Heaving bosoms at the Associated Press;
Washington pulsed with anticipation of Obama’s swearing in as the nation’s first black president. The city was aflutter with preparations for four days of parties and pomp, shadowed at every turn by layer upon layer of security.
To the man with the best “O” in his logo…
Barack Obama’s inaugural organizing committee has struck deals with three television networks to the tune of more than $5 million, giving the networks exclusive access to inaugural events. But the arrangement is prompting questions about the president-elect’s efforts to raise money by turning his inauguration into made-for-TV productions.
Not that it matters. After Obama becomes President, everything America needs will come from money orchards. *
The Outdoor Wire, the nation’s largest daily electronic news service for the outdoor industry, has announced their “Gun Salesman of the Year”.
(Sorry – original link is now dead, so I’ve relinked to the Hot Air . Hoax?)
Update – Here it is at Outdoor Wire (scroll to page bottom).
*
(Stop being ridiculous. This sort of vehicle is expected to meet the security and safety needs of its passenger, and it’s unfair to compare that to the level of security and safety provided by that planet-killing SUV you bought to drive the kids around in.)
More planet healing austerity…
Is there nothing that Obama can’t do?
President-elect Barack Obama said this weekend that he does not expect to close Guantanamo Bay in his first 100 days in office. “I think it’s going to take some time and our legal teams are working in consultation with our national security apparatus as we speak to help design exactly what we need to do,” Obama said in an exclusive “This Week” interview with George Stephanopoulos, his first since arriving in Washington.
“It is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize,” the President-elect explained. “Part of the challenge that you have is that you have a bunch of folks that have been detained, many of whom who may be very dangerous who have not been put on trial or have not gone through some adjudication. And some of the evidence against them may be tainted even though it’s true. And so how to balance creating a process that adheres to rule of law, habeas corpus, basic principles of Anglo American legal system, by doing it in a way that doesn’t result in releasing people who are intent on blowing us up.”
And all this time you thought the use of the double negative was a slip up on my part.
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What could possibly go wrong?
Dec. 3, 2008 – President-elect Barack Obama names New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson Commerce secretary calling him “a leading economic diplomat for America…”
Jan. 4, 2009 – Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs on Richardson’s withdrawal – “I think our vettors have done a good job”.
Nov. 17, 2008; – Heath Haussamen, on New Mexico Politics
In addition, the FBI is probing dealings between the state and a California firm that was paid almost $1 million related to a $1.6 billion transportation program. Investigators are looking into at least two financial contributions totaling $100,000 that the company involved, CDR Financial Products, made to political committees formed by Richardson around the time it won the state contract related to Governor Richardson’s Investment Partnership (GRIP) in 2004.
So Barack Obama is about to take over George Bush’s job, when he’s not man enough for Paris Hilton’s?
“The reporter who was chastised Tuesday by President-Elect Barack Obama for “wast[ing] a question” about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was none other than John McCormick, the Chicago Tribune’s deputy editorial page editor whom Blagojevich wanted fired from the Trib’s editorial board.”
“We’ve reviewed the evidence and declare ourselves exonerated.” Is there nothing that Obama can’t do?
Barack Obama said Monday an internal review has concluded members of his transition team were “not involved in inappropriate discussions” with Rod Blagojevich even as questions swirled over reports his chief of staff gave the Illinois Governor a list of preferred candidates to fill the president-elect’s U.S. Senate seat.
Meanwhile, over at the Chicago Sun Times…
Sneed hears rumbles President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is reportedly on 21 different taped conversations by the feds — dealing with his boss’ vacant Senate seat!
A lot of chit-chat?
Hot air?
Or trouble?
via
Related – Obama’s “My Pet Goat” moment. If past performance is any indication, expect to see more of these.
“A source familiar with the investigation confirmed … that Rahm Emanuel did in fact have multiple conversations with Governor Rod Blagojevich [and his chief of staff] about the senate seat…”
More…
Don Surber on the man behind the curtain;
“DeLeo is a colorful fellow who drove Cadillacs, Jaguars and Mercedes as a $20,000 a year bailiff in traffic court.
Emanuel is ducking the press. DeLeo is ducking the press. Blagojevich is taking singing lessons.
And if he’s smart, Obama is vetting a new chief of staff.
Buchanan asks the question of the hour of a President-elect who claims there was no “contact”;
Blagojevich is overheard on the wiretaps complaining that all that Obama, whom he slurs nastily, was offering was gratitude.
How did Blagojevich know that?
Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous “Senate Candidate #5” whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News.
The timeline – “Pretty much everything fits except Barack Obama’s statement yesterday that he knew nothing about it. “
Update: I had no contact with the governor or his office… Whoops!
Now that Drudge has linked to the story, the original page has been wiped clean. Oddly enough! (Update – it’s been grabbed here.
But they missed this one…
Update – and it goes poof, too! … even the Google cached versions are disappearing.
I don’t believe the evidence will support any accusation that Barack Obama was involved with Blagojevich’s alleged seat-for-sale scheme, but Obama is doing himself NO favors by lying about any element of this matter. There would be nothing wrong with Obama having spoken with the governor, and that’s what Obama should have said today – that he discussed possible candidates with Blagojevich, but had no idea that the governor was making plans to auction off the Senate seat to the highest bidder.
Lying is never a good idea. It’s an especially bad idea when the person who has just been arrested apparently hates you, and would likely love to see you taken down with him. Plus, this sort of pointless lie just fuels the flames for those who are looking for reasons to discredit you and shame you. It makes their job awfully easy.
Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity: conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threatening to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions – both historically and now in a push before a new state ethics law takes effect January 1, 2009..
Lots of links at Drudge, where the headline reads “Grand Jury subpeonas issued on Rezko/Obama land deal.”
Chicago Tribune;
In one charge related to the appointment of a senator to replace Barack Obama, prosecutors allege that Blagojevich sought appointment for himself as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama administration…
The criminal complaint filed today against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich contains a remarkable section detailing the Democratic politician’s alleged attempt to cash in on his ability to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. Attached to the U.S. District Court complaint is an FBI affidavit, excerpted below, alleging that Blagojevich was caught on wiretaps noting that the Senate seat “is a f***ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.” He was also recorded saying that unless “I get something real good,” he would appoint himself to the vacancy. “I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I’m saying. And if I don’t get what I want and I’m not satisfied with it, then I’ll just take the Senate seat myself.” According to the surreptitiously recorded conversations, Blagojevich spoke with associates about the possibility of trading the Senate post for either an ambassadorship or a Cabinet post. The Democratic politician, according to the affidavit sworn by FBI Agent Daniel Cain, “analogized his situation to that of a sports agent shopping a potential free agent to various teams.” Blagojevich, 51, and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested this morning on political corruption charges.”
Watch how quickly the cheerleaders on Fitzgerald’s Plame and Conrad Black investigations turn…
Media watch side note – as per the usual pattern, the word “Democrat” remains conspicuously absent…
Indeed – “by arresting Blagojevich before Inauguration Day, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has done the one thing that absolutely prevents Barack Obama from removing him from his position.”
Which is what I meant by “strikes fast”.
Andrew Breitbart;
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