The Silence of the Lambs

I have carefully read the un-redacted motion filed by Rod BlagojevichThe allegations against Barack Obama are stunnding.   The case against Blagojevich is that he had contact with union officials and tried to negotiate an appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the Senate.   President Obama has said publicly that he was “confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat.”    However, according to this motion, the union president said that he had spoken to another union official who had received a phone call from Obama.  That union official told the FBI and the United States Attorney that Obama had expressed his belief that Valerie Jarrett would make a great United States Senator.  The union official said that Obama was aware he was reaching out to Blagojevich and had spoken to Obama about this.    During a phone call of November 5, 2008, Blagojevich told John Harris the following:  “talked to Barack Obama, wants to come and see me.” … the labor union official “was very explicit with me, ‘I talked to Barack about the Senate seat.  Can I come and se ya?”  Can I do it tomorrow?’  Blagojevich said:  “sure.”

The prosecutor said “there is no reference in the complaint to any conversations involving President-Elect or indicating that President Elect was aware of it.  (The U.S Attorney showed a remarkable lack of curiosity about the possible involvement of Obama.  He believed witnesses, when it comes to convicting Blagojevich, but apparently discounts the same testimony to the extent it implicates Obama.) 

 Blagojevich asserts that either the union officials lied to the FBI and the United States Attorney about their alleged conversation with Obama, or Obama is lying.  He wants Obama to testify to discredit the union officials, by saying the union officials are lying.  It is really hard to believe that Obama was not heavily involved in “helping” Blagojevich choose the “right” person to appoint to the Senate.

 Tony Rezko is one of the government’s main witnesses.  The Blagojevich defense team alleges that “Mr. Rezko, President Obama’s former friend, fund-raiser and neighbor told the FBI and the United States Attorneys a different story about President Obama.   In a recent in camera (out of public sight, usually in the judge’s chambers) proceedings, the government tendered a three paragraph letter indicating that Rezko “has stated in interviews with the government that he engaged in election law violations by personally contributing a large sum of cash to the campaign of a public official who is not Rod Blagojevich.  ..  Further, the public official denies being aware of cash contributions to his campaign by Rezko or others and denies having conversations with Rezko related to cash contributions.  …Rezko has also stated in interviews with the government that he believed he transmitted a quid pro quo offer from a lobbyist to the public official, whereby the lobbyist would hold a fundraiser for the official in exchange for a favorable official action. 

 The motion states that it believed that this public official is Barack Obama.

 The motion describes the land deal between Rezko and Obama.  “For example, in June 2005, President Obama purchased a house for $1.65 million, $300,000 below the asking price.  On the same day Tony Rezko’s wife, Rita, paid full price — $625,000 – for the adjoining land.  In January 2006, Obama paid Mr. Rezko $104,500 for a strip of the adjoining land.  The transaction took place when it was widely known that Mr. Rezko was under investigation.”  This miraculous peace of land is approximately 10 feet wide.

The motion goes on to say that Barack Obama denied being asked to do anything to advance Rezko’s business interest.  He also denies discussing a casino license with either Al Johnson or Tony Rezko.

Apparently we are to believe that Obama is pure as the driven snow and that the man convicted for bribing half of Illinois gave Obama about $500,000 but didn’t expect anything in return.  Really? 

The attorneys for Blagojevich alleged that either Rezko is lying, or Obama is lying.  If Rezko is lying, then how can his testimony be used against Blagojevich.  If he is not lying, then Obama is lying. 

Blagojevich refers to an article by Dave McKinney, Chris Fusco and Mark Brown, Chicago Sun Times,  November 5, 2006.

Senator Barack Obama was asked:  “Did Rezko or his companies ever solicit your support on any matter involving state or Federal government?   Did Al Johnson, who was trying to get a casino license along with Tony Rezko, or Rezko himself ever discuss casino matters with you?”  Senator Obama answered:  “No, I have never been asked to do anything to advance his business interest.  In 1999, when I was a State Senator, I opposed legislation to bring a casino to Rosemont and allow casino gambling at docked riverboats which news reports said Al Johnson and Tony Rezko were interest in being a part of.  I never discussed a casino license with either of them.  I was a vocal opponent of the legislation.”  (While Obama did opposed casino gambling on at least one occasion he voted to allow it, and then later claimed his vote an error).

To put this in perspective, assume that George Bush was still President and there were similar allegations against him.  This would be on the front page of the Washington Post, the New York Times and every other major newspaper.  All of the news networks would be devoting 24 hour coverage to this story.  We would have been hearing somber statements about a Presidency in Peril.  Political commentators on both sides would be questioning whether it would be possible for a President to remain in office under such a cloud.  The appointment of a special prosecutor would be inevitable. 

So far the silence in the Main Stream Media, including Fox news is deafening.  Perhaps they don’t want to be distracted from investigations regarding abuse of library records by Sarah Palin in Wasilla, Alaska.   But, these allegations are all over the internet and these is at least some chance that Obama may have to testify. 

TDM