1. When Obama said he had no personal contact with Blagojevich or his office about the appointment, he knew the Feds had recordings of Blago’s conversations since late October.

2. Obama is not dumb.

3. It does not make sense for him to deny personal contact if he had any knowing that tapes of those conversations most likely existed.

4. It’s more logical that Axelrod was thinking that Obama’s staff had contact with Blagojevich’s staff or was speaking in a generality, the name “Obama” not necessarily meaning the man himself, but his team.

Tom_Shipley on December 17, 2008 at 1:03 PM

Axelrod never said they had phone discussions. He said they talked regarding the senate seat. And I assure you, if they did talk on the phone, Obama wouldn’t be dumb enough to talk to him on any phone that had a chance of being tapped. He’d be using official Obama team cell phones. Blago probably had Rahm in the room with him and used his phone.

“Next month, I hope to come back — if AEI will have me and give a little speech on the 25th Anniversary of two speeches. Because next month is the 25th Anniversary of the “Evil Empire” speech, and 13 days later, the 25th Anniversary of the speech for the Strategic Defense Initiative, which was called “Star Wars.” I would argue that those two speeches represented a fundamental disruption of the elite approach to foreign policy. That in those two speeches, we went from tolerating the Soviet Union as a bad, but necessary, nuisance to describing the Soviet Union as an intolerably evil system, which had to be eradicated; and then outlining a technologically and scientifically based strategy that was designed to bankrupt the Soviet empire.

When you look at those two speeches in that context, it is inconceivable that they would have been given by anyone but Ronald Reagan. I would argue — and this will be the trust of my speech next month — that in the absence of Ronald Reagan, you still have a Soviet empire. I think it’s actually interesting to think through, had Reagan not gotten elected in 1980, if he decided after 1976 that he was old enough and tired enough, he and Nancy were going to stay at the ranch, certainly a reasonable choice, that you’d be in a different world. You’d be in a world where we were still negotiating with the Soviets. It’s that fundamental.

So now we come to our time.”

From Transcript: Newt’s presentation at the AEI Book Forum on Real Change; American Enterprise Institute; February 7, 2008

So he says that “the Era of Ronald Reagan is over”, has to retract and explain that statement, says this about how the world would be so very different (for the worst) had Ronald Reagan not stood up a spoke about the “evils” of that time, and now he wants us to shut up and just get along? This is what you refer to as ’speaking out of both sides of your mouth’.

Tom_Shipley on December 16, 2008 at 2:24 PM

That Tom S agrees with Newt is the only proof I need to confirm that Newt is completely wrong on this subject.

BiPartisianship is very trendy right now….But I’ve never really been in to Trends.

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and other minor candidates have not issued their own statements.

I’d feel better about Steele’s candidacy for the RNC if we knew what his position was about this ad. Does anyone know if he’s issued a statement yet?

No, just simple logic.

1. When Obama said he had no personal contact with Blagojevich or his office about the appointment, he knew the Feds had recordings of Blago’s conversations since late October.

2. Obama is not dumb.

3. It does not make sense for him to deny personal contact if he had any knowing that tapes of those conversations most likely existed.

4. It’s more logical that Axelrod was thinking that Obama’s staff had contact with Blagojevich’s staff or was speaking in a generality, the name “Obama” not necessarily meaning the man himself, but his team.

… there’s no evidence of wrong doing here and no strong ties between Obama and Blago.

Tom_Shipley on December 17, 2008 at 8:18 AM

Axelrod said he knew that Obama and Blago were discussing the senate seat. Then the cover up began. That which was KNOWN previously suddenly was known no longer. You’d need the reasoning ability of a People’s Temple koolaid drinker to fall for this cover up and not see any wrong doing.

I was a flag waving everyman !!! YEAH ME !!!

or as we say in Texas, a REAL AMERICAN !!!

:)

Mark Garnett on December 17, 2008 at 10:47 AM

I am a Freedom Crusader or to quote Robert Downey Jr., from the Movie Tropic Thunder “I’m a Lead Farmer” ;)

http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

Dr Evil on December 17, 2008 at 10:20 AM

I was a flag waving everyman !!! YEAH ME !!!

or as we say in Texas, a REAL AMERICAN !!!

:)

They, don’t even get how angry people are out here in the hinter lands. WHY hasn’t there been a Perp Walk? For all the People who have driven this country into the ditch? Politicians not listening to the Public Howl-What happens when there is no social release valve? Setting themselves up for a Fall? I sure HOPE so, that is a CHANGE I can get behind.

http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

Let me make this very clear:

I don’t care what the World thinks of America…
I don’t care what the MSM thinks of Conservatives…
I don’t care what Gays think about Christians…
I don’t care what Illegals think about Republicans…
I don’t care if Muslims get offended at Airports…
I don’t care what Gore says about Global Warming…
I don’t care what Newt thinks about ANYTHING…
I don’t care about John McLame, period…

I care about what my God thinks of me…
I care what my Wife and Son think of me…
I care about America’s future with Liberals in charge…
I care about the Military that I also served in…
I care about you and yours also, because we are all in this together…

And I will pray that I am wrong about our future under your Messiah, your savior, the Liar in Chief…

I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.

“Why can’t we all just get along?”

Neut was a big help in the recent election too

Not to imply the micro brains at the RNC are onto something. Since they are clueless about the opposition, whom they think they can woo with amnesty and RINO juice, and they are clueless about the conservative base, whom they think of as drooling half wit Jesus freaks who need to be removed like roaches, I am clueless why they would attack Obama who represents their vision

Attack ads are always valuable, especially at the moment a corruption scandal breaks but they have to be presented by an entity with some credibility for fighting corruption and a history of honoring the commitments of their own words

I knew Newt was neutered but I hadn’t realize he had done a mind meld with McCain. Neut should run an ad with McCain defending Obama against the Republicans. That will get them Dem invites anytime the conservatives left in Congress try to impede social progress and economic justice.

Get Colin Powell as the spokesman. Bush Sr.too. Got to let the public know what the Reoublicans stand for.

Back to the phantom donors and campaigning for cousin Odinga! Now those represent NEW POLITICS!

We have lost after 6 years in power and 8 years in the WH because we were silent and let the opposition frame the blame.

O’Bama already is caught lying in several press conferences, he refuses to answer to the Chicago Tribune, and the RNC called him on it. With facts and their own video. Truth.

This is tame compared to Democratic hatefest the last 8 years selling outright propaganda with no response. No rebuttal 90% of the time.

Lead. Bring it on. Rebut with facts and truth. Tell Newt and McCain to quit worrying about what the MSM and democrats think. O’Bama is not even inaugurated yet and has gone from ‘no contact’ to ‘no inappropriate contact’.

Please.

That really does sum it up, doesn’t it?