Obama, Two Aides Questioned In Probe - WSJ.com

The memo released Tuesday said Mr. Obama’s incoming White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, contacted Mr. Blagojevich and his staff at least five times after Election Day, and produced a slate of suggested replacements for Mr. Obama’s vacated Senate seat. Mr. Emanuel also spoke about four times to Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris to discuss the Senate seat.

Neither Mr. Emanuel nor other Obama aides and confidants heard of Mr. Blagojevich’s alleged efforts to auction the Senate appointment to the highest bidder, the report said.

They are in my opinion lying, and this is a whitewash of the first order.

Anybody who thinks bare-knuckle political bruiser Rahm Emanuel had five conversations with Blagojevich, and four more with his people, and not once in any of them were the desired quid pro quo arrangements Blago desired to make with Obama mentioned, is insanely stupid.

How in the hell could Blagojevich know that Obama wouldn’t meet his offer, (as he was quoted as saying) if he hadn’t made it to Obama or his chief of staff? And if anybody thinks that Emanuel didn’t keep Obama minutely informed about what was going on (that’s what chief of staffs do) they are even stupider.

I’m willing to believe that Obama listened to the demands as relayed by Rahm and said something like, “Is that dumbass crazy? Tell him to fuck off!” But I’m not prepared to swallow the whopper that neither Emanuel nor Obama had any idea what Blagojevich was doing.

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