We don't know to what degree Blagogate affects members of Obama's team, and hope only that after a too long election, we get on with our new president and looming crises. But the continual mishmash of "misspokes" is growing alarming. More worrisome is why we are even here weeks before the Inauguration.
We learned everything about McCain down to his wife's private temperament, and we were forced to endure the daily speculations about the Palin pregnancy and clothes. But far too much about far more important things about Obama in his Chicago years were simply off limits: the disturbing legal action in his state campaign that eliminated all opponents by having African-American petitioners declared null and void, the mysterious leaking of sealed divorce papers to eliminate the Democratic Senate rival, and the lightning-strikes-twice reoccurrence of that in the general election against his likely Republican opponent. When collated with the Chicago Circle (Rezko, Wright, Pfleger, Ayers, Khalidi, etc.) his past was a lot to swallow.
But no matter — the election is over, and that was then.
Yet now, rather than pursuing leads the last few weeks about the swirling rumors concerning Blago, the media continues to discourse on their Constitutional frustration that President-elect Obama simply could not assume power right now! To outsiders, they all seem eager to audition for parts in a Sophoclean tragedy of their own making.
Again, the media treatment of Obama the last two years has been ethically reprehensible and absolutely derelict, and now the media will be left scrambling to ponder a number of Chicago synapses.
Given the long and close ties in the past (cf. especially 2002) between Blagojevich and Axlerod/Emanuel/Obama, it was very unwise of Obama to offer those initial sweeping disclaimers about an absence of contact between the two parties, given that they will inevitably have to be rendered "inoperative".
We know that later there will be corrections coming, since there were contacts between Blagojevich and members of the Obama transition team (if for no other reason than Blago's profanity-ridden frustrations with the negotiations).
I fear throwing Hot Rod under the bus will make Rev. Wright look like the toss of a blow-up doll.
And then there's this by Andy McCarthy
"I Have Never Spoken To The Governor On This Subject" — OK, Why Not?
This seems passing strange. ... Obviously, it would be wrong for Obama to get involved in a corrupt deal to trade his seat. But what would be wrong about speaking to Blagojevich about who would be replacing him? He says the people of Illinois "deserve the best possible representation." OK, well don't they deserve it now ...? What would possibly be more important to them than making sure the extraordinarily influential incumbent weighed in with the governor — a governor whom he twice was very instrumental in getting elected — to try to influence that governor's selection? Obama would have been derelict not to weigh in.
U.S. senators weigh in with presidents all the time — even presidents of the opposite party — about what federal judges and U.S. attorneys should be appointed in their state. There's nothing wrong with that — it's the way things are done, and it allows senators to exercise some quality control on behalf of their constituents. If Dick Durbin wouldn't hesitate to lean on President Bush in the making of an appointment in Illinois, what conceivable chance is there that Barack Obama wouldn't weigh in with his old ally Rod Blagojevich over who should replace Barack Obama in representing Barack Obama's constituents? Over who would work most effectively for Barack Obama's constituents with Barack Obama's administration?
When David Axelrod "misspoke" a couple of weeks ago, he said of 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." No one, of course, batted an eye at the time because it is exactly what you would expect. What would be really weird would be if Obama hadn't weighed in.
How foolish for Obama and his people to tee this up so that if it turns out — when it inevitably turns out — that either Obama or someone on his behalf communicated Obama's wishes about his replacement to Blago or some Blago aide, they will now look either like liars or amateurs.
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