune that maybe Burris might want to think about sleeping with one eye open:
That sounded like one of those “messages” you never want to get from the Chicago Mob.
Clearly, the White House would like to see the Burris story go away, embarrassing distraction that it is.
So was this the White House’s way of saying to Burris, “Nice mausoleum you got there; sure would hate to see anything happen to it?”
Or did it portend that he might be receiving a dead fish, like what reportedly happened to a pollster who once got on the wrong side of Rahm Emanuel, now White House chief of staff?
It all reminded us of that famous scene from the Godfather where the Hollywood mogul wakes up in bed next to a horse’s head. Not good.
So now, Burris is the movie producer who wouldn’t hire Frank SinatraJohnny Fontaine for “From Here to Eternity” some movie-within-a-movie without an offer he couldn’t refuse, while Blagojevich is the Frankie Five Angels character encouraged to soak himself to death in a warm tub for turning against “da Family,” according to John Kaas. Sheesh, who would put out such cheesy movie ripoff “hits” (the ripoffs are cheesy, not the fuckin’ awesome Godfather movie series) besides the skinny-but-tough, Godfather lovin’, gun to a knife fight bringin’, Dudfather-in-Chief?
Who else would send out his Astroturfing, poor man’s Tom Hagen to enlist the footsoldiers in the media to go after New York Governor David Paterson for disobeying direct orders, but the same mob that took down his snooping in “da Family business” predecessor? These same sorry saps playing cops ‘n’ robbers on the taxpayers’ dime are the only ones with enough clout to sic their prosecuters on the payroll the Fedswho’re paid to protect the bigger fish with the power of employment on little fish like Burris and Blago .
Everybody knows that just like in the case of Rod Blagojevich, the reason that the Obacrats are putting so much media pressure on Burris to resign is that they have no legal leg to stand on. They’re just pissed and petulant, because they got played, since they fancy themselves as playas, which is why they sat on Burris’ “affidavit” until after he delivered the stimulus bill for them, thenleaked it to the Sun-Times like the leaders of a nation of cowards they are.
So, while the schoolyard bullies hide their dirty hands in their pockets as they nod their heads in unison in the direction of their agreed upon scapegoats, as if they’re the only ones guilty and that’s the only crime being committed on the playground, and bogusly promise to be good this time, at least one pragmatic veteran aware of the shifting allegiances often associated with political turf wars, is pretending to be Switzerland. Chicago’s mayor, Richard M. Daley, whose JP Morgan Chase board member brother, William, rides with the ObaFather’s posse, is refusing to pile on:
“Let’s put everything in perspective and give him an opportunity to explain himself,” Daley said today when asked if Burris should step down. “Automatically, every time something happens people want everybody to resign. Is it becoming very common now to tell people to resign after he was appointed?”
Daley gave Burris credit for voting for the federal economic stimulus package which the mayor said “never would have passed” without Burris’ vote.
Perhaps sensing the difference between the way the wind and politics blows, Daley displayed a perspective rare in Illinois politics re: the BlagoBurris folderol:
“Three people got killed [last night]. Do you think the people who killed them care who is their U.S. senator?” Daley said. “Life goes on.”
It does, indeed, Dickie. So, in this case, like the rightwingers, I’m rooting for Burris.
Looks like Obama the Candidate was really serious about “change.” As we all know, “change” was the buzzword of the 2008 campaign season, promoted constantly, incessantly, annoyingly by Barack Obama, and picked up on by all of his opponents in self defense. But, while everybody else was just spouting campaign rhetoric; after all, whenever one administration replaces another, you’re going to get “change,” Obama seems to have been serious as a heart attack without health insurance about it.
Conventional wisdom and common sense would indicate to even the densest among us that in order to achieve the “true change” Obama promised to bring to the “old ways of Washington” in his determination to “remake the country,” the country in question, as in any renovation, would need to be torn down to the studs. And, it appears Obama is well on his way to completing Phase One. At least, according to George Soros. Reuters reports that Soros, speaking at a Columbia University dinner, echoed the sentiments of the speaker before him, Paul Volcker, head of the president’s new Economic Advisory Board, when he said the world as we know it is well on its way to irrevocable destruction, economically speaking:
Renowned investor George Soros said on Friday the world financial system has effectively disintegrated, adding that there is yet no prospect of a near-term resolution to the crisis.
Soros said the turbulence is actually more severe than during the Great Depression, comparing the current situation to the demise of the Soviet Union.
He said the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September marked a turning point in the functioning of the market system.
“We witnessed the collapse of the financial system,” Soros said at a Columbia University dinner. “It was placed on life support, and it’s still on life support. There’s no sign that we are anywhere near a bottom.”
Hmmm…isn’t that what Rep. Paul Kanjorski said, and all the Obots went, “Pfssshh, yeah, right“? And, if I’m following all this correctly, doesn’t this mean that the economic event that lead to Paulson’s TARP (don’t call it a) bailout and propelled a curiously over-funded Obama from a hotly contested, tied competition into the White House virtually unopposed, is also the catalyst of global financial ruin? What say the Obots, now?
Well, they can’t say Obama leads by example. Or, maybe he does, since people not paying bills, for one reason or another, is a big part of the mess we’re in. Obama doesn’t seem to want to pay his bills, either, at least not the one to his adopted home city for the Bashapalooza they threw for him on Election Night. The Chicago Sun Times has the details:
Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President Obama’s victory celebration in Grant Park — despite a burgeoning $50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union concessions.
“The Democratic National Committee has not yet paid us,” Peter Scales, a spokesman for the city’s Office of Budget and Management, said Thursday after questions from the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’re reaching out to them this week.”
I guess South Side Slick expects the city to just hang on for the stimulus money since there’s probably pork aplenty to cover. And, now that the Illinois legislature has done its part in kicking Rod Blagojevich to the curb, the state qualifies for its share. There’s probably a bonus for breaking harmless little Roland Burris‘ heart by stomping on his dreams and jackbooting him out of the Senate job he dearly wanted, foolishly embraced and would be out of in a minute anyway. One way or another, Chicago will be paid; either they’re headed under the bus, or somebody will “deliver an envelope,” if you get my drift. Obama takes care of his own, it’s the Chicago Way.
Of course, the Obama Way means nobody has to pay their bills; he’s hellbent on seeing to it that everybody at least has a house, regardless of whether they can afford it, or not. He unveiled his big, stock market tanking housing plan to help out the lender-seduced buyers who jumped off the deep end into houses that now have them underwater, and financially back up those lenders for going along with the program with government money, if they feel like it, unless they’re Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Since that’s the only way the greedy lenders can get the up front bailout money and back end insurance, I have a feeling they’ll probably play along.
For those pretty much destitute-from-the-jump folks just given over-priced houses by lenders, basically for free, just to get the right numbers on the paper those bankers were going to turn right around and sell for even more worthless computer bits and bytes signifying nothing, even though everybody knew they’d never be able to pay it back, Obie has sicced ACORN on the problem on the QT. All those folks have to do is make like Wild West expansioneers and just squat on their homestead, since Obie’s got their back with the bailed out bankers, no matter what. Besides, the original mortgage has probably been through so many grubby banksters’ hands, the guys trying to foreclose probably couldn’t produce the necessary paperwork if they wanted to. If the system gamers get cold feet, or the banker on the low end not hip to the deal tries to lock them out, a quick call to Obie’s ACORN enforcers will bring the strongarm crew to help you gain access to your now completely free house. Of course, like all Dons, Obie’s three steps removed, especially since he got Rep. Marcy Kaptur to sell the plan to the clueless for him.
Don’t be fooled by the “hold bank executives feet to the fire” rah-rah coming from the administration, either. The whole “salary cap” thing is bogus all around, being nothing but re-election theater as it is. Team Obama and his money man, Turbo Tax Timmy Geithner, tax cheat (TTTG,tc) tried to quietly tiptoe out of the whole TARP-related “take my money, play buy my rules” dramatic ploy, but Congress realized they need votes too, so they snuck it back into the stimulus bill. And, even though it sounds like “Ooooooh, we showed those bad bankers,” anybody who believes there isn’t enough wiggle room in the provisions to drive a fleet of private jets, and Daschle limos through, is a hopium head, and deserves the no grease screwing a-comin’.
Same for anybody who really believes Obie’s gonna close Gitmo; I’ll believe it when I see it, since the Obama patented “clear myself ahead of time” review panel he commisioned, this time through the Pentagon instead of White House counsel like the brush-Blago-off-the-shoulders one, says everything at Gitmo is Geneva convention compliant and thus, hunky dory. So, why close it? Look for him to rescind his exec order sometime in the coming year, on the sly, like he’s extending those Bush policies. Shhhhhh.
So, while Obacrats raise Democratic in-fighting to a new art form, using definitions of “what is is” as a time tested, media approved bludgeoning tool against their brethren-on-the-outs in the case of David (Caroline wasn’t my first choice) Paterson and Roland (but I didn’t give him any money) Burris, the Teflon TelePrompTer Reader can continue happily fronting for the banksters, robbing the world blind, fighting wars, and tearing the country to the ground, so he can remake it in his own image with a clean slate. Like he, and his wife, told you he would.
All the while, remaining more popular than Jesus in the process. Like Dee Dee Myers told us he was.
Illinois Senator Roland (Like It Or Not) Burris is in hot water with the Chicago press gone viral, Illinois Republicans, and the easily lead, all up in arms about previously undisclosed conversations he had with former Governor Rod (Cabbage Patch Weeble) Blagojevich’s surrogates prior to his eventual appointment. Burris, force-fed to the Senate by the teed-off Hair Bear, is accused of talking about ineffectively trying to raise the paltry sum of $15,000 for Blagojevich while the governor was allegedly trying to auction off the “juicy plum” of former Senator, now President, Barack Obama’s hurriedly vacated seat to the highest bidder. The clueless Burris, who most likely was never in contention for the seat before Blago decided to give those he saw as drunken, vengeful incompetents a big “eff ewe,” neglected to mention the Blago camps’ fundraising requests to the Illinois House impeachment committee when he was dragged on the carpet prior to his confirmation. Therefore, in the eyes of his detractors, he’s a liar, and thus, must go.
Sure, Burris always wanted the job; he seems to be a nice-enough, largely irrelevant, intensely ambitious, fuzzy little man, whose delusions of grandeur have probably always simultaneously been both his Achilles heel and his most endearing quality. Let’s face it, all in all Burris, is a joke. Blags and Co. probably always saw him that way, too. That’s the beauty of his appointment.
And, there’s not much doubt that the manipulative Blago Crew would gleefully exploit whatever meager assets Burris had to offer to their advantage, that seems to be a large part of the Blagojevich modus operandi, as well as his ultimate undoing. The sticking point is, if Burris thought he had anything to bring to the table that would even rate him consideration for a Senate appointment during Blagojevich’s serious deliberations about the matter, he was probably just kidding himself, and Blago’s Boyz were most likely stringing him along.
One can only imagine the private conversations re: Burris in BlagoWorld:
Unnamed Blago Staffer: Burris called.
Blago: Who?
Unnamed Blago Staffer: Burris. Roland. You know, the funny little guy…
Blago: Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m just yanking your chain, Unnamed. Whaddid he want?
Unnamed Blago Staffer: The Senate seat.
(Raucus pirateer laughter all around)
Blago (wiping tears): The Senate seat? The Senate seat? Oh, man, are you f*cking kidding me? What’s he offering, like, ten grand?
Unnamed Blago Staffer: Fifteen.
(More raucus pirateer laughter)
Blago (getting up from floor): Oh, man, cut it out! You’re killin’ me, here! Fifteen grand? Fifteen f*cking measly grand? Burris? Wooo-hooo, man, I’m dyin’ here! (shakes head) Fif-teen grand? (sobering) Okay, who else ya got?
I’m sure it wasn’t until after Blago got screwed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s curiously premature arrest without indictment, which robbed Blago of a big payday at the very least, and Fitzgerald of the glory of netting two big fish dead to rights, that Cabbage Patch figured that since he was still Governor, he might as well use Burris to give the Illinois lynch mob the finger before they dragged him into their kangaroo court.
Let’s face it, Burris never raised the fifteen grand anyway; nobody was ever going to give him any money to give to Blagojevich. C’mon people, think. This is a bif “eff ewe back” from the big boys playing in the federal government sandbox. Blago pissed Burris on them with a bigger wanger, and now all the “little wanger” Our Gang members are ganging together to wipe the Burris piss off.
And poor little Roland? At least he got to be Senator for a little while. And, it didn’t cost him a cent.
Since the point is that permanently impeached forever former Governor Rod Blagojevich is accused of trying to auction off President Black Obama’s curiously vacated Senate seat, shouldn’t these indignant headlines and the articles they head do a little more than imply some sort of quid pro quo, pay-to-play, scratch my back shenanigans?
Of course, we are all free to draw the obvious conclusion not-so-subtly pointed to with verbal klaxon “a-oogah” noises and flashing “Shady Doings Here!!!!” signs, but, it would be a lot more damning if the bonds of journalistic integrity allowed the finger-pointing alarmists to actually report that Blagojevich or his agents demanded payment “in exchange for…” something. Instead, cursory examinations of these rehashings of the Chicago Sun-Times original report suggest that Blago never considered Burris for anything. At least, not until he decided to screw everybody back.
By all accounts, the initial request by Robert Blagojevich for Burris to help with fundraising came in October, with more contacts with the former Governor’s staff occurring in November, after the election, though it is not so clear if more than one was after Obama resigned his seat. The Houston Chronicle reports that on November 26, 2008, Burris initiated a call to Blago’s former Chief of Staff, John Harris, where he brought up the Senate seat:
A log of Harris’ calls released to the AP by the governor’s office indicates Burris called Harris four times in November — the last time on Nov. 26, when the log indicates the two spoke. Burris’ affidavit says he had called Harris to recommend his nephew for a state job and during the conversation asked about the Senate seat.
Also by all accounts, on one other call initiated by Robert Blagojevich to Burris to solicit fundraising assistance, Bobby Blags was rebuffed by Burris because he wanted to avoid the appearance of impropriety since he was interested in Obama’s seat. None report that Robert Blago was amenable to Burris’ suggestion.
Robert Blagojevich’s lawyer, Michael Ettinger, said his client contacted Burris in October to ask him to host a fundraiser for his brother because Burris had contributed in the past, but Burris said he didn’t want to commit before the election. Ettinger said the subject of the Senate seat wasn’t raised.
Ettinger said Robert Blagojevich remembers only one other conversation in November from the governor’s campaign office, which the FBI had wiretapped at the time. He said his client confirmed Burris’ account that he declined the fundraiser because of the potential conflict.
But he also told Ettinger no one on his brother’s staff had ever mentioned Burris as being interested in the seat.
Yet every news source implies something hinky went down, and pushes the growing rumbling for a perjury investigation against Burris for not being forthcoming before he came forth on February 4. Given that Burris is broke, and that neither he, nor Blagojevich, have any friends in Illinois, especially in the legislature where “palling around” with Blago could cost the state stimulus money, the media anti-rah-rah building against them will likely be successful in bringing them both down. Never mind that the city that gave us a president who likes to assert his skinny toughness when he brings a gun to a fundraising knifefight to pick up the checks, wears it’s politically corrupt gangster image like a badge of honor, as does he when he’s not rebuffing it by pretending to reform it.
Look, Burris is embarrassingly ambitious, and Blago’s certainly no angel, but, there probably aren’t many cherubic shrinking violets rising from, or, residing in, the muck and mire of Chicago’s political hellhole. In fact, there probably aren’t any.
President Black Obama is crowing like a bantam rooster about his shiny new stimulus bill, as if passing a anything with only 3 Republican votes necessary was as difficult as he and his media took such pains to make it seem. I mean, really, if he couldn’t have gotten it done, that would be news. Plus, it probably was not as hard as it might have been if he had actually let anybody read it first.
Anyway, looks like Rod Blagojevich hit his eventual appointee for Oboyi’mgreat’s vacant Senate seat, now Senator, Roland Burris up for cash before picking him. However, it’s not clear if this really means anything since, as far as I know, Burris was never on the short list until after Blago was arrested, and by all accouts, Burris didn’t give him any money. Seems Burris was concerned about appearances, given that he really wanted the appointment, even though Blags didn’t seem inclined to give it to him. Burris wasn’t on U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s published radar, either.
MSNBC’s Chuck Todd was miffed at the Obamessiah earlier this week because of the way the Ofolks manage the press. In a rather whiny First Read post, Todd gripes that being a “newbie,” he takes offense at being denied unfettered access to press conference attendees, something he sees as a First Amendment issue:
For instance, today, the president gave a speech in the East Room to the business council, an audience of dozens of CEOs and major business leaders in America. As per usual, we’re allowed to watch the event behind a ropeline. Ok, standard procedure for any event for any candidate, let alone a president. But unlike public events, here at the White House, when the event ends, we get no access to the audience unless the audience happens to amble up to the ropeline and chat with the press.
Today, it was so bad that we were kept behind closed doors so that these CEOs and other business leaders could leave without accidentally mingling with us poor press peons. Once the CEOs were clear and escorted downstairs, then we were let out of our East Room pen. And it’s not like we could rush over to the east side of the White House and find anyone left to interview about their role on this business council. By the time, a member of the press leaves out the one exit they can come in and out of, those guys and gals would be history. I’m sure most of them had cars at the ready to quickly get them to their next meeting.
Poor Chuck, he obviously didn’t get the Official ObamaRules handbook that spells out that only the appearance of transparency can be tolerated. He also didn’t get the MSNBO Official ObamaRulebook spelling out that the Leg Tingler must never be criticized by any employee, something his commenters were quick to point out, calling him a “freakin’ crybaby,” and assuring him nobody gave a shit about his hurt feelings, which to them are no more important than that pesky First Amendment thingy when it comes to Obamaman.
Underscoring MSNBC readers’ sentiments, Politico reports that it matters not one little whit what the Great Obandini does, people who vote love his dirty drawers and can’t wait to suck down as much of his KoolAid flavored bathwater as he deigns to distribute. In spite of all the documented Dagwood Bumstead-style bungles, stumbles, bumps and missteps of the neophyte Spokesmodel-In-Chief, his approval ratings are still off the charts. Go figure. Maybe they should poll the PUMAsphere, huh?
Meanwhile, in an underreported story from February 9, it seems Chicago school children are afraid to go to school for fear the teachers, not other students, will beat the crap out of them:
Hundreds of students have allegedly been beaten by teachers, coaches and staff at Chicago Public Schools. 2 Investigator Dave Savini continues his ongoing investigation involving the illegal use corporal punishment.
CBS2Chicago’s Savini reports finding an alarming number (eight hundred eighteen) of assaults against students, mostly going under-punished by authorities:
The 2 Investigators found reports of students beaten with broomsticks, whipped with belts, yard sticks, struck with staplers, choked, stomped on and pushed down stairs. One substitute teacher even fractured a student’s neck.
But even more alarming, in the vast majority of cases, teachers found guilty were only given a slap on the wrist.
This report comes on the heels of a February 4 report of the death of a 10 year old Evanston, Illinois student found hanging from a coat hook. The death was ruled a suicide, a finding with which the family disagrees.
What else? Oh, California’s broke, so they’re going to let all the prisoners go. Wonder if Obie’s Big Give and that Big Bailout of Turbo Tax Timmy Geithner, tax cheat (TTTG,tc) will help Chicago’s children or the citizens of California sleep better at night?
Illinois State University wants to know if the bell tolls for Black History Month now that the president is black. According to MSNBC, the jury’s still out on that one, which seems to tick this guy off. The New York Times prints an opinion piece by Alaa Al Aswany who complains that though Egyptian Muslims have love for Obama, they’re not feeling the love back, while our friend Sugar sounds off about the beheading of an American Muslim woman in Buffalo, New York by her jilted husband. Murphy cries for all of us about this and other things over at Puma Pac.
The peanut people still want you to feed their product to your kids even though they recalled peanut butter cookie dough from Austin, Texas schools today. Good thing the good folks at the Associated Press provide us with this handy list. Not sure if it matches this one, though. Oh, and mark your calenders, Peanut Butter and Jelly Day’s a-comin’ March 4.
And, last, but not least, the Obama family clebrates Valentine’s Day in the Rezko-subsidized Hyde Park empty house the president dramatically told goodbye just a few weeks ago. Must be cold sleeping on bare floors. Leaving his family to brave the elements without furniture in a barren home, the Persnickety President visited his friend’s gym. What’s up with that?
Anyway, that’s just a taste of the juicy little tidbits I tend to pick up news surfing week to week. So, for those of you with Valentines to share the day (and night) with, enjoy. For those, like me, who will spend the day cursing the Fates and shooting daggers from our eyes at the lovestruck, between loud verbal declarations of the foolishness of voluntarily plunging oneself into the pitfalls of romance, have a Scotch on me.
Nope. Though some folks would have you believe that, President Black Obama’s closest aides were not subpoenaed; the Cabbage Patch Weeble, impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s records regarding any conversations, papers, etc., he had concerning the Dynamic Duo were, on December 8. The next day, Blags was arrested, according to the media for trying to sell the only clean politician in Illinois state’s history’s curiously vacated Senate seat, the one that home girl Valerie Jarrett didn’t want, anyway, no matter what newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said. Then, Pope President proclaimed Blagojevich guilty and his buddies not, and passed sentence that Hot Rod should save the state time and money and take the “Frankie Five Angels” option and kill himself, politically speaking, and resign. Blago said, “Fuck you, and the unicorn you rode in on, Bozo Bitch.” Blaggy probably took that position because, even though a lot of his troubles arise from his relationship with Antonin Rezko, the slumlord never helped himbuy a house or housing project.
Back to the subpoenas. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who first pronounced judgment on Blagojevich in the press conference announcing his arrest, by matter-of-factly stating that he had Blags arrested to stop a criminal from committing worse crimes, obviously didn’t have enough to indict the obviously guilty Cabbage Patch Weeble, because he didn’t. He issued a 78 page complaint, arrested the guy, let him go on paltry bail, then asked for a 90 day extension to make his case, even with all the subpoenas, wiretapped conversations and new witnesses. However, once St. Pat got the hot little Axelfuck/Slumlady docs in his hand, and listened to the tapes, he hauled Jarrett, her buddy Rahm Emanuel, and her boss, Mr. Clean in for questioning, even though His Holiness had by now, officially cleared himself and annointed his staff with holy water.
By this point, the Axelrove Astroturfing was in full swing, with the press not only convicting Blago, but aiding and abetting the Illinois Congress in trying to kick him out of office on any number of grounds, most notably his demonstrable madness, caused by his Bob Big Boy hair growing inward as thickly as it does outwardly. Cabbage Patch said, “Suck my nuts, you ninnies, I ain’t going nowhere,” and appointed Roland Burris to Obuhbuh’s curiously vacated Senate seat to prove it. Once the Astroturf Army picked their jaws up off the floor, they used them to flap incessantly that Blag’s “audacity” proved his insanity as surely as Obuyme’s proved his divinity. It was on.
Since then, Blagojevich has prevailed, primarily because the political machinations of the media-enabled U.S. show government had no legal authority that would trump a sitting governor, so, we now move to the next phase, where the media-enabled political machinations of the Illinois show government rule. While CPW (Cabbage Patch Weeble) mounts his own media blitz protesting his kangaroo court “hanging” (he couldn’t use “lynching“, he’s white) the pissed off pols in the Land of Lincoln gleefully admit that they have the power to remove him from office based on unproven allegations against him because they’re not a court of law, but a Clinton impeachment-inspired political process (kangaroo court.)
But lawmakers quickly defended the process of a Democratic legislature ousting a two-term Democratic governor, noting Blagojevich’s complaints were an attempt to confuse the public by injecting criminal trial rights into an impeachment process that is purely political.
All the while, the ‘Turfers “report” the “important” facts against CPW, like the fact that his protestations “prove” his desperation, implying guilt, even though, any fool could see that anyone similarly ostracized and castigated, guilty or innocent, would likely run screaming, “Hey, listen to my side, you sanctimonious pricks!” to anybody who would listen. It’s not like lynch mobs are always right:
While Illinois history provides little guide to a Senate trial and conviction of a governor, the last impeachment in the nation’s history—the 1988 conviction and removal of controversial Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham—illustrates some things that could happen.
Mecham unsuccessfully fought to delay his impeachment trial until after his federal trial on corruption charges. Though he was removed from office, the Arizona Senate failed to muster the votes necessary to give Mecham the political death penalty and Mecham, who was acquitted of the corruption counts, lost races for governor in 1990 and U.S. senator two years later.
*UPDATE: According to the Chicago Tribune, Blagojevich had some intriguing things to say in his 2-part NBC interview with Amy Robach. While most news outlets are focusing on Blago’s statements regarding his reflections upon Ghandi, Dr. King, and Mandela, it seems the transcript reveals he made other statements worthy of note:
Maintaining his innocence in his interview with NBC, portions of which were aired Sunday and others to be aired Monday, Blagojevich said that upon his Dec. 9 arrest at his Northwest Side home, “I thought about Mandela, Dr. King, Gandhi and trying to put some perspective in all of this.”
At the same time, Blagojevich said “some national figures like Harry Reid,” the U.S. Senate majority leader from Nevada, “are frankly covering their own backside” by asking him to step down because of their discussions with him over the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. Blagojevich is accused of trying to peddle the seat for an Obama administration post, a high-paying job or other favors.
“And for me to just quit because some cackling politicians want to get me out of the way because there’s a whole bunch of things they don’t want known about them and conversations they may have had with me ….. would be to disgrace my children when I know I’ve done nothing wrong,” Blagojevich said in a transcript of the interview.
UPDATE II: John Kass of the Chicago Tribune has more here about the real reason for Blago’s lawyer, Ed Genson’s bailing out, among other things.
Guilty in the press, Rod Blagojevich not only came out swinging at a press conference today, he was kicking ass and taking names, like Valerie Jarrett, Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Rahm Emanuel. Calling himself an already hanged cowboy like in a “B” Western movie, he claimed the newly adopted Illinois Senate impeachment rules were stacked against him, and refused to participate in the upcoming kangaroo court impeachment trial, as his lawyers did last week:
The legal team that has represented embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich in impeachment proceedings in Springfield has stepped down in protest before the governor’s trial in the Illinois Senate, the Tribune has learned.
Blagojevich’s lawyers said the process has become “fundamentally unfair” because they have had too little time to prepare for the Senate trial and have been denied subpoena power to call their own witnesses.
Then, he called out the press, including the Chicago Tribune, whose editorial board members he is accused of trying to have fired, and basically demanded they stop ganging up on him and start editorializing for “fairness” on his behalf. The guy’s got cojones grande, you gotta give him that. The nerve to throw around phrases like, “due process ‘ and “presumption of innocence” like that! What chutzpah!
Another phrase fondly bandied about, “conspiracy theory,” reared it’s ugly head during the day’s proceeding, with the closed-minded “journalists” sneering, “So, you’re saying the entire Illinois political contingent is conspiring against you?” or words to that effect, as if such a thing not only doesn’t happen every day, has not happened very recently. While most “conspiracies” don’t rise to the level of a Dealey Plaza grassy knoll, or a Sirhan-Sirhan extra bullets theory, “let’s car pool and save gas,” is a conspiracy, and speculation about the vehicle occupants’ motivation would be a theory. But far more substantial conspiracies have been fixtures in the news even up until today, they just weren’t called what they are. Somebody conspired to get Caroline Kennedy considered for Hillary Clinton’s vacant Senate seat and colluded with the New York Times and other media outlets to push the failed idea; somebody conspired to try to get Al Franken seated in the Senate before Norm Coleman could possibly prevail at trial, likely colluding with the same media outlets involved in the Kennedy push; and the entire Democratic contingent of the United States Senate conspired to defy the law and prevent entry to its chambers by a duly appointed Senator, just because they felt like it. So, the possibility that the Democrats in Illinois, in collusion with the Republicans, have determined that ridding themselves of Rod Blagojevich is a good idea in their best interests is not that far-fetched; though various members of the conspiracy may well have vastly different motives. Some may find the criminal investigation into his activities as governor uncomfortable, some may feel his removal allows for an easier path for their ambition, some may wish to implement policies he opposes, some may, as he said, want to pump up the campaign issue. Hell, some just might not like the guy, or his hair. Whatever. Doesn’t mean that he’s wrong when he says they’ve all joined together to get him out of office.
The man hasn’t been formally charged with anything, no matter what the teeth-grindingly annoying Shepard Smith kept interjecting over the coverage until I had the good sense to change the freaking channel before I reached the “throw-something-at-the-TV-to-shut-him-up-cut-off-my-own-nose-to-spite-my-face” stage. It seems to me, impeaching a man based on allegations of things not yet even indictable, by conveniently adopted rules, is pretty unfair.
The Senate also approved rules for the trial, which is to begin Jan. 26. The rules govern issues such as issuing subpoenas. They also allow a majority of senators to override rulings by the judge.
Contrary to the news people who indignantly shouted that Blagojevich was not addressing the charges against him, by repeatedly calling out Barack Obama’s Three Stooges, Valerie, Rahm, and Jesse, as well as the Chicago Tribune, Hot Rod was making it very clear that he was not afraid to face them, or charges regarding them, in a court of law. In a move that is in many ways reminiscent of the “I appoint Roland Burris” big ballin’ “eff ewe,” this might be the biggest “eff ewe” of all.
NOTE I: “Adviser ‘B,’” referenced in the 78 page charging document filed by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald against Blago, has been recently identified as Frederick S. Yang, an executive with Peter D. Hart Research Group and Associated, the company where Geoff Garin, who took over Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign from Mark Penn, is a partner. From Fox News, Jan. 22:
In a Nov. 7 recorded conversation characterized by prosecutors, Yang told Blagojevich he “should leverage the President-elect’s desire to have ‘Senate Candidate 1′ (Jarrett) appointed to the Senate seat in order to get a head position” with a union organization called Change to Win.
The complaint alleges that Yang is on tape indicating that leveraging the Senate seat to Valerie Jarrett in return for the “Change to Win” position would insulate the President-elect. Further:
The union organization that figures in the complaint, Change to Win, is a 6 million-member coalition of unions that was started in 2005. Its members include the Service Employees International Union, the Teamsters and the United Farm Workers of America. Tom Balanoff, an official at SEIU’s Local 1 in Chicago, has been identified as the SEIU official mentioned several times in the Blagojevich complaint, including being identified as “an emissary” for the appointment of Jarrett.
SEIU is listed as a client of Peter D. Hart Research, which has conducted surveys for Change to Win, according to a union news release.
The same story appears here and a breakdown of the participants is here.
SideNOTE: SEIU endorsed Obama immediately prior to the Nevada caucus. He lost, anyway.
NOTE II: In other recent Blago news, the Hair Bear was quietly re-fingerprinted on the 21st, and his brother, Robert, caught on tape “as many as 50″ times himself, is not fighting the tapes’ release. Yet.
If the story first reported by the National Review’s Byron York is true, that President-elect Obama’s choice for Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner, not only neglected to pay his taxes but was reimbursed for the taxes he didn’t pay, it seems hard to justify anybody’s continued support for his confirmation.
The IMF did not withhold state and federal income taxes or self-employment taxes — Social Security and Medicare — from its employees’ paychecks. But the IMF took great care to explain to those employees, in detail and frequently, what their tax responsibilities were. First, each employee was given the IMF Employee Tax Manual. Then, employees were given quarterly wage statements for the specific purpose of calculating taxes. Then, they were given year-end wage statements. And then, each IMF employee was required to file what was known as an Annual Tax Allowance Request. Geithner received all those documents.
The tax allowance has turned out to be a key part of the Geithner situation. This is how it worked. IMF employees were expected to pay their taxes out of their own money. But the IMF then gave them an extra allowance, known as a “gross-up,” to cover those tax payments. This was done in the Annual Tax Allowance Request, in which the employee filled out some basic information — marital status, dependent children, etc. — and the IMF then estimated the amount of taxes the employee would owe and gave the employee a corresponding allowance.
At the end of the tax allowance form were the words, “I hereby certify that all the information contained herein is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and that I will pay the taxes for which I have received tax allowance payments from the Fund.” Geithner signed the form. He accepted the allowance payment. He didn’t pay the tax. For several years in a row.
Michelle Malkin has a follow-up which seems to corroborate York’s interpretation, and the story has also been picked up by AOL. A Wall Street Journal opinion piece questions the wisdom of allowing a man so incompetent with his own taxes to oversee everybody else’s. While some may dismiss these allegations as mere partisan griping, the questions, in my mind, seem fair. The New York Times‘ assertion that Geithner’s “skill” may trump concerns because if he were a bank he would be considered “too big to fail,” just sounds silly:
In better economic times, Mr. Geithner’s confirmation to be President-elect Barack Obama’s Treasury secretary might be in danger after the disclosure this week that he had paid more than $48,000 in delinquent taxes and interest. But with the economy so fragile, many senators are loath to rattle financial markets by rejecting someone with Mr. Geithner’s qualifications and international respect. By late Wednesday, Republicans as well as Democrats were predicting he would survive the controversy and be confirmed next week.
So, with the economy in the tank, what we really need is a tax cheat in charge of the government’s money? The 350 million bailout dollars Obama is fighting tooth and nail for should be turned over to this guy to spend? U.S. News and World Report’s Michael Barrone, who had dinner with the Obamessiah, (who promised to Astroturf Geithner through) seems to think so, even though he admits that he can understand why some Senators might be a little miffed:
If I were a senator, I’d be inclined to vote for the nomination of Timothy Geithner to be treasury secretary, for reasons suggested by Nina Easton. By all accounts, he’s very able and knowledgeable, and he’s already been part of the nation’s lead economic team as chairman of the New York Fed. And it’s very important to have a treasury secretary in place these days. But I have to say that his failure to pay self-employment tax is troubling and could certainly provide a reasonable basis for a senator to vote no. I have income from which no taxes are deducted and I make sure to pay my taxes on it (today, by the way, is the deadline for filing your quarterly returns). I can’t imagine what he was thinking when he didn’t pay.
CQ Politics claims that the Senate’s wussy response to charges, some of the sort that caused immediate outrage derailing other appointees in the past, is due to the overall wussiness of the current Congress and the Obama transition teams’ tap dancing ability. And, according to a David Brooks/Gail Collins New York Times article, the Astroturfing of the MSM to promote the president-elect’s Obamacanacracy philosophy is working way beyond anybody’s wildest expectations. From David Brooks:
As for me, My O-Meter is in the ascendant. I was very high on him about a year ago, then I soured a bit last summer, but now we’re peaking again. Not because he was thoughtful enough to have dinner with some of us right-leaners this week, but rather because his transition has surpassed all my expectations.
edit
It’s true, I did break bread with Obama. It was amazing. He was carried into the house by cherubs, Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey spread rose pedals on the carpet where he was about to walk and he very considerately asked me what vintage of wine I wanted my water turned into.
It’s not as clear that the last quote was as snarky as you would expect a right-winger’s comments to be, since Brooks basically waxes poetic about how impressed and comfortable he is with Obama. While Obama’s smartest pick, Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, rightfully sails through the confirmation process, and Tom Daschle’s appointment is quietly being held up in committee, look for the handiwork of Obama’s brain, political ventriloquist and Astro-gardener, David Asselfuck’s handiwork in smoothing the way for Geithner and Attorney General wannabe, Eric Holder, as well as in the media response to Obama’s stimulus plan and TARP request. Roland Burris will likely esacape any further Asslefuck media influence manipulation, now that he’s been sworn in, but the man who appointed him to the Senate, Rod Blagojevich, will continue to be Asslefucked into perdition.
Why would Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich beseech the legislative body determined to remove him from office based on allegations of wrongdoing to “find the truth and sort things out, to put the business of the people first?” Presiding over a “tense swearing in of the state Senate,” comprised of lawmakers who have made no secret that they’ve already made up their minds that he’s not only guilty of any and everything he has ever been accused of in his life, he’s beneath contempt, why doesn’t he just play along and act guilty? Is he crazy, or does he know something the rest of us can only guess at? From CBS News:
Impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich presided Wednesday over a tense swearing-in of the state Senate that must ultimately decide whether to oust him, telling the lawmakers he hopes they will “find the truth and sort things out.”
The Democratic governor was greeted by silence as he entered the Senate chamber through a back entrance, took the podium without introduction and banged a gavel to call the session to order. He mostly stuck to the formalities of overseeing the ceremony during the hour or so he presided over the chamber.
Meanwhile, lawyers for Blagojevich received a summons for his impeachment trial from the state Senate. Spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said the governor’s legal team accepted the summons from the Illinois Senate’s sergeant-at-arms.
The Senate also approved rules for the trial, which is to begin Jan. 26. The rules govern issues such as issuing subpoenas. They also allow a majority of senators to override rulings by the judge.
So, basically, the Senators can do whatever the heck they feel like doing as they fast track this done deal. Why the rush? If he is slime, he’s been slime for years. So, is it an attempt at face-saving revenge for his out-maneuvering the Democrats on the state and federal level by appointing Roland Burris as a replacement for Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat that they had no choice but to accept that motivates them now? Are they angered that his arrest and allegations of his long-term corruption reflects badly on all of them now that the election as president of one of their own puts them in the national spotlight? Or, is there more to it than that?
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the investigation that resulted in Blagojevich’s Dec. 9th arrest is more extensive than previously thought. More phones were tapped, and comings and goings into his campaign headquarters were being videotaped, and possibly still are.
Federal authorities used a video camera as part of their cache of tools to investigate Gov. Blagojevich in the final weeks of 2008 before his arrest, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
The camera, which likely was remote-controlled, was trained on the Friends of Blagojevich offices, 4147 N. Ravenswood, to help FBI agents identify individuals entering and leaving the campaign offices — and to identify who was talking on bugs agents covertly planted inside.
In addition, more phone lines and cell phones were tapped in the investigation than the government previously disclosed — including the cell phones of at least three members of the governor’s inner circle and two phones inside the campaign office — capturing dozens of individuals in the days when the governor was pondering a U.S. Senate pick and when horsetrading for the seat was rampant, sources said. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is likely among the numerous individuals recorded because he called Blagojevich’s campaign office Dec. 3 to discuss his preferences for the seat.
Poor Rod. He’s being run out of town on a rail by frightened villagers convinced he’s a threat to all that’s holy and decent. Standing before the angry mob of the Senate, fulfilling his constitutional obligations in pretty much presiding over his own impeachment, had to feel like he was being forced to load all the guns they were arming themselves with to point at his head and make him go. Makes you wonder why he’s not quite freaking out about it. After all, he could just quit.
Hillary Clinton, designated Lightning Rod Du Obacracy, was supposed to provide cover for all the other Obacrats having confirmation hearings this week by deflecting the wrath of the Mean Ol’ Republicans and any random remaining Democratic contrarians who might be looking for a way to tarnish the Obamessiah by seriously questioning their credentials. By all reports, Clinton held up her end of the bargain admirably, though her fellow Senate members, by and large, showed her the love she’s due. Sure, there were some “tough” questions about the Clinton Foundation for show, but no really tense moments; nothing she couldn’t handle. But, the dogs did find a scent to sniff, coming from a guy whose confirmation hearings are two days away. According to Politico, Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary-designate, has some issues about his personal taxes to ’splain:
Senators gathered Tuesday in an emergency meeting discussing the fate of Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner, who is under fire after a report that he neglected to pay payroll taxes for himself and employed a housekeeper whose immigration status had expired
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) raised questions today about the immigration status of the housekeeper, and is also questioning why Geithner did not pay Social Security and Medicare taxes when he worked at the International Monetary Fund, The Wall Street Journal first reported this afternoon.
The Senate Finance Committee has known about Geithner’s tax problems since Dec. 5, but the details are just being made public now, Senate aides said. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says Geithner made a “serious mistake” but adds that the allegations are not enough to “disqualify” Geithner from consideration.
Since the Finance Committee has known about these problems for over a month, the obvious question is, why was the information withheld until now? The equally obvious answer, of course, is that with the controversy surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and the brewing scandal swirling around New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s own “pay-to-play” allegations, it just never seemed like a good time. Then again, to be fair, it’s not like a Treasury Secretary who doesn’t pay his own taxes is any more of a big deal than, oh, say, a Secretary of State who likes to fight, or an Education Secretary whose kids couldn’t read, or a homeless Housing and Urban Development guy would be, right? Besides, it’s not like getting out in front of a controversy is ever really a smart thing to do, is it? After all, little problems with domestic help have never bothered anybody before. A candidate for Attorney General who has legal issues might have a lot more ’splainin’ to do.
Obacrats are going to be choking on that one every time they have to utter the word, “Senator” in front of the name “Roland Burris,” which is going to be a lot, since he is the junior senator from Illinois. Now that the last petulantly and arbitrarily enforced roadblock has been inevitably removed, the always done deal is all but…done. Since anybody whose brainwave shows more activity on an EEG than a flat line could figure out that it was the Obacrats in Illinois who figured that removing the non-Obacrat governor, Rod Blagojevich, from office so that an Obacrat could be installed, who would then appoint one of their number in the head Obacrat’s (the Obamessiah, himself) seat on their way to 60, would be a good idea, I say, no better for them. Knowing that the beleaguered governor was perpetually under investigation by the Feds, dangling the “juicy plum” of Obama’s Senate seat in font of his face had to seem like a nifty way to get him on tape doing something stupid enough to get him arrested and maneuvered out of office under threat of impeachment, hopefully before the inauguration. Otherwise, why resign the seat as soon as Obama did, earlier than anybody in history? Too bad they didn’t think it through.
Chicago Tribune columnist, Eric Zorn, sees a parallel between Burris and soon-to-be-confirmed Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton:
From day one, the effort to prevent Burris from being seated looked like a sore-loser attempt to re-write the rules after the fact–kind of like Hillary Clinton’s campaign last spring to have the Florida and Michigan primaries count.
Not quite, Eric. The Obacrats, in this instance, underestimated Blagojevich’s testicular fortitude, and overestimated their own. Believing that they could once again manipulate public opinion enough to nullify an opponent and the law was a big gamble that this time, didn’t pay off. Even the backing of the Big Brotherhood in Washington wasn’t enough for them to prevail, as it had been in May with the similar media/rule manipulation of the Florida and Michigan situation. Then, “da roolz” could be enforced to Obama’s advantage, subject to only the cherry picked interpretation of the Obacratic Party, now, “da roolz” were superseded by the laws of the land. Besides, Clinton, with her hands tied as they were, what with her desiring a future in what remains of the Democratic wing of the Obacratic party, didn’t have the luxury of being able to engage in the kind of bare knuckle, knockdown-drag out political street fighting that the desperate, back-to-the-wall on-his-way-out-the-door Blagojevich was similarly cornered into.
In the end, both Clinton and Blagojevich ultimately got far more out of the “go for bad” baby gangster Obacrats than the “pretender-playa,” tough guy “Chicago Way” wannabees were prepared to give. Makes you wonder what the future holds for conflict resolution in the coming Obama administration, doesn’t it?
I’m beginning to think that the art of politics (if there is such a thing) is the ability to get strangers to pretend to understand when you talk nonsense out of both sides of your mouth. Unfortunately, that is also today’s definition of journalism. That makes looking for turds of political wisdom among the media bullshit as much fun as a scavenger hunt in a sewer. And just as obvious.
Politico is reporting that there are landmines ahead for ever-prepared policy wonk, Hillary Clinton, in her upcoming Senate confirmation hearings because she’s married to Bill and she ran against the man who appointed her, while at the same time (same article) reporting that her confirmation hearings are scheduled for only one day and everybody thinks she’ll be confirmed “speedily.”
Rasmussen Reports tells us that “lots” of people, 75% in fact, plan to watch at least “some” of the first black president-elect’s upcoming inauguration, with 28% planning to watch it “all,” while you couldn’t pay 21% to watch “any” of it. They don’t tell us how many people plan to watch “for sure,” but 61% of black people will watch “all” the festivities, because he’s black, too, while only 22% of whites feel the same way, because they’re not. Since the stupid networks show every indication of airing every aspect of the stupid inauguration festivities over and over until we “all” puke, I think it’s significant that 21% obviously won’t be turning on their televisions, reading a paper or surfing the net in the foreseeable near future.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s recent support of Rod Blagojevich’s appointee for Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, Roland Burris, should score her some major points with black voters and colleagues who pretty much liked her anyway, according to CQ Politics. Fienstein’s support registered well with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, though her reasoning had nothing to do with his skin color; rather, she cited a quaint little concept known as “the law.”
Feinstein’s bold stance on a no-brainer issue nonetheless puts her at odds with her Senate colleagues intent upon prolonging what amounts to a pissing contest during a circle jerk. Those opposing Burris’ seating because he was appointed by a guy they consider to be a slimeball, (presumably not because he was involved in shady pay-to-play scams, but because he got caught; nobody’s calling for Bill Richardson’s head or for his duties to be suspended; probably because he doesn’t have a Senate seat to sell like Blago and barely Governor Patterson) are suddenly trying to figure out how to zip up their wet pants and look presentable without washing their hands now that they realize that the curtain’s open and people are watching.
What do you do when you pick the guy you like to give the invocation at your inauguration, in order to make nice with the people who didn’t vote for you, if the people who did vote for you hate him? Why, you find somebody the people who like you will like, too, and invite him to speak at another event, call it an “inauguration…something” and, sell it on EBaythe internet.
No, what has sent the country into a Happy Days-inspired leap from reality is the recent propensity of popular culture icons to embrace the ridiculous as it relates to Barack Obama. You’d think they’d never seen a black president before, or something. First Ms. Magazine, in a move that makes “The View” and “Playgirl” seem radical by comparison, boasted an improbable cover touting Obama’s non-existent feminist creds, going so far as to depict him as the women’s movement’s very own super hero, a giant leap up, in the wrong direction, from Prince Charming or Barbie’s Ken.
But the “fridge was nuked” waaaay over the rainbow shark when Marvel Comics equally (more) improbably paired Obama with a real-as-it-gets superhero, Spiderman, in it’s latest edition, because the future Geek-In-Chief was once a collector. I shit kid you not.
The Barack Obama rage has now taken the comic world by storm. Reportedly the president will feature along with the superhero ‘Spiderman’. The fact that the US-president elect was a Spidey collector as a kid, has inspired the Marvel Comics to feature the ‘icon’ for the children’s book.
“When we read that we thought, ‘Oh my God the future Commander-in-chief is actually the future nerd-in-chief,’ the New York Daily News quoted Joe Quesada, Marvel’s top editor, as saying. “With a geek in the White House , we just had to give him a shout back. It’s just the coolest thing ever,” Quesada added.
Unlike Ms., at least they didn’t give the Obamessiah undeserved super powers. Maybe by this time next week, or more likely, the week after, since “lots” of us will be eating nachos and watching the Super Bowl of Politics on cable next week, (I wonder if they’ll have cool new commercials?) we’ll find out that the wheels on the Obabus are actually jet-propelled wings or something. I’m sure a rocket fueled, Acme Co. E-ject-O driver’s seat is too much to ask for.
Uh-oh. The Obacrats, with their shaky grasp on the law, coupled with their pre-school level truculence are going down on the Roland Burris appointment. Burris, who seems to be a mild-mannered, harmless enough sort, nonetheless, also seems to have the ramrod backbone of any narcissist personally challenged. None of this matters one whit, however, the bottom line is, Roland Burris is the duly appointed, by the sitting governor, replacement for Barack Obama’s Senate seat. Period. And, there’s nothing in the law that says the Obacrats have to like it.
It’s not like they weren’t warned. Blagojevich made it clear that he was the governor, exercising his duty in making a appointment. Rep. Bobby Rush helpfully pointed out, that contrary to the misguided wishes of the clueless political allies of Barack Obama, black doesn’t cancel black, whenever you have black people involved, you have a racial element to consider. And deal with. Now, Roland Burris is channeling his inner Malcolm X. In an appearance on Face the Nation, Burris, a relatively savvy politician, had a lot to say, and let it be known that with the inauguration coming up, the president-elect doesn’t need this sort of “distraction,” that contrary to the Obacrats’ earlier stated position, things were now indeed about him, and he planned to be seated. One of the more interesting statements was the invocation of the spirit of the man whose memory still causes sphincters to clinch and spines to tingle in certain segments of American society:
“Well, don’t you feel you’re being used by someone who is just trying to save his political skin?” Schieffer asked.
“Whatever means necessary,” Burris said, paraphrasing the 1960s radical Malcolm X. “I have nothing to do with the governor’s motives. What we needed was something to be done for the people of Illinois. That was his constitutional duty. That was his responsibility. The Illinois Constitution does not say the governor ‘may’ or the governor ‘might’ or the governor ’should.’ Bob, it says the governor ’shall’ appoint a person to fill the vacancy. That’s what happened.”
Now, the Obacrats who refused to act to nullify the powers invested in re-elected Governor Rod Blagojevich upon the event of his arrest, presumably because an accusation of criminal activity is not enough to empower them to do so, are desperately trying to erase the line in the sand they insisted upon drawing and trying to hide behind.
It didn’t have to be this way, President-elect Barack Obama could have held on to his Senate seat like Vice President-elect Jo(k)e Biden, and Secretary of State-designate, Hillary Clinton held on to theirs. PUMA sites, among others, including this one, have questioned this particular move since Day One. Why the rush to distance himself from his own Senate seat? Are we supposed to believe the Smartest President In the Room didn’t know that the governor of his state was under investigation? Everybody else did. Why give him yet another, irresistable opportunity to implicate himself? Or, was that the point? And if so, to what end? Is Obama so high above the kind of “pay-to-play” corruption seemingly so rampant in his home city and state that he need fear no blowback from any possible investigation, or, might he be motivated by a desire to deflect attention from himself by shining the brightest light imaginable on an inconvenient rival? Had Obama not relinquished the seat, there’s no guarantee Blagojevich would have been arrested before the inauguration, (andU.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s traditional replacement) if at all, since he had already been under investigation for 5 years without indictment.
Despite all their combined years of political experience, the Obacrats, under their rookie leader, seem to have forgotten one of the basic tenets of politics and life; when you play with fire, you’re gonna get burnt. Yet, that is precisely what the Obacrats tried to do with the Blagojevich situation, fan the flames ignited by a random spark from their deliberately dropped match, then attempt to juggle the embers. Too bad the fact that it is a fire of their own making does not render it any more safe.
That something so obviously a no-brainer is being seriously debated by lawmakers is so beyond the pale as to be unfathomable. If the Obacrats already had power to nullify Blagojevich in any way, why would they be so adamant about him resigning? Besides, what on earth about a Blagojevich resignation now would invalidate Roland Burris’ appointment? And, more importantly, does anybody really want to open the door to allowing the Senate to legally deny Americans employment simply because the person who lawfully hired them has been convicted only in the court of public opinion, without benefit of indictment or trial?
You can’t surf the news sites without reading a superfluity of stupidity as it regards our first black president-elect. Like this nugget from America’s TV Dad, Bill Cosby, who believes that because Barack and Michelle Obama are the personification of the values his television family projected, as opposed to the real family he came from and doesn’t talk about, they are, in his opinion, the standard the rest of us dysfunctional black families miserably fail to meet. Which of course, means he’s been right all along when he calls us shiftless, irresponsible bad examples. From Politico:
“Who is Barack Obama and what did he tell us, when he talked about his mother? What was it he was saying when he said his mother woke up, 4:30 in the morning…to correct his homework, to get it done?” Cosby asked rhetorically. “Let’s listen to Michelle Obama who talks about her father with a disease, but he doesn’t call in work and say, let me call in later. He gets up an hour earlier.”
“Her father with a disease?“ Does she have another, disease-free, one? Presumably, he would have been able to get up early and let the sick one sleep in, relieving some of the burden, but I digress. And, didn’t Obama say his mother would wake him up to “take correspondence courses,” so, what does it say? White people in Indonesia stay up late just to torment their children? But, like I said, I digress.
While reading another article, this one about the Man Taking The Huxtable Torch of Camelot’s (when Caroline’s not using it) upcoming inaugural presidential trip to Canada, I was reminded of last month’s news that he wanted to make a Really Big Important Speech on Islam in a Muslim capital as soon as he was sworn in.
Barack Obama says his presidency is an opportunity for the U.S. to renovate its relations with the Muslim world, starting the day of his inauguration and continuing with a speech he plans to deliver in an Islamic capital.
And when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20, he plans to be sworn in like every other president, using his full name: Barack Hussein Obama.
Naturally, a couple things jumped out at me. First, I don’t think any other presidents were sworn in using the name Barack Hussein Obama, but I could be mistaken. Second, I thought his middle name was Steve. I also wondered just how many Muslims live in Canada and just when it became a hot bed of Islamic activity. Turns out, it’s not, not with Muslims making up only 2% of the population. So, I guess the Canada thing is just the first stop on an upcoming Official Rock Star Presidential Winter World Tour Avoiding The Troops, and a good chance to make up for that NAFTA-gate thing in the primaries. All that’s left to be decided is which Muslim capital will let him talk without starting shit global conflict.
Now, I know being president is hard, the last guy who effectively proved that the country could pretty much run itself into the ground without one told us that. A lot. So, I understand why a president-elect would practice multi-tasking, like having a photo-op at a legendary local soul food (black owned) eatery on a weekend to try to divert attention from the previous week’s bad news while grabbing a bite at the same time. It just seems strange that one would chose to add to one’s indigestion with a quarter pound beef and pork sausage with chili sauce and a side of cheese (not Velveeta) fries. Unless of course, bumping up one’s street cred was an essential element of said multi-tasking photo-op:
After Obama’s motorcade wandered through the U street district, passing the African-American Civil War Memorial and a flee market selling shirts that bear his face, he and Fenty surprised the restaurant around lunchtime. Patrons shrieked with delight and surprise as they saw his face. A mother blushed as Obama held her baby in his arms. The president-elect and the mayor moved slowly through the restaurant’s crowded rooms, shaking hands and getting pictures taken with patrons.
Still, they came there to eat. “Where the food at?” he finally asked the counter staff, drawing laughs from them and nearby patrons.
“Where the food at?“ I hope Cliff Cosby wasn’t listening, he’s got a thing about Ebonics. Besides, Obama doesn’t have to pander to the brotherhood, he’s good no matter how close he gets to Cosby. No, the black thing Obama should be worrying about, the one that’s giving him indigestion and threatening to blow his gig is that Roland Burris has let it be known he’s about to act ugly. While it might be all too true that keeping people busy looking into Rod Blagojevich’s business has the added (primary?) benefit of keeping noses out of Obama’s, pissing off Burris doesn’t seem to be a good way to do it, no matter what Big Dick Durbin says Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn can do:
Burris and his advisers, armed with both the Blagojevich appointment and White’s certification, are refusing to back down in their dispute with the Senate leadership, and they now want to increase the pressure on Reid and Durbin to accept him as the newest senator from Illinois.
“We are frustrated after doing everything we could to cooperate and to help diffuse this unfortunate situation,” said the Burris adviser. “We made a genuine effort to be respectful and to minimize our level of confrontation. But Reid and Durbin have forced our hands and have called into question their own credibility to be trusted as honest negotiators. They’re now nearly guaranteeing that there will be a direct confrontation on the week of inaugural.”
The adviser also said that having Quinn appoint an Obama successor is illegal and that Blagojevich’s appointment must stand.
“The option to have Quinn make a Senate appointment is not legal,” the adviser said. “The governor’s appointment can’t be retroactively revoked. Illinois already has two senators.”
Stop the presses! Hold the phone! Batten the hatches! Hold that line! Tote that barge! Lift that b…Okay, I get carried away, sometimes, but this is news! Barack Obama, the man who raised begging to a fine art, and cleverly figured out how hundreds of big donors could give him Googles googols of dollars by pretending to be some of the “millions of little donors” he hit up electronically every five minutes, has actually (I think for the very first time, ever!) sent out an e-mail asking not for money, but…wait for it…love. (insert celestial Hallelujah choir here) Well, not exactly love as you and I know it, but love in the political sense; and not love for him, per se; he wants you to fuck love his buddy, but that’s not the point! The point is, well, he’s not just a clueless political whore…okay, maybe that’s going too far. He is asking regular people for advice on how to do the job they elected (and paid for?) him to do, after all. So says the L.A. Times:
Word has just been received at The Ticket that President-elect Barack Obama sent out an actual e-mail today without asking for more money from tired donors. No, really.
Andrew Malcolm, who wrote the piece, goes on to point out how even some of Obi-WanNaBeKing’s staunchest KoolAid drunk, hopium high thumb suckers are “way over this thing” and that Bill Clinton just asked for money to throw his former buck-dancing shoe shine boy (let Obie and the Obatocrats tell it) the Best Inaugural Wingding For A Black Guy In A Recession Ever. Then, he gets to the juicy part:
Now comes word, via the Swamp, that Obama actually dispatched an electronic missive earlier today praising as “an ideal leader” Virginia’s Gov. Tim Kaine, Obama’s newly named part-time chair of the Democratic National Committee. “Gov. Kaine has seen the power of the 50-state strategy firsthand,” says the president-elect’s message. “And under his leadership, Democrats will continue to organize and compete in every corner of our country”
Then, Obama asks for — wait for it! – not money, but questions from grass-roots Democrats that Tim will answer in a video on the DNC’s website. Amazing!
Did you catch that? The email takes a shot at Howard Dean for no apparent reason. What’s up with that? Is that the biggest “eff ewe” since Blago picked Burris, or what? Talk about a political whore who even stole for a pimp and doesn’t even get a tip on the nightstand… or, however that works…I’m not exactly sure…ahem…anyway, (coughing and moving on)…They admit in the email that Kaine is going to just Bogart Howie’s strategy and kick him straight to the curb and under the bus, and that Timmy is so clueless that he needs advice from cloud-headed, sticky-fingered, one-hand typists.
Freakin’ amazin’.
But, you know, the Love Buddies just might be lookin’ for it in all the wrong places.
The Washington Times has a transcript of the full Dean-dissing email text from the DNC which promises to build on the strategy of He Who Is Barely Mentioned while remaking the party in the Obamacan mold. They also point out that there is a donate button at the bottom, but I guess since it excludes the blinking arrows and flashing lights pointing to it that most Oba-missves have, it qualifies as non-solicitation. Anyway, how long can this guy go on asking for money? Didn’t he already get elected, or did I just dream that? Could it be, dare I say it…is there hope? Nah. But before he asks people for money again, maybe he could get somebody to watch a couple of episodes of My House Is Worth What? before they compose the email. Won’t get him anymore money, but it might make some of the emails he gets back easier to read.
Wheeeee! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved to spin. Shoulda been a journalist. Or an Obatician, but nah, that sounds like a doctor who only delivers little Baracks. I shudder to think. Even though, it would be kinda cool to be a Mainstream Media Barackaspinner, (talk about redundant) I could make stuff up about him and pretend like it was true and nobody would say anything. Anyway, a love of spinning would come in handy for just about anybody, since the drivel the professional spinners spin is almost comprehensible only when you’re already dizzy.
Where to begin? Well, I could start with this obsession pseudo-journalists with unnatural attractions to Barack Obama seem to have. Maybe it’s their natural response to his feminine side, recently discovered by Ms. Magazine, but, whatever the reason, they just seem to feel compelled to pledge their assistance to the President-In-Distress. Whether he falters or not. First, there was He of the Wet and Tingly Leg, who not only soars to on-air orgasmic heights at the mere sound of the object of his affections’ voice, but was moved to declare his need to prostrate (prostate?) himself at his true love’s feet, if ever necessary. It’s his job, after all.
Maybe it’s not about Barack(a) Obama, maybe Joe Scarborough spikes his guest’s coffee with truth serum or scotch or something that makes them confess their darkest fantasies, but not to be outdone, and to prove that Obama man-love is post-racial, Tavis Smiley also declared his undying love on Morning Joe; and he seemed to be highly insulted that anyone would dare question such a thing:
Of course, how could anyone, male or female, not love a (wo)man who wears his misogynist-stomping SuperUniform under his(her) daily business attire? Sexxxxaaaayyy.
In other news on this side of the looking glass, the Obacrats just can’t help doing everything they can to make even their staunchest supporters scratch their heads and go, “Huh? Who the fuck elected these guys?” While the God-fearing Obamessiah, who has only been to church once since he kicked his former pastor under the bus, and that was to diss all the black men white people write about now who are inspired by, but too lazy and irresponsible to be like him, scampers above the turbulent waters of corruption that sustain his hometown, his acolytes continue to stumble and bump into each other like blind men in broad daylight.
Democrats angry over the botched handling of the Roland Burris imbroglio are putting the blame on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin and President-electBarack Obama — even as new legal developments in Illinois throw the issue back to the Senate again.
Democratic sources say that Reid and Durbin underestimated the storm that would be caused by their attempt to deny a seat to a 71-year-old African-American.
“Reid operates in this tight, little circle with Durbin and [Sen. Charles] Schumer and [Sen. Patty] Murray,” complained one veteran Democratic senator, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “He needs to talk to more people, and maybe these kinds of situations won’t occur again.”
Other Democratic insiders put some of the blame on Obama, complaining that he kept his distance from the Burris controversy then jumped in at the end to claim the mantle of peacemaker — much as he did in the flap over Sen. Joe Lieberman’s support of Republican John McCain’s presidential bid.
“A lot of people were pissed” with how the Burris situation was handled, said a Democratic source involved in the discussions.
Doesn’t seem likely that anybody’s going to get un-pissed any time soon either. Even though the fact that Blago’s pick should be seated is a no-brainer since he’s still the governor and even if he is impeached it doesn’t invalidate anything he did before he’s inevitably convicted, and nobody in their right mind would even want to come close to suggesting such a thing, Dick Durbin seems confused enough to…suggest such a thing. Hanging his hat on a technicality already invalidated by the Illinois Supreme Court, namely that it matters not whether petulant Ill. Sec. of State Jesse White signs Burris’ hall pass, Durbin insists on standing behind his line in the sand. From AP-Yahoo News:
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Friday that Roland Burris should not be seated in the U.S. Senate because he has failed to get the secretary of state’s signature on his appointment to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the chamber.
edit
Durbin noted that if Blagojevich is convicted at his state Senate impeachment trial, he will no longer be the governor and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will take over.
“I think it’s best to suspend activities in the filling of that vacancy until that impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate is concluded,” Durbin said. He said Quinn could “then have the authority to make this appointment in a clean, legal way and make his recommendation and his appointment known to the United States Senate.”
Gee, I’m not a lawyer, but, I wonder which law allows the Senate to suspend a sitting Governor’s powers?
“Don’t let the door hitcha where the good Lord splitcha!” Barack Obama, who thinks he’s already president, (a step down, in my opinion, from his current position, Grand Poohbah of All He Surveys) didn’t even have the decency to say that much publicly to PUMA nemesis Howard Dean’s face. At one of his innumerable mandatory demands for media attention, this time announcing what the world already knew, (like he always does) Tim Kaine as new Democratic National Committee Chair, Camp ObamaWorship made sure former Chair, and architect of the 50 State Strategy Obama stole and molded to his will, was thousands of miles away being…DNC Chair. From Politico:
The conspicuous absence of Howard Dean from Thursday’s press conference announcing Tim Kaine’s appointment as Democratic National Committee chair was no accident, according to Dean loyalists.
Rather, they say, it was a reflection of the lack of respect accorded to the outgoing party chairman by the Obama team.
Despite leading the party in consecutive triumphant election cycles – as well as through off-year races like when Kaine was elected Virginia governor in 2005 – Dean has become all but invisible since Election Day, passed over for the Cabinet position he coveted and apparently not in line for another administration post.
Indeed, when President-elect Barack Obama introduced Kaine at party headquarters Thursday afternoon, Dean was 7,023 miles and seven time zones away, closer to French Polynesia than Washington, doing party grunt work in American Samoa.
In the article largely critical of Obama’s snub, until they get to the contractually obligated part where they have to find somebody to offer an opinion that justifies Obie’s actions, Politico chronicles just how pissed off Dean and his allies are. One of the people they found to make nice was Dean himself, (well, not actually Dean, but a tape of Dean) who, in an MSNBC Hardball interview with the Leg Tingler Who Will Not Run, conducted before Dean was banished to the other side of the world, said he was happy with the job he’d done, Obama was “da bomb,” no hard feelings, blah, blah, blah. But, because it’s hard for even psuedo- compromised journalists (especially a right leaning one writing about the left) to sacrifice every shred of their integrity and dignity under their own byline, Jonathan Martin couldn’t help himself from including this juicy morsel from Dean about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s defiant appointment of Roland Burris at the very end:
“You gotta hand it to Blagojevich,” said Dean of the embattled Illinois governor’s brazen appointment of Roland Burris to succeed Obama in the Senate. “What a maneuver! What a maneuver! When his back was against the wall he outsmarted a lot of people.”
Et tu, Howie? Looks like more and more Dems are going to sleep at night with visions of hidden knives dancing in their heads.
“What’s that you say Boopie? You feel like the bigots your friends colleagues in the Good Ol’ Boys Club you front for are starting to show their true colors? Starting to turn their backs on you? Trying to keep you “in your place?” (Insert peppy Dixie music here) Well, tough toenails, Toots! They are!”
Harry Reid’s “he’s not the boss of me” comments are a sure sign all is not well in ObaLand. Dianne Feinstein’s “who does he think he is, he fucked up” sentiments are another. But, the clearest signal that Obama’s on his own if he thinks he’s really in charge of anything came today, with the dissent expressed by certain Senators, like Kent Conrad, John Kerry, and Ron Wyden willing to go on record that they’re not on board with the Teflon TelePrompTer Reader’s stimulus plan. From the Associated Press:
President-elect Barack Obama’s proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn’t do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama’s stimulus plan.
Reid’s “caught on tape” comments about Blagojevich’s potential picks for replacements to Barack Obama’s Senate seat reflect either his bigotry or stupidity; maybe both since he doesn’t seem to have sense enough to be quiet. Claiming concern for “electability” Reid sought assurances from Blags that he would reject 3 black politicians in favor of his approved list of acceptable ones. In lieu of evidence of some other rationale, one would have to conclude that race was Reid’s deciding factor. The stupid part is, Illinois is the only state in the Union with a recent history of electing black Senators. Given that the racial component inherent in his “standing in the Senate door” to block Burris’ appointment was getting played up by more entities in more places than race-baiting Bobby Rush at Blago’s press conference, Reid publicly involved Burris in his attempt at absolution. From Salon:
Majority Leader Harry Reid and his deputy, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, met with Burris Wednesday morning. In a press availability that followed, Reid repeatedly complimented Burris personally, and addressed the racial issues that have bubbled up throughout the controversy, saying, “One of the first things he said to us, hey, this is nothing that’s racial, I understand that. So a lot of people tried to make this a racial issue, but Roland Burris has not and will not.”
When they go out of their way to tell you what something isn’t, it usually gives you a good idea just exactly what it is. At any rate, cracks are showing in the Democrats’ united front, some of which involve black people, and there’s a black guy supposedly in charge. How they play these realities says a lot about…well…a lot of things. Especially about the guy in charge. The truth is, as long as the facts are what they are, some people will exploit them to their advantage, while others will be victimized by them, just like they were in the primaries and general election.
Let’s face it, Obie, the Unity Pony is on life support. So, either get on your knees and start blowing in it’s mouth, or kick the training wheels off the shiny new President bike you got for Christmas and drive the bad guys off into the sunset. Strap it up Cowboy, we’ve seen this movie before.
Oh, and be careful with this Blagojevich impeachment thing. If you don’t have enough ammo to finish him off, you might be better off leaving him alone. Cornered wounded animals can get a bit testy.
As anybody in the PUMAsphere could have told them, and did, the Keystone Kops of the coming Obacratic administration have been forced to begin furiously backpedaling from their ridiculous perch on their improbably high horse and do what everyone with a modicum of common sense knew they were going to have to do all along, seat Governor Rod Blagojevich’s pick to replace Barack Obama in the Senate, Roland Burris. This was a no-brainer for even the Sesame Street set. Even the pre-toilet training crowd knows you can’t take your ball and go home just because you don’t like somebody.
And, now that Blagojevich has played the acolytes of the Teflon TeleprompTer Reader with the virtuosity of Itzhak Perlman on his prized Stradivarius, the world now knows something else PUMAs have been saying all along, Obama is playable. It’s worth remembering however, it’s easy to kick somebody’s butt who’s fond of bending over and showing their ass. But, you’ve gotta wonder, if the guys now in charge are so gullible as to fall for the okey-doke and cave to the game of the first poofy haired crook who comes along, what’s to make anybody think they would fare any better in a real crisis? Pointless, impotent saber rattling in a pissing contest only ensures you’re gonna get wet. Butching up after the Golden Shower, as the Illinois Obacrats are trying to do with their impeachment chest beating, doesn’t make you look, smell, or feel much better, either.
While Blago’s chess move, beautifully executed, effectively put the Obacrats in check, it wasn’t particularly innovative, and shouldn’t have been unexpected. He basically castled, or switched places with his rook, giving himself cover. The Obacrats, trying to play political chess the “Chicago Way,” i.e., like a game of X-treme football on steroids, predictably proved to be way out of their league. With their rookie quarterback, combined with their own lack of experience and questionable testosterone levels, they were toast from the coin toss. And, they’d barely even lined up for the kick-off before they fumbled.
With the world of hurt we inhabit getting more painful by the second, the Rookie Quarterback Who Would Be King is giving interviews on the sidelines, reading stock answers to new questions from his portable, soon-to-be-patented TelePrompTerToGo. But when even his favorite cheeleaders like Dana Milbank and Howard Fineman start pointing and laughing in his face, can a blindside tackle from the sidelines be far behind? One thing we can be sure of, though, when the going gets tough, the Puff will probably punt the pawn.
As the wheels on the Barack Obama “Obus” seem to be improbably blowing out simultaneously, all over the ever-increasing hordes of former sycophants he’s so fond of tossing under it, there’s evidence that a new driver just might be reporting for duty who can get it rolling again. The Associated Press is reporting that Dianne Feinstein is disappointed enough with the way things have been going to take the wheel and do something about it. In a rare show of leadership by anybody in the budding Obama administration, Feinstein, reacting to the Obacrat’s indefensibly juvenile actions and positions regarding the appointment of Roland Burris by emabattled Governor Rod Blagojevich to replace President-elect Obama in the Senate, showed she’s got eggs:
The chairman of the Senate Rules Committee has parted with many of her Democratic colleagues and says that the Senate should seat former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said Tuesday that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, however tainted by corruption charges, has the right to appoint someone to President-elect Barack Obama’s former seat. The Rules Committee decides whether Burris is qualified to serve.
Feinstein said that blocking Burris would have ramifications for other governors’ appointments.
Burris was blocked from assuming his legally appointed seat on ticky-tack procedural issues he plans to fight, by Obacrats miffed about Blagojevich’s legal troubles. That those troubles have the potential to reach out and bite a number of them in the ass, including the President-elect, has absolutely nothing, nothing, ya hear me? to do with anything! Harry Reid, the most cluelessly disingenuous buffoon in the bunch, is reportedly captured on one of the same tapes that snagged Blagojevich, dictating to the Governor that 3 black contenders for Obama’s vacant seat not be considered. The illogical non-logic put forth by Sir Miss A-Lot is that such candidates would have difficulty being elected. Since the most obvious thing they have in common is race, it seems that Reid is concerned that the people of the only state to send 2 black Senators to Congress are…what, racially tapped out? Rahm Emanuel, who himself had called Blagojevich before being appointed White House Chief of staff to put forth a candidate, Valerie Jarrett, over Blagojevich’s own reported pick, rival Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, supposedly advanced Reid’s call. From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones.
Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election.
Emanuel, Jarrett and Obama have all lawyered up and been interviewed in connection with the pay-to-play scandal, possibly due to information gleaned from wiretapped Blagojevich conversations, one of which was played for Emanuel by authorities desirous of jogging his spotty memory. But the impending clouds of doom hang only over the poofy-haired head of Blagojevich.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Feinstein has also been critical of Obama and the Obacrats in regards to the president-elect’s choice for CIA Director, Leon Panetta…
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who this week begins her tenure as the first female head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she was not consulted on the choice and indicated she might oppose it.
“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA director,” Feinstein said. “My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”
…a media-reported unofficial pick Obama is now seeming to be laying the groundwork for backing away from. The New York Times transcript of today’s “media availability” (doncha love it?) contains this exchange after a reporter asked him about Panetta:
Obama: Well, as you noted, I haven’t made – haven’t made a formal announcement about my intelligence team.
(cell phone rings)
Obama: That may be him calling now… finding out where it’s at.
Obama: I have the utmost respect for Leon Panetta. I think that he is one of the finest public servants that we have. He brings extraordinary management skills, great political savvy, an impeccable record of integrity.
As chief of staff, he is somebody who – to the president – he’s somebody who obviously was fully versed in international affairs, crisis management, and had to evaluate intelligence consistently on a day-to-day basis.
Having said all that, I have not made an announcement. When we make the announcement, I think what people will see is, is that we are putting together a top-notch intelligence team that is not only going to assure that I get the best possible intelligence unvarnished, that the intelligence community is no longer geared towards telling the president what they think the president wants to hear, but instead are going to be delivering the information that the president needs to make critical decisions to keep the American people safe.
And, thoroughly in keeping with the tendencies of a WestWing-inspired leader of the Gang Who Couldn’t Shoot Straight, who brings a gun to a knife fight to prove that though skinny, he’s tough, and who preens and postures for the sheer adolescent pleasure of being a blowhard playing dress-up, Obama is said to be close to appointing CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta as Surgeon General, for no apparent good reason, which of course, the obviously soon-to-be-renamed Obama News Network is thrilled to talk up:
The Obama transition team approached Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, about becoming U.S. surgeon general, according to sources inside the transition and at CNN.
Gupta was in Chicago, Illinois, in November to meet with President-elect Barack Obama on the matter, sources said.
Gupta has declined comment.
The transition team is impressed with the combination of Gupta’s past government experience, as a White House fellow in 1997 and a special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Clinton, along with his medical career as a neurosurgeon and his communication skills, the transition source said.
Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He regularly performs surgery at Emory University Hospital and at Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as associate chief of neurosurgery.
What, Dr. Phil was busy? Anyway, given that the loony Obacrats face months of litigation surrounding the contested Senate seatings of Al Franken, as well as Burris, and that they find themselves suddenly short a Commerce Secretary appointee, here’s hoping that Big Mama Feinstein can convince the unruly children she works with to shape up and let her or another grownup try driving the bus for once, instead of taking turns joyriding over their friends.
Let’s face it, the Democrats don’t like Governor Rod Blagojevich. Especially those Democrats loyal (if such a thing as political loyalty indeed exists) to President-elect Barack Obama, the Obacrats, which is all the suck-ups in the party. Which is the overwhelming majority.
Supposedly, Blagojevich is hated because he’s accused of being a crook. He is accused of attempting to sell the Senate seat he was obligated to fill once Barack Obama vacated it to people who don’t seem to exist. Everyone in a position to have bought said seat claims not to have ever even spoken to the Governor about the matter. The U.S. Attorney who arrested Governor Blagojevich before he could find a taker, did so to prevent him from doing just that, according to him.
Yet, Blagojevich was not arrested for trying to sell a Senate seat. He was not indicted for anything, he was arrested on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and solicitation of bribery. From the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Dec. 12, 2008:
If you believe everything you read in the papers, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was indicted this week.
But that wasn’t true. The governor has not been indicted. Reporting that he had been was an error made by many journalists.
The press made the mistake even after U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald had this to say at his press conference:
“First of all, there’s not an indictment, realize. It’s a complaint. So I don’t want people to understand it’s an indictment. We filed a criminal complaint.”
So what exactly is a criminal complaint and why did so many members of the press get it wrong?
“The criminal complaint is a charging document that is supported by the affidavit of a law enforcement agent that is intended to set forth and establish probable cause and that probable cause can be tested in a preliminary hearing,” said Randall Samborn, a spokesman for Fitzgerald’s office.
edit
In this case, an FBI agent outlined the evidence against Blagojevich in a 76-page document. So far, no one outside the U.S. attorney’s office has seen or heard this evidence, which means that until they bring it to a grand jury there can be no indictment and no trial. (Emphasis mine)
In his recent petition to the court for a 90 day extension to bring charges against Blagojevich, Fitzgerald stated in the opening line that the investigation began in 2003 and includes multiple potential defendants:
This investigation was initiated in approximately 2003, and involves multiple
potential defendants. Two individuals, defendants Rod R. Blagojevich and John Harris, were
charged by way of a criminal complaint on December 9, 2008, with: (a) conspiring to defraud
the citizens of Illinois of their right to his honest services, as well as conspiring to obtain
money and property by fraud, in violation of the mail and wire fraud statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§
1341, 1343, 1346, and 1349; and (b) corruptly soliciting and demanding the firing of Chicago
Tribune editorial board members who had been critical of Blagojevich, in exchange for the
awarding of millions of dollars in financial assistance from the State of Illinois, 18 U.S.C.
§ 666(a)(1)(B) and § 2.
In other words, Rod Blagojevich has been convicted in the court of public opinion for crimes he has not been formally charged with, or formally accused of. Yet, it is because of this conviction that the Obacrats have deemed him unsuitable to fulfill his duties. Or might it be the specter of those “multiple potential defendants” motivating the Senate actions? Nothing Blagojevich is accused of is as heinous, in my opinion, as the actions of a group made up primarily of lawyers thumbing their noses at one of the basic tenets of American law, “innocent, until proven guilty.” No taint on the very likely guilty Blagojevich stinks quite as much as that.
For the Senate Democrats to engage in such public grade school level maneuvers, refusing to sign and certify the paperwork of Blagojevich’s perfectly legal appointment of Roland Burris in order to be able to reject said credentials at the door, as they did, is more shameful than anything Blagojevich has been seen on tape doing. From CNN:
Nancy Erickson, the secretary of the Senate, rejected Burris’ appointment on Monday because Burris’ certificate of appointment was missing the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, an aide to the secretary said.
Rule 2 of the Standing Rules of the Senate states that the secretary of state must sign the certificate of election along with the governor.
White has declined to sign the certificate, siding with some Senate Democrats who say Burris should not be seated because of the cloud over Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Senate Democrats have said they would not seat Burris because he was appointed by Blagojevich, who is accused of scheming to sell the Senate seat.
Why is CNN erroneously reporting Blagojevich’s charges? Why was he so publicly arrested without indictment when he was? And, why are so many Americans, especially Senators, so adamant about convicting this embattled governor with the poofy hair without benefit of a trial?
A principle that requires the government to prove the guilt of a criminal defendant and relieves the defendant of any burden to prove his or her innocence. The Free Dictionary
Whoever thought maneuvering Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich into a position that allowed U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to officially criminalize machine politics-as-usual for political advantage has got to be the biggest neophyte yahoo rube to come down the pike since…Barack Obama. Let’s review. Barack Obama, the only African American in the Senate for two years, mysteriously generates enough money and clout to mount a successful run for the presidency out of a political environment so corrupt that “Lincoln would roll over in his grave,” how? By being an all-around, all-American, above-board, swell, good guy, of course. Sure.
Surrounded by his personal band of proselytizing disciples; Rahmbo the Emanuel, Valerie Magdalene, King David of the Astroturf, Antonin of Houses, and Jon, the Groper of Graven Images, to name a few, the Obamessiah scampered above the sewer waters of Illinois corruption as if they were a North Side private gymnasium treadmill. As a fisher of men, He was often unfortunately touched, but not tainted by, the activities of the unworthy among those He assembled and attempted to make pure, as has been dutifully chronicled by the mainstream media Keepers of the Holy Book of the Obamessiah. However, Barack remains the Reformer, bathed in the Light.
Clean, bright and articulate by resume, the recent machinations by the Combine Machine of the Obacrats are threatening to reveal enough cracks in the Obamirror of Righteousness to expose His Holy Stupid-as-a-Stumpness in a nationally broadcast Naivete Scene. Did it never occur to the No Drama Obama crew that manipulating a fellow player not of their clique into a corner carried risks?
When one of their number, Antonin of Houses, stumbled and fell by the wayside, the Obasciples simply stepped gingerly, single-file around him, leaving him where he lay, disavowing him three times as they boarded the Obabus he rolled under when they continued confidently on their preordained journey to the Promised Land. The Obamessiah did not lay hands upon him, nor did He absolve him of his sin; He simply denied knowledge of him as He brushed His Holy shoulders and allowed Himself to be driven on. This was a Holy boo-boo.
For Antonin of Houses had special knowledge of Valerie Magdalene and the Obamessiah, and Antonin was pisseth.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century post-election ensconcement of the Obamessiah as President-In-Training Wheels. Having written and disseminated his own Holy backstory to the Chroniclers, and having consumed their regurgitated praise to his overfill, the Obamesiah, drunk with his own Obamessiah-ness by proxy, allowed Himself to believe He, Jr. Father, Knew Best. Thus began the chess match, whereby playing unopposed, the Obamessiah cleverly checkmated Himownself.
Seeing a way to eliminate his only real threat to absolute power in His own backyard, Barack of Hyde Park decided to continue to attempt to appear to levitate above the machinations of His betrayed Obasciple of the Houses, and the locust-and-honey-eating way clearer, the crude Rod the Blagojevich, while shining His Holy Light upon their common evangelical activities, forgetting He too, was bathed in His Own Light. Thus, He Screweth Himself.
Okay, enough of the Obamessiah allegory; it’s not only making me nauseous, I’m not nearly as good at it as John, South of Melrose over on Liberal Rapture or Gerald Baker; plus I need to be free to call bullshit without all this pseudo-Christian baggage. So, let’s get back to brass tacks, shall we?
The fact remains that Obama screwed the pooch when he tried to play innocent while pointing the finger at Blagojevich. Everybody in Illinois knew Blags was under investigation, he even hinted at the worst kept secret in politics the day before he was arrested. Everybody also knew that even with Rezko’s making like a canary, Fitzgerald didn’t have enough to indict. He still doesn’t. But when the president-elect bats his exaggeratedly wide-open eyes and tilts his head in your direction when somebody else calls you a crook, people sit up and take notice.
Obama and company knew that if they dangled the vacant Senate seat plum just right while they dropped unsubtle hints that Fitzgerald was sure to pick up, the investigation against Blags was sure to intensify. However, methinks they underestimated the existing intensity of the ongoing investigation. Thinking that the tentacles would subsequently stretch out in all directions, they never considered that they already did, that it wasn’t just one Blagojevich phone that was tapped, and that more of their pre-cleanup involvement was already caught on tape.
Now, the smartest president in the room and his gang have been interviewed in a pay-to-play scam and have proclaimed their innocence, just like Blagojevich, just like Bill Richardson. Though Blago has been arrested, before his alleged crime could criminally implicate anybody else, he hasn’t been indicted, he was released on a paltry bond, and he remains free to exercise his duties as governor. And, now that he has done just that, the Obacrats, who for their own nefarious reasons, swept Obama to power, are desperate to get Blags to nullify himself, since they know they have no legal, or moral, authority to do so. They also know now that Blagojevich knows it, too; by making the appointment, the Obacrats are not only rendered impotent, they’ve handcuffed and prevented themselves from exercising any power they might once have wielded. For, even if they impeach Blago, or he now resigns, there’s nothing that would make Roland Burris’ appointment to the Senate retroactively invalid. From Politico:
The Democrats’ preferred solution to the Burris problem is for the Illinois Legislature to impeach Blagojevich, paving the way for Democratic Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to take his place and appoint someone other than Burris to Obama’s vacant seat. But even that could create a legal headache, legal observers say, since the Burris appointment would still be pending.
“Even if Blagojevich is impeached, that doesn’t undo all the actions he has taken as governor,” said Andrew Raucci, a former chief justice for the Illinois Court of Claims and now a Chicago-based attorney.
Democrats say that if Burris hasn’t been seated by the time Quinn takes over, he could name someone else to the seat by rescinding Burris’ certification papers.
Burris was having none of it. At a news conference at Chicago’s Midway Airport, the former Illinois attorney general testily said to reporters, “Why don’t you all understand that what has been done here is legal? I am the junior senator from Illinois, and I wish my colleagues in the press would recognize that. All the drama — I guess it keeps you all in a job.”
And, to make bad matters worse, not only is Burris adamant that he is the junior senator from Illinois no matter what ticky-tack maneuvers the Obacrats try to pull, the criminalization of day to day political manipulation makes every satellite in the Oba-universe vulnerable. Just ask Bill Richardson.
First, it was black people ranting and raving to anybody who would listen that now was the time that it was absolutely, positively, super-duper imperative that we elect a black man, any old black man, over some chick, because of the nation’s shameful treatment of African Americans in the past, as opposed to the chivalrous consideration traditionally afforded women. Not only was it a “chicken and egg” kind of good thing that any old black man just happened to be running, it was serendipitous that the pent up longings of an entire ethnic group (unfortunately, not minus the half disparaged in the latter portion of the following phrase) could be so succinctly expressed: “Bro’s before ‘ho’s.” If that ain’t poetry, I’m not a one-legged, screaming tree duck.
In a stunning display of man-lovin’-man solidarity, the “bro” indeed beat the “‘ho” as well as the “cunt.” A two-fer! American has sure come a long way, baby.
Once the Brother-in-Chief had dispatched the pesky breeders, it was time for other brothers in Congress to flex their pecs and demand that their numbers not decrease with the ascension of the Big, Black Cock of the Walk to the Big White House, no matter what. “Yeah, bruh,” said they,”we feel you on the ‘Governor played your ass’ thing, but that sounds like a personal problem, so man, you got to suck it up and let his equal opportunistically appointed knife in your back stand, or we gon’ have to pull a “Rev. Wright” and come after your ass. Either that or a “Jesse Jackson,” your call.”
And, lo and behold, (I’ve always wanted to use that in something) before the Black Moses of the Joshua Generation (okay, so it’s not Biblically accurate, it rolls) could cry, “Et tu, Bay-bay?” there was a new disadvantaged, historically disenfranchised group of disgruntled males to deal with (all females had been eliminated from the equation once the “elect the sister-’ho, Cunt” non-resistance had essentially allowed itself to be effectively put down.) From Politico:
National Latino leaders vowed Sunday to press President-electBarack Obama to nominate another Hispanic to the Cabinet post vacated by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a leading light in the Latino community who caused “great disappointment” with his decision to withdraw from consideration.
Within hours of Richardson pulling his name for secretary of commerce, the head of the League of United Latin American Citizens had compiled a list of 10 Latino elected officials and corporate CEOs that would be offered to the Obama transition team. The list included Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), who turned down the U.S. trade representative post, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
I hear gay Eskimo American men and teetotaling Native American guys are starting not to feel the Obalove, either, and are thinking of forming an intra-state wheelchair ice basketball tournament and clambake in protest. Okay, they’re not; I made that up, but, with the way things are going could such a thing be far off?
Oh, and that “brother” the Guv’nuh and the Blackacrats are using as a human political football against the Obamassah’s Plantation team? They done “sent da dogs” after his ass:
Capitol Fax reports on the ongoing Springfield sideshow: ” The [House impeachment committee] has also issued a subpoena that was served Saturday on Roland Burris, the governor’s controversial choice to fill Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat. The order compels Burris to testify Wednesday.”
Burris may not make it that day, as he’s expected to be in D.C., and last night gave a combative talk in which he said, among other things, “They can’t deny what the Lord has ordained.”
“I gets weary, and sick of tryin’…” Anybody know that song in Spanish? Maybe by a girl group? Wasn’t it written by a white guy?
Never mind, I’m just a girl, what the hell do I know?
The already scandal-plagued man who will be sworn in as America’s 44th president in a little over two weeks is full of crap and the butt kissing media that enables him is, too. The number of examples of this “don’t worry about a thing, we’ve got your back” medialove are far to numerous to chronicle here, or on any one forum, but let’s start with what’s in the news today, and what it is designed to divert attention from. The latter is easy, the Obamedia is desperate to get us to ignore the scandal-ridden nature of the coming administration, by simply re-labeling it as non-scandalous, claiming that it has no effect on his wonderfulness, proclaiming that nothing is his fault, or promoting the insignificant.
First up, the insignificant. CBS2Chicago tells us that Barack Obama “choked up” when leaving his empty Chicago home to assume his new job in Washington, you know, the one that would overwhelm a lesser man. Why the home in the city he has made his and his party’s headquarters, and that he calls his “Kennebunkport” and has vowed to return to at every available opportunity would be empty is not mentioned, natch:
President-elect Barack Obama says he choked up a little bit when he left his empty house before flying to Washington.
Obama spoke briefly to reporters aboard a government 757 before taking off en route to Andrews Air Force Base. His family went to Washington on Saturday and left him to wander around his Hyde Park home alone.
Yawn. Why is this “news?” Maybe for the same reason Good Morning America featured a guest who said his year of “living like Jesus” motivated him to vote for Obama because he was the candidate who best represented Jesus’ teachings on the same page as “Obama’s Favorite Chicago Haunts” and “Challenges for Obama in 2009.”
These kinds of stories are designed to blunt the effect of other stories, like, oh, say the one about his Commerce Secretary-designate’s withdrawal due to allegations of his involvement in a “pay to play” scheme. From the New York Times:
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, one of the country’s most prominent Hispanic politicians and President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to be commerce secretary, on Sunday dropped out of consideration for that post. He attributed his decision to the ongoing investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico.
Richardson, unaffectionately dubbed “Judas,” by James Carville and every other Hillary Clinton supporter in the primaries because of his betrayal of the people what brung him in favor of the one that promised him more than he deserved. Why Richardson allowed himself to be deceived to the point that he would go so far as to disparage his former benefactors on behalf of the one destined to toss him under the bus as soon as his bulk became excess baggage, is a testament to either the man’s lack of political acumen or his greed. Whatever, but under the bus he goes. From the same news network that gave us the Obama/Jesus whitewash, Jake Tapper reports:
Sources tell ABC News that officials on the Obama Transition Team feel that before he was formally offered the job of commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not forthcoming with them about the federal investigation that is looking into whether the governor steered a state contract towards a major financial contributor.
Once the investigation became more widely known through national media reports last month, sources tell ABC News, the Obama Transition Team realized the FBI would not be able to give Richardson a clean political bill of health before the new administration is ready to send his nomination up to the Senate for confirmation.
The Richardson camp says the governor was forthcoming, with sources close to the governor noting that there had been reports about the controversy in local media such as the Albuquerque Journal as far back as August 2008. The governor discussed the investigation with the Obama team, they say, and believes that he and his administration have done nothing wrong.
Of course “Judas” now feels himself betrayed; had the flames of “pay to play” fire not flicked so close to Obie and the Obacrats’ butts so close to the inauguration, and the Team O public relations machine been able to manipulate the scandal in a manner similar to the John (Kookie) Edwards love child dirt, maximizing Edwards’ minimal political influence before ruining his career, chances are Richardson might have emerged relatively unscathed. However, with the way the Obacrats have bungled the Blagojevich “Hot Senate Seat” prematurely ejaculated arrest, Richardson was more than expendable, he was imperatively so. Had the Obacrats nullified Blago when they had the chance, he never could have big balled them by legally appointing Roland Burris to replace Obama as the only black Senator, thereby shrinking theirs to the size of Raisinets. That’s what Obie and the Obacrats and their “Astroturfing” (which is unethical in, and of, itself, btw) genius David Axelrod are desperately trying to tap dance past.
That, and the fact that though they have whiningly cleared themselves in the “Blago tried to sell my seat” ongoing BlagObama Drama, it’s not at all clear that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has. Though Fitzgerald said Obama and his team were not involved in the preliminary complaint (not indictment), he never said Obama wasn’t involved in the investigation. And, Fitz’s motion for a 90 day extension (that Blago does not oppose) after questioning Obama and two of his closest aides, Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, and his leaking to the press the titillating information that “multiple potential witnesses” have come forward, and that there are “thousands of intercepted phone calls” to go through (not just the 4 Fitz is willing to release to the impeachment committee) raising the possibility of “multiple new defendants,” has got to be giving Obie and the boyz a plethora of sleepless nights. Not to mention that the incompetence of the Obacrats becomes more obvious the longer Blago is allowed to run loose and agitate them into shooting themselves in the foot.
In advance of the upcoming Norman Hsu trial, as well as the recently exposed Congel/Clinton Foundation connection, watch out for an onslaught of “he walks on water, he really does, take it from us” type articles in the mainstream media and blogosphere in your near future. And, given his history, be prepared for the Tap Dancing Teflon TelePrompTer Reading Obamessiah to try to toss his Secretary of State appointee, Mary Mgdalene/Hillary Clinton right under the bus with “Judas.”
Big ol’ scary Roland Burris says he’s the Senator from Illinois so make way. The Obamacrats say the idea of Burris sullying the sanctity of the Senate is so terrifying, they’ll do whatever they have to do to keep him out and keep the country safe. “Hide the women and children, go to the root cellar, get under the desks, run for your lives, for God’s sake, hide!”
Oh please. For the Democrats in the Senate to say they’ll block the doors to prevent Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s appointed replacement for Barack Obama (the not scary black guy)’s Senate seat, Burris (the scary black guy) from taking office, just because they’re miffed, is just plain silly and pretty durned funny. So, too, is Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush (a formerly scary black guy)’s insistence on being…well, Bobby Rush, and warning people against “lynching and hanging” just because they want to bar entrance to the hallowed halls of the Senate by the scary black guy just like George Wallace wanted to keep scary black kids out of school. But, never you mind, the fun doesn’t stop there, no sireee, Bobbo! Being scary on command can be a hoot. I mean, like The Atlantic’s Ta-Nehisi Coates pointed out, quoting KristenMcQueary, it’s not like Bobby Rush never endorsed a white person over a black one:
He went so far as to compare Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who in 1963 stood in the doorway of a University of Alabama school building to block two black students from entering. Reid and Senate Democrats pledged to refuse any appointee sent by Blagojevich, even Burris, who would be the chamber’s only black member.
Rush’s lecture, however, seems quite two-faced considering he chaired Blair Hull’s 2004 U.S. Senate campaign.
Hull is white.
If sending a black senator to Washington is so important now, why didn’t Rush support a black candidate four years ago? Not only was Obama on the Democratic ballot, but Joyce Washington, a black woman and health care executive, was as well.
Never mind that Rush endorsed Obama for president over his good white friends, the Clintons, or that Rush crushed Obama when Obie made an ill-advised bid for Bobby’s Congressional seat, or that Obama’s hit man David Axelrod took Hull down hard on his way to the Senate, it’s a black thing, only summa y’all unnerstan’. But, hey, let the good times roll on.
And, lest you think Senate Majority Leader Reid doesn’t like black people, not just because of the Wallace-esque door-blocking thing, but also because he tried to block Blagojevich from appointing any other black men, too, pish tosh, put those thoughts aside. I’m sure he knows there haven’t been a whole lot of black people in the Senate; as Earl Ofari Hutchinson reminds us, it’s always been a “good old boy’s club” and, by golly, everybody just likes it that way! Nothing personal, move along. And those black folks agitating on Roland Burris’ behalf? Misguided malcontents, the whole lot of ‘em. So what if there are no black Senators, y’all got a black president, how dare you play the race card?
Oh, the delicious irony. Now it can be revealed just how racially manipulative the Obamacrats have been. Just because Barack Obama received overwhelming support from black voters, easily deceived sycophants and other fools could be convinced that all black people love and support him alike. Ha, ha. What those sycophantic fools choose to ignore is that the illusion of monolithic support is easy to attain if you keep the relevant questions narrow. In other words, if you ask 1,000 black people how they feel about, oh, health care, you’d probably get answers as varied as if you asked a similar number of white, Asian, short, or stupid people the same thing. But if you ask them if they’d rather have a black Democratic president or a white Republican one on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, you’d probably be horrified if anybody picked the white guy.
Duh.
Oh, but now, the vilified, but shrewd Blagojevich has flipped the script. By appointing Burris, and deliberately, in his familiar, yet inimitable “in your face” style, calling bullshit, Blago has forced the Obamacrats to paint themselves into a corner of hell in much the same way they manipulated him into the role of the face of Illinois corruption, hoping to deflect attention from their own systemic culplability. And, since there’s no easy way out for either side, the yuckfest continues.
The Senate Democrats have no leg to stand on, and will have to abandon their saber rattling bluff. Blagojevich is most likely guilty as hell, but, under our legal system that doesn’t count, especially since he hasn’t even been indicted for anything, merely arrested pending formal charges. While that may be enough for the Illinois branch of the Obamacrats to achieve the desired results in their now accelerated, year long, Blagoenemy Madigan Clan led impeachment attempt, it’s hard to see how that would invalidate the Burris appointment. Would a conviction subsequent to the appointment legally nullify it?
Add the Al Franken coup attempt to the drama and you’ve got Oscar worthy high camp comedy. Shouting “we won!” while trying to squeak Franken through the Burris-blocked Senate doors could prove to be a tad embarrassing. I mean, how can you certify Franken, when he hasn’t even really won, and not certify the legally appointed Burris, without looking like a bunch of modern day racist bigots using token black people, like the president-elect and Illinois Secretary of State, to do your quota-maintaining bidding?
Ya can’t.
Advantage Blago/Burris/Rush.
And, once we get the answers to the “why did U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald step in and arrest Blagojevich to prevent a ‘crime-spree,’ when he could have caught at least two high-profile, guilty as hell people redhanded,” and “who are all these new ‘multiple witnesses‘ and what are they and the people on the ‘thousands of intercepted converations‘ saying that’s intersting enough to make Fitzy file a motion seeking an extension,” it might be game, set, match.
Okay, I admit it, I’m a boxing fan. Not that I enjoy watching grown men and women pummel each other’s faces into unrecognition, per se; next to making up words, observing the ritualized human drama of mano a mano (hand to hand, not man to man) competition play out in the structured, regulated and supervised environment of the boxing ring is just plain fun. More honest than wrestling, grittier, more real and less time consuming than a soap opera, and minus the gratuitous sex, boxing is a curious, yet entertaining mix of theater and thuggery. I like it.
It’s a simple sport; there are only four kinds of punches; jab, hook, uppercut, and straight right (or left, depending upon whether the boxer is a right-hander or southpaw.) While boxers are required to be matched according to weight, the best fights feature fighters of comparable experience and skill. Since the rules are basic, (don’t try to kill your opponent, don’t bring anything into the ring to hit him with, like a bat, don’t hit him in the nuts) and those that aren’t standard are negotiable per fight, the most crucial element, in any match, is style.
Again, we’re talking simplicity simplified, here. There are three basic styles of fighter, imho; “boxers,” guys not concerned with knockouts, content to win on points, primarily throwing flicking, annoying jabs in an attempt to keep the other guy preoccupied to the point that he can’t mount an offense of his own. Boxers are skilled at defense, bobbing, weaving, dancing out of the way of punches, all the while sticking their fists in the face of their opponent, but not really trying to hurt him, either, often becaus they know they can’t. In fact, boxers don’t want anybody to get hurt, least of all themselves, if they can “hit, without being hit” they’re happy. It’s even likely that boxers can’t “take a punch,” that’s the reason they’re “boxers,” not “fighters.” While they may be considered textbook technicians and strategists, and their showy “flash and dash” can delight casual boxing observers, they are pretty much despised by purists and real fans alike, who prefer their champions be a little more rugged, willing to “mix it up” once in a while, and not prissy, wussy, light punching “rabbits.”
Then there are the “punchers.” These guys are one-half step up from Neanderthal; they want to hit, and hit hard, anywhere, face, body, doesn’t matter; if they hit you, you’ll be hurt. They often have no defense at all, they don’t need it since they seem to not only be impervious to pain, they enjoy it. They’re usually not fond of the jab, might not even know how to throw one, the hook, uppercut, right hand, and whatever punch they make up at the spur of the moment in the heat of battle is just fine, thank you,very much. “Throw hard with bad intentions,” if you miss, do it again. “He can run, but he can’t hide,” at some point in the match, the “boxer” is going to run out of real estate, energy, or both, then the “puncher” will hit him with the force of a sledgehammer, and the fight will be over. Whatever punishment is inflicted or received before that is irrelevant. That is how a puncher “thinks,” that is how he wins, that is how he plans to win.
The style most fans and purists prize most is a combination of the two former ones, the “boxer/puncher.” This guy knows how to avoid being hit, but if he is, he’s perfectly capable of “shaking it off,” and coming out swinging. He’s not intimidated by a “puncher,” he can take it, plus, he’s got a fair bit of power in his own hands. A “boxer” poses no problem for the “boxer/puncher” either, he’s just as skilled both defensively and with the jab, and his is more stinging than annoying. Also, his “power punches” are often just as devastating as a pure “puncher.” He’s a thinking man’s fighter, possessing a wide array of skills, he can formulate a strategy to exploit just about any other fighter’s weaknesses, nullify his strengths, and effectively counter with his own. This is the guy fans and purists love, and opponents fear.
Politically, Barack Obama is a “boxer.” Since fans enjoy watching the “sweet science,” his ability to avoid trouble has been more than enough, so far. His flashy “bob and weave” technique is fun to watch; the trouble is, he hasn’t yet been really hit. Until now.
Rod Blagojevich is a “puncher.” In fact, he’s a street brawler with gloves on. “Style, shmyle, let’s get it on” is his motto. His blunt, brash, no-nonsense, “whaddya got, whaddaya want?” approach has always gotten him into trouble, and has been easy for Obama to nullify in the past, all the while playing to the crowd, showing off his political dancing skills, and avoiding the clinches. In fact, when Obama, knowing Blago came into the ring already bloodied by the investigation into his bludgeoning style, employed his “juke and jive” technique of peppering Blago with jabs by dangling Valerie Jarrett as a potential successor for his vacant Senate seat, then snatching her from contention before abruptly making his resignation official, effectively maneuvered Blago into the corner right before he got hit with the right hand of arrest, it looked like Obama might be a boxer/puncher after all. Thinking he had delivered a knockout from the accumulation of punches, followed by the impeachment blow to the gut, and that his opponent was headed out of the ring on a stretcher, Obama allowed himself a brief, poor man’s impression of the Ali shuffle as victory dance.
And got sucker punched.
Hot Rod lunged off the canvas and caught Obama with a head ringing blow just barely above the belt by appointing Roland Burris to Obie’s seat in defiance of just about everybody. Obama’s supporters, who were heading for the exits, his cornermen, who were headed into the ring, forgot to wait for the count of ten. All seemed stunned, both that Blags had it in him, and that Obama wasn’t invincible, after all. Hadn’t Blago heard them declare him dead in one voice? Didn’t he know he had lost every round on the scorecards? How did he muster the strength to get up off the floor and throw a haymaker? They know the game, and they know that wasn’t a lucky punch. That was boxing. How come Obama the “boxer” didn’t see it coming and get out of the way? How come the ref didn’t stop the fight? And more importantly, what do they do now?
Right now, the bell has rung between rounds and the Obama team, with the help of the ref and the timekeeper, are trying to keep their guy on the stool until his cobwebs clear, and they can come up with a winning scenario even the cynical boxing/political public will buy. They’re also kicking themselves for forgetting that pure “boxing” doesn’t always win fights, for not considering that their guy might have a glass jaw, and for not knowing that a “puncher” who can “box” will beat even a “boxer/puncher” every time. Sometimes, with just one punch. That’s why, when you beat a guy down, it’s best for all concerned to finish him off.
Funny, as we barrel into a 2009 rife with the promise of “hope” and “change,” anticipating the pomp and ceremony of the impending coronation celebrating the ascension of The Great Hype Hope President-Elect-In-Training Wheels to Obamessiah-In-Chief, replete with all the grandeur and revelry the Inauguration of the Greatest Historically Historic Man Ever Elected for Being Black is due, we find ourselves sidetracked by the spectacle of those on the sidelines busy trying to slow down certain attendant events in order to maximize the impact of an impending train wreck threatening to ruin the festivities for all concerned.
United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has petitioned the court for a 90 day extension in the deadline to indict Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in the case Fitz is building against him. Though Blagojevich was arrested December 9, he has only been charged in a criminal complaint, not formally indicted. Said charges are not specific to attempting to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat as has been alleged ad nauseum in the press, but are, according to the motion for extension, as follows:
This investigation was initiated in approximately 2003, and involves multiple
potential defendants. Two individuals, defendants Rod R. Blagojevich and John Harris, were
charged by way of a criminal complaint on December 9, 2008, with: (a) conspiring to defraud
the citizens of Illinois of their right to his honest services, as well as conspiring to obtain
money and property by fraud, in violation of the mail and wire fraud statutes, 18 U.S.C. §§
1341, 1343, 1346, and 1349; and (b) corruptly soliciting and demanding the firing of Chicago
Tribune editorial board members who had been critical of Blagojevich, in exchange for the
awarding of millions of dollars in financial assistance from the State of Illinois, 18 U.S.C.
§ 666(a)(1)(B) and § 2.
That the media refuses to speculate as to the possible identity of the “multiple potential defendants” is no surprise; the same journalists who conspired to refuse to cast aspersions of any sort against Barack Obama at any point in his career can hardly be expected to highlight any negativity that might shine upon him now that they have manipulated the players in this current drama into two factions; dirty, crazy Blago on one side, and the rest of the Obama loving world on the other. For whatever reason, the inexplicably charmed Obama has never been accused of any sort of wrongdoing in the mainstream media, no matter what scandal swirls around him, it is always depicted as the fault of others; criticism and questioning of him can only be found on right wing and PUMA blogs. Whether it is his associations with unsavory characters, his indecisiveness, his flip-flopping, his shady political maneuvering, his gaffes, or other unwise decisions, he is above reproach.
Yet, in the current Blagogate situation, his actions raise questions at the very least. In fact, the whole mess is questionable. Why was Valerie Jarrett’s name put forth as a candidate for Obama’s Senate seat, only to be abruptly withdrawn? Why did Obama officially resign his seat so soon? Why did Rahm Emanuel go to Africa? Is he back? Was he there when he officially resigned his own Congressional seat? Why did the New York Times specualte that Jarrett-staffer, Michael Strautmanis would be mentioned in the Obama clears Obama “internal investigation” when he was not? Why did Fitzgerald rush to arrest Blagojevich in order to prevent a crime from being committed in the first place, only to seek more time to build a case? Why is Blagojevich not trying to block the request? Again, according to the motion, he’s not:
Following telephone calls and/or meetings over the past week, counsel for both
Blagojevich and Harris have represented that they do not object to this motion.
If the government’s five-year investigation has not yet yielded evidence sufficient to indict him, why isn’t Blagojevich yelling for a speedy trial? Why is he so adamant about fulfilling his gubernatorial duties, going so far as to appoint a Senatorial successor to Obama, and why is the Illinois legislature allowing him to while they and the Democratic party simultaneously try like hell to minimize and marginalize him, primarily in the media? One of the few straight talkers about Obama, John Kass, ironically of the same Chicago Tribune Blags is accused of trying to manipulate, points out that the Democrats pretty much brought this current mess upon themselves:
Of course, Tuesday’s fiasco could have been avoided. Democrats in the state legislature could have stripped Blagojevich of his appointment powers and imposed a special election. Obama also could have demanded it. But as he has done so often in his career, Obama avoided a confrontation and looked the other way.
Democrats tried to finesse this, and they allowed Blagojevich the opening he needed, to hold that news conference and defy everybody. And so I’m forced to tip my hat to Gov. Dead Meat on this one, for sheer brazenness.
He’s no jester. And it takes guts to keep a straight face while Democrats about you are losing theirs.
Why? Why would the Democrats allow things to drag on if they could avoid it? Why rant and rave about not seating Blagojevich’s appointment, Roland Burris when he shows up for work Tuesday as he says he will, or ceremonially refuse to certify his appointment, giving him the opportunity to file his own state Supreme Court complaint and motion challenging their authority to do such a thing, if Blago could have been nullified weeks ago? According to Politico, Senate Democrats seem comfortable with a 90 day time frame for their own reasons:
Senate officials tell Politico that if presented with the appointment, they are likely to give the Rules Committee 90 days to determine the propriety of the appointment by looking into such issues as whether Blagojevich received anything in return for it.
“A motion to refer credentials to the committee has the effect of delaying seating,” a Senate Democratic aide said. “The motion is debatable and amendable.”
Another official explained: “That buys us 90 days.”
Ninety days to do what? Are they betting that the time frame coincides with a federal indictment against Blago? So what? If he has already been successfully deemed guilty until proven innocent by the media and his legion of Democratic enemies, don’t they have enough ammunition to impeach him now? Why didn’t they strip him of his powers and allow for the special election? Are they that afraid of losing the seat to a Republican? The other reason given in mid-December for backing away, besides the price tag, was that it would delay an appointment until April, about 90 days from now:
Illinois Republicans have launched a political ad campaign demanding a special election to fill the Senate vacancy that Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly tried to sell, hoping to pick up a seat they had no shot at before the scandal.
Democrats, after initially supporting such an election, this week canceled a vote on the matter and backed away in the name of good government. They say an election would cost up to $50 million and leave the state with a Senate vacancy until at least April – giving the new senator an even shorter window before the 2010 campaign cycle heats up.
Clearly the Democrats think the best way to resolve their problems is for Blagojevich to resign, then turn himself in and go to jail. It’s what on earth would make them think they could force him to do that, and what they think would make it worth their while to even try, at such great potential political expense, that’s the real mystery. Why is the media so willing to help them get away with it? And, what’s it got to do with Patrick Fitzgerald, “multiple potential defendants and witnesses,” and “thousands of intercepted phone calls?”
In the motion filed in federal court on Wednesday, United States Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald asked for more time because “multiple witnesses” have come forward in recent weeks and investigators have to review “thousands of intercepted phone calls.”
When you’ve got an ace in the hole, or a wild card, or an abundance of trumps, you can play with confidence. If you’ve tucked the only Joker in the deck up your sleeve, only allowing it to magically appear when needed, you can wipe out your opposition without breaking a sweat. But when another player, seemingly low on chips and on his way out the game, suddenly not only goes all in, but produces an even bigger Joker than yours, showing yours to have been a rather poor imitation of the real thing all along, your ass is punked.
After Obama relinquished his seat in November, there were no blacks in the Senate. In all of American history, there have only been five Senators of African descent. Only three African Americans have been elected to the Senate since Reconstruction; two of those Senators were from Illinois, and Barack Obama had a hand in the election of both of them.
Recruited by Sandy Newman to head up the Chicago chapter of Project Vote! in 1992, the group credited with increasing black voter turnout and putting Chicago’s first black U.S. Senator, Carol Moseley Braun over the top, Obama, before he became “post-racial,” actively, shamelessly, and successfully promoted black voter participation. From Chicago Magazine, 1993:
Within a few months, Obama, a tall, affable workaholic, had recruited staff and volunteers from black churches, community groups, and politicians. He helped train 700 deputy registrars, out of a total of 11,000 citywide. And he began a saturation media campaign with the help of black-owned Brainstorm Communications. (The company’s president, Terri Gardner, is the sister of Gary Gardner, president of Soft Sheen Products, Inc., which donated thousands of dollars to Project Voters efforts.) The group’s slogan-”It’s a Power Thing”-was ubiquitous in African-American neighborhoods. Posters were put up. Black-oriented radio stations aired the group’s ads and announced where people could go to register. Minority owners of McDonald’s restaurants allowed registrars on site and donated paid radio time to Project Vote! Labor unions provided funding, as, in late fall, did the Clin¬ton/Gore campaign, whose national voter-registration drive was being directed by Chicago alderman Bobby Rush.
Though Obama later claimed he never worked for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, (ACORN) Project Vote! is, at least now, affiliated with them, and the two groups collaborated on a voter drive on his behalf. In 1995, a Chicago Reader profile documented a community organizing relationship with ACORN that went undisputed by Camp O, even though the article does not chronicle direct employment.
Once Obama became a candidate for the U.S. Senate himself, however, it became necessary to distance himself from his radical blackness and adopt a more conciliatory demeanor. This facade was shaped in some measure by his defeat for Bobby Rush’s Congressional seat, when he was perceived as being out of touch with black reality:
Mr. Obama’s Ivy League education and his white liberal-establishment connections also became an issue. Mr. Rush told The Chicago Reader, “He went to Harvard and became an educated fool. We’re not impressed with these folks with these Eastern elite degrees.”
Mr. Rush and his supporters faulted him for having missed experiences that more directly defined the previous generation of black people. “Barack is a person who read about the civil-rights protests and thinks he knows all about it,” Mr. Rush told The Reader.
Mr. Obama was seen as an intellectual, “not from us, not from the ’hood,” said Jerry Morrison, a consultant on the Rush campaign. Asked recently about that line of attack, Mr. Rush minimized it as “chest beating, signifying.”
The implication was not exactly that Mr. Obama was “not black enough,” as some blacks have suggested more recently; his credentials were suspect. “It was much more a function of class, not race,” Mr. Adelstein said. “Nobody said he’s ‘not black enough.’ They said he’s a professor, a Harvard elite who lives in Hyde Park.”
No dummy he, Mr. Obama quickly learned to exploit both his blackness and his whiteness successfully. Playing up his bi-raciality while at the same time being conveniently black only when necessary, placing himself above historical racial “distractions” was a neat trick, deftly executed, and proved to be irresistible to voters of all races. However, it was not without pitfalls, nor were racial aspects eliminated from the equation. Far from it. He just had to be clever about when, where, and how he chose to be “just black enough” to turn a given situation to his built-in advantage of being the only person of color in his races subsequent to the disastrous one against Rush. When you’re the only black guy running, you can define what blackness is without challenge.
Therefore, when you can get the Secret Service to protect you just because you’re black, when your wife can channel Spike Lee and implore blacks to “wake up” and vote for you, when you can get the safest, most beloved Mammy-figure since Aunt Jemimah to embrace and endorse you, when black mainstream media pundits and politicians champion the idea and ideals of your candidacy over it’s substance, it is akin to having an entire deckful of Aces up your sleeve. You can feign outrage over every perceived slight you can find to blow out of proportion, casting your opponent in the most vilely negative light imaginable in that situation, while nullifying the legitimacy of any condemnation of your actions. After all, how can a white person tell a black person how to feel about racism? How can a black person in their right mind defend such attacks against a “brother” who says he’s being demeaned? And, even if some things might seem overblown, and others inexplicably dismissed, when the players in the game all agree that the new guy has a right to the race cards up his sleeve simply because they know he knows they used to cheat guys who looked like him on a regular basis, the game becomes an exercise in futility for all but the guy it’s being guiltily thrown to.
Rod Blagojevich, who enjoys a lot of support in the black community himself, knows exactly how the game has been played, and saw clearly who was letting pots go, and who was slipping chips under the table to who. Seeing his own stack dwindle to almost nothing, he decided to call in the only guy to have ever beaten Barack Obama at the game he taught him, and by appointing an equally safe, seemingly unassailable black man to fill Obama’s vacant seat, go all in on having a bigger pair. From CNN:
Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, who appeared at the Tuesday news conference, warned senators about blocking Burris.
“There are no African-Americans in the U.S. Senate. And I don’t think any U.S. senator who’s sitting in the Senate right now wants to go on record to deny one African-American from being seated in the U.S. Senate,” he said.
“I would ask you to not hang or lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer and separate the appointee from the appointer,” Rush said.
Unlike Obama, Rush has no incentive to pretend to be racially ambiguous; he is not, nor has he ever been; the former Black Panther has always been radically black. Now that all the race cards are face up in the middle of the table, it will be interesting to watch how Obama plays his hand.
In a surprising, nay, shocking, even jaw-droppingly so, development, President-elect In Training Wheels, Barack Obama, has actually interrupted his well-earned? vacation activities of surfing, golfing, annoying the troops, pec-flexing and getting p.o.’d with the omnipresent press for unabashedly loving him so, to comment on a matter of obvious grave import to him, the latest chess move in the power play he helped orchestrate against embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Disobeying the impotent Democratic Senate Caucus led by Harry Reid, Blagojevich defiantly appointed Roland Burris to the Great Hype Hope’s vacant Senate seat. From the Associated Press:
President-elect Barack Obama says he supports the decision by Senate Democrats to deny his vacated Senate seat to an appointee of embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. On Tuesday, Blagojevich appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. He would be the nation’s only black senator.
Democratic leaders in the Senate are rejecting the appointment, arguing that because of accusations that Blagojevich tried to sell the seat to the highest bidder, any appointment by him would be tainted.
In a statement, Obama called Burris a fine man but said he agreed that the Senate cannot accept an appointment from Blagojevich. Obama repeated his call for Blagojevich to resign and allow the seat to be filled by other means.
However, Politico pointed out that the Senate’s big talk amounts to just that:
It’s unclear whether Reid has the power to block Burris’ appointment. Senate leaders discussed the impending announcement on a conference call Tuesday afternoon.
John Fortier, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote in a Politico Ideas piece this month that the Senate doesn’t have the power to reject the appointment.
“The Senate would have little recourse but to seat Blagojevich, as he meets the minimum constitutional qualifications for office,” Fortier wrote of the possibility that the governor might appoint himself. “But after seating Blagojevich, the Senate could then expel him by a two-thirds vote. The seat would be vacant again, and the new governor could make an appointment. Or by then, the Legislature might have changed the law to do away with appointments, in which case the seat would sit vacant until a special election was held.”
Obama, desperately trying to shape the Senate in his image using his typical passive/agressive, envelope pushing, playing dirtyby the book, “what who me?” hardball with clean hands tactics, is learning quickly that bringing a gun to a knife fight only works if your opponents are reluctant or unable to pull the pistols they keep tucked in their own belts. To portray Barack Obama as a good guy in this Blagogate mess, is akin to calling Al Capone a reformer for ridding the North Side of Bugs Moran’s gang in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Ha, ha, ha…I’m sorry, I can’t stop laughing. “Crazy ol’” Rod Blagojevich, the embattled Illinois governor currently being impeached for everything from supposedly trying to sell a Senate seat to people who claim to have no idea such a seat was being offered for sale, to being declared certifiably insane based upon his enemies’ dislike of his Bob’s Big Boy hairdo, has just flipped a monkey wrench of enormous proportions off of his middle finger and into the game.
In late October, rumors began to fly about who would assume Barack Obama’s Senate seat should he be elected president. In the following days, according to media reports, parties in both the Obama and Blagojevich camps began to toss names around among themselves and with each other. There had also been talk from various factions that the seat should be filled by a black butt, since Obama was the lone African American in the Senate, one of only five in American history, three since Reconstruction and two from Illinois. Given all that, Valerie Jarrett, being both black and Obama’s “big sister” and neighbor, soon became the front-runner in the mind of the media (assuming there is such a thing) largely due to the efforts of Rahm Emanuel. Then, curiously, in early November, Valerie Jarrett removed her name from contention for an office she now claims she never sought, and Barack Obama officially resigned his Senate seat earlier than any other president-elect in history for no apparent reason. Soon, thereafter, if memory serves, Jesse Jackson, Jr. became the media’s odds on favorite. Interestingly, all names being considered in the press at that time were folks likely to be sanctioned by Team O.
Once Blagojevich was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery, not specifically for trying to unload the Senate seat, btw, all bets were off; people began to call for Blago’s head, impeachment was placed squarely in the center of the table, outraged howlers demanded that Blags give up his right to name a Senate successor, Harry Reid and the Senate Democratic Caucus even weighed in saying nobody Blago selected from that point on would be confirmed, and all the horses in the race began to jockey for position in public and in earnest.
While all this was going on, however, Blagojevich went to work. Oh, sure, he proclaimed his innocence, blah, blah, blah, he went for runs, he passed some bills, whatever, but basically, he just kept on being governor. As part of his duties, he still has the right, and some might say, obligation, to appoint Barack Obama’s Senate successor. And, at 2:00 today, it seems Rod Blagojevich is going to do just that:
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected today to name former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.
The action comes despite warnings by Democratic Senate leaders that they would not seat anyone appointed by the disgraced governor who faces criminal charges of trying to sell the post, sources familiar with the decision said.
Shortly after Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following Blagojevich’s arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor’s support.
Though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama’s replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he’s never lost to a Republican.
Blagojevich, who has sole authority to name a replacement senator, scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference at his downtown Chicago office.
It bears noting that while a lot of people in Illinois politics hate Blagojevich’s guts and will go to great lengths to defeat him by any means necessary, the fact that he is or is not a crook has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Everybody in Illinois politics is a crook, crookedness even trumps party affiliation in the state. As I’ve said before, indicting any one Illinois pol on corruption charges is like trying to point out the one sinner in Hell. What’s going on with the hue and cry surrounding Blago is pure, down and dirty politics, all protestations of ideological and moral consternation nothing more than dramatic fuel for the elbow throwing fire. And, in this game of hand crushing ladder climbing, the too complacent enemies of Blags, believing their opponent to be sufficiently neutralized, just got punked.
Reid had said when the Blagojevich scandal broke earlier this month he would ask the Senate not to seat any Blagojevich appointee, in order to make sure the seat is free of taint. All the Senate Democrats concurred. Manley said Reid’s position has not changed.
Reid’s position may not have changed according to his aide, but most assuredly, the game now has.
Temerity? Gall? Chutzpah? Fat lot of nerve? Any or all of the above, which all mean pretty much the same thing, tempered only by political correctness and the degree of respect one has for the person, people, or entities engendering one’s respect, or lack thereof, for their brazen behavior, alone, or in tandem with one or more of the rest? Whatever you call it, a lot of folks seem to have an abundance of it.
the day from the date of his arrest, in response to having the Pretendident of the United States use the United States Senate to neutralize a former political rival, the architect of the Roland Burris Revenge Strategy wants to once again turn the tables on the naive Bush Leaguers what designed the so-far ill-fated, “Get Blago” campaign, and use one of their own instruments employed by that Gang O’ Mastermidgetminds against them. In other words, Blags’ lawyers want the transcripts of the FBI interviews with Rahm Emanuel, (D-R) Valerie Jarrett, (D-Gentrification) and the Nobel War is Peace Prize winning Pretendident, (D-Uh) himself. And, even though the Chicago Sun-Times reports that prosecutors usually withhold such evidence until approximately 30 days before trial, the Blaggone-ator’s henchmen want ‘em now: Read the rest of this entry »
I am not a bandwagoneer. It takes a lot to get me to go along with anything, or anyone, at any time. Given the way perceptions can be radically shifted by agents employing fairly subtle techniques, I have a hard time accepting things that are reported as “prevailing wisdom,” or “common knowledge,” or anything suggesting that whatever being discussed is something “everybody knows.” Everybody knows shit. Nobody knows squat. However you want to say it, unless you’re under the age of 17 and trying to cajole a parent into granting permission for something you want, but know good and well you shouldn’t have, “everybody knows” has no place in anybody’s vocabulary. Everybody knows that.
Though I make no claims of being a financial wizard, or a political maven, even I can see that all is not right on Wall Street, D.C. where the heart and soul of our country is on life support, currently being administered to by second graders who want to be doctors when they grow up. And, I’m sophisticated enough to recognize that a lot of what I read about our dire 
You know, even though I was born and raised a Democrat, and remained one all my life until the lying rat bastards showed themselves to be the slimy bunch of lying rat bastards they are during this election cycle, every day I find myself agreeing with Republicans more and more. Not because I think they’re right about anything much, but, because I’m beginning to hate Democrats, too. What a sniveling bunch of whiny assed, wannabe crooks and schnooks y’all elected to guide this sinking ship to the bottom of the hellish Ocean of No Returns they keep dumping our good money after bad into via the coffers of the greedy corporate bankster masters they serve. And no, I’m not talking about Rod Blagojevich and his hapless Senate appointee, Roland Burris, I’m talking about the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou charlatans fingerpointing scapegoats like school children jockeying for position at the head of the line for the teeter-totter, stepping on each other’s toes and poking each other in the ribs as they holler for Teacher, only to adopt angelic visages and mumble, “he did it,” in disingenuous attempts to escape attention when faced with the wrath of authority.
Looks like Obama the Candidate was really serious about “
Illinois Senator Roland (Like It Or Not) Burris is in hot water with the 
“…in exchange for…”
President Black Obama is crowing like a bantam rooster about his 
Nope. Though 
Guilty in the press, Rod Blagojevich not only came out swinging at a press conference today, he was 
If the story first reported by the 
Why would Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich beseech the legislative body determined to remove him from office based on allegations of wrongdoing to “find the truth and sort things out, to put the business of the people first?” Presiding over a “tense swearing in of the state Senate,” comprised of lawmakers who have made no secret that they’ve already made up their minds that he’s not only guilty of any and everything he has ever been accused of in his life, he’s beneath contempt, why doesn’t he just play along and act guilty? Is he crazy, or does he know something the rest of us can only guess at? From 
Hillary Clinton
Senator Roland Burris.
I’m beginning to think that the art of politics (if there is such a thing) is the ability to get strangers to pretend to understand when you talk nonsense out of both sides of your mouth. Unfortunately, that is also today’s definition of journalism. That makes looking for turds of political wisdom among the media bullshit as much fun as a scavenger hunt in a sewer. And just as obvious.
“The View” and “Playgirl” seem radical by comparison, boasted an improbable cover touting Obama’s non-existent feminist creds, going so far as to depict him as the women’s movement’s very own super hero, a giant leap up, in the wrong direction, from Prince Charming or Barbie’s Ken.
Uh-oh. The Obacrats, with their shaky 
You can’t surf the news sites without reading a superfluity of stupidity as it regards our first black president-elect. Like this nugget from 
Stop the presses! Hold the phone! Batten the hatches! Hold that line! Tote that barge! Lift that b…Okay, I get carried away, sometimes, but this is news! Barack Obama, the man who raised begging to a fine art, and cleverly figured out how hundreds of big donors could give him 
Wheeeee! Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved to spin. Shoulda been a journalist. Or an Obatician, but nah, that sounds like a doctor who only delivers little Baracks. I shudder to think. Even though, it would be kinda cool to be a Mainstream Media Barackaspinner, (talk about redundant) I could make stuff up about him and pretend like it was true and nobody would say anything. Anyway, a love of spinning would come in handy for just about anybody, since the drivel the professional spinners spin is almost comprehensible only when you’re already dizzy.
“Don’t let the door hitcha where the good Lord splitcha!” Barack Obama, who 
“No Drama Obama?” Are you kidding me? All that’s missing from this soap opera is the 40’s style announcer and the creepy pipe organ music.
As anybody in the PUMAsphere could have told them, 
As the wheels on the Barack Obama “Obus” seem to be improbably blowing out simultaneously, all over the ever-increasing hordes of former sycophants he’s so fond of tossing under it, there’s evidence that a new driver just might be reporting for duty who can get it rolling again. The 
Let’s face it, the Democrats don’t like Governor Rod Blagojevich. Especially those Democrats loyal (if such a thing as political loyalty indeed exists) to President-elect Barack Obama, the Obacrats, which is all the suck-ups in the party. Which is the overwhelming majority.
Whoever thought maneuvering Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich into a position that allowed U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to officially criminalize machine politics-as-usual for political advantage has got to be the biggest neophyte yahoo rube to come down the pike since…Barack Obama. Let’s review. Barack Obama, the only African American in the Senate for two years, mysteriously generates enough money and clout to mount a successful run for the presidency out of a political environment so corrupt that “Lincoln would roll over in his grave,” how? By being an all-around, all-American, above-board, swell, good guy, of course. Sure.
First, it was black people ranting and raving to anybody who would listen that now was the time that it was absolutely, positively, super-duper imperative that we elect a black man, any old black man, over 
The already scandal-plagued man who will be sworn in as America’s 44th president in a little over two weeks is full of crap and the butt kissing media that enables him is, too. The number of examples of this “don’t worry about a thing, we’ve got your back” medialove are far to numerous to chronicle here, or on any one forum, but let’s start with what’s in the news today, and what it is designed to divert attention from. The latter is easy, the Obamedia is desperate to get us to ignore the 
Big ol’ scary Roland Burris says he’s the Senator from Illinois so make way. The Obamacrats say the idea of Burris sullying the sanctity of the Senate is so terrifying, they’ll do whatever they have to do to keep him out and keep the country safe. “Hide the women and children, go to the root cellar, get under the desks, run for your lives, for God’s sake, hide!”
Okay, I admit it, I’m a boxing fan. Not that I enjoy watching grown men and women pummel each other’s faces into unrecognition, per se; next to making up words, observing the ritualized human drama of mano a mano (hand to hand, not man to man) competition play out in the structured, regulated and supervised environment of the boxing ring is just plain fun. More honest than wrestling, grittier, more real and less time consuming than a soap opera, and minus the gratuitous sex, boxing is a curious, yet entertaining mix of theater and thuggery. I like it.
Funny, as we barrel into a 2009 rife with the promise of “hope” and “change,” anticipating the pomp and ceremony of the impending coronation celebrating the ascension of The Great Hype Hope President-Elect-In-Training Wheels to Obamessiah-In-Chief, replete with all the grandeur and revelry the Inauguration of the Greatest Historically Historic Man Ever Elected for Being Black is due, we find ourselves sidetracked by the spectacle of those on the sidelines busy trying to slow down certain attendant events in order to maximize the impact of an impending train wreck threatening to ruin the festivities for all concerned.
When you’ve got an ace in the hole, or a wild card, or an abundance of trumps, you can play with confidence. If you’ve tucked the only Joker in the deck up your sleeve, only allowing it to magically appear when needed, you can wipe out your opposition without breaking a sweat. But when another player, seemingly low on chips and on his way out the game, suddenly not only goes all in, but produces an even bigger Joker than yours, showing yours to have been a rather poor imitation of the real thing all along, your ass is punked.
In a surprising, nay, shocking, even jaw-droppingly so, development, President-elect In Training Wheels, Barack Obama, has actually interrupted his well-earned? vacation activities of surfing, golfing, 
Ha, ha, ha…I’m sorry, I can’t stop laughing. “Crazy ol’” Rod Blagojevich, the 
