Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Reverend Wright, now Rod Blagojevich….??? Who, we are learning, may also have ties to David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett (we knew our suspicion of her was warranted!) Rumor has it that Rahm Emanuel tipped off the feds…wonder if there has been any dead fish in Blagojevich’s mailbox? What next? Is it unreasonable to say that our President-elect is either extremely naïve or a talented actor?
According to ABC’s The Fan, Blagojevich was recorded saying (in reference to the vacant Senate seat), “I’ve got this thing and it’s bleep’n
golden, I’m not just giving it up for bleep’n nothing.” The Governor had also threatened to pull millions in state funds from a Children’s Hospital unless its CEO paid fifty thousand in campaign contributions. He had also targeted the Chicago Tribune for publishing editorials he disapproved of. His wife is being investigated for real estate dealings. According to the Seattle Times, the 76 page criminal complaint reveals her as a woman who schemed to cash in on her husband’s job and punish those who got in her way. On the tape she suggests that the governor “just fire” some editors at the Chicago Tribune if they hoped for state assistance with selling Wrigley Field. She’s recorded as saying, “Hold up that bleep’n Cub’s bleep. Bleep them.” PS – The previous Chicago governor, George Ryan, is currently serving jail time for racketeering.
According to FOX, top campaign strategist David Axelrod, who was selected for a senior advisor job, lists Blagojevich on his firm’s website as one of his clients. Axelrod said on live television last month in reference to Obama, “I know he’s talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them.” Axelrod recently retracted that statement, saying he was “mistaken.”
Jarrett, who had been referred to repeatedly as “Candidate 1” for the Senate seat in court documents and in a taped November 11th phone conversation between Blagojevich and an aide, announced that she was not interested in the seat the following day. On November 15th, Obama announced that she would be senior White House adviser. One must wonder if she would have taken the senate seat had she not become aware of her appointment to senior advisor and at what cost? How is it possible that Obama would have no idea that Jarrett, who’s been called the “other side of Obama’s brain”, was involved in these dealings?
Some reporters have determined that the tapes are Obama’s best defense since Blagojevich was recorded cursing him when Obama wouldn’t play the game. How would this absolve Obama from anything? What does this mean? That he wasn’t exceptionally stupid by choosing to stay out of it when he was running for president?
The Obama’s home was purchased the same day as Tony Rezko’s for $300,000 less than the asking price and his property adjoins with Rezko’s – and he knew nothing about his criminal activities either? Just in case you are not aware, Rezko, a Chicago real estate developer born in Aleppo, Syria, has been convicted of fraud and bribery this year. Rezko was named “Entrepreneur of the Decade” by the Arab-American Business and Professional Association.” After Obama finished Law school, Rezko offered him a job, which he turned down. But he did take a job with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland who, by the way, represented “Rezar” which was Rezko’s firm. Rezko was one of Obama’s first major financial contributors when he ran for office in Chicago. In 2003, Rezko threw an early fundraiser for Obama which Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendelland claims was instrumental in providing Obama with “seed money” for his U.S. Senate race.
Are we supposed to believe that in the midst of all of this crime and corruption, he rose above it and walked a straight path? But what does that say about our President-elect? In the quest for presidency he chose to ignore all this wrongdoing because he didn’t want anything to interfere with his path to the White House? Or even worse, he used these criminals to advance himself? What would John McCain have done? It’s quite clear: McCain would have jeopardized his future presidency to stop this crime and put these people behind bars! Are we supposed to believe he didn’t know about it – which is what he is saying about Blagojevich? COME ON! And if he didn’t know about crime taking place under his nose what does that say about his ability to deal with terrorism? And if he did know but chose to do nothing about it except use them when necessary for political gain, what does that say about his character?
Yes…character certainly does count.
