Blagorahma: Does Judicial Watch have the goods on Obama’s denials?
posted at 12:50 pm on January 6, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Judicial Watch claims today that they have documented proof that Barack Obama lied when he said he had no contacts with Rod Blagojevich. The letter they gained from a Freedom of Information query certainly does show that Obama acknowledged meeting with Blagojevich, but it falls far short of indicating any sort of discussion on replacing Obama in the Senate:
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the office of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich through the Freedom of Information Act related to Blagojevich’s contacts with President-elect Obama and his transition team. The documents include a December 3, 2008, letter from Barack Obama following his December 2, 2008, meeting with Blagojevich as well as a November 17, 2008, letter signed by Presidential Transition Team co-chairs Valerie Jarrett and John Podesta providing Blagojevich with a list of transition team contacts.
The following are excerpts from the letter signed by President-elect Obama on December 3, 2008, less than one week before authorities arrested Blagojevich for attempting to “sell” Obama’s now-vacant Senate seat, among other corruption charges …
“These documents tend to undermine Obama’s claims that he had no contact with Blagojevich and suggest his transition is hiding documents about such contacts,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Why did President-elect Obama not release this letter? What else is he hiding?”
You can read the letter here. It acknowledges a discussion between Blagojevich, Obama, and Joe Biden, but the full context of the letter suggests that the conversation involved economic policy and not Obama’s Senate seat. In fact, the letter appears to be nothing more than a pro-forma, polite acknowledgment of a meeting, and has no real inculpatory value. Allahpundit e-mails me to say he’s 99.9% sure that the meeting referenced was at the governors conference in Philadelphia — and that Sarah Palin probably got the same letter as Blagojevich.
Barack Obama did say that he had “no contact” with Blagojevich, and the letter obviously negates that in a literal sense. However, the context for “no contact” was in regards to specific discussions about replacing Obama in the Senate, not “no contact” ever, at least between Obama himself and Blagojevich. Jake Tapper had a better argument a month ago when he pointed out David Axelrod’s statement in November which asserted a close relationship specific to that issue between Obama and Blagojevich.
Fitton does have a good point, though, in asking why Obama and his transition team didn’t bother to release the letter when they issued their report exonerating themselves from Blagojevich’s taint. That’s more to the point of competence than evasion, though. Why not release this with the report? Why have it sitting in the files waiting for a FOIA request to unearth it? They’re either acting like they have something to hide, or demonstrating a large degree of incompetence at handling crises.
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Comments
where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
wildweasel on January 6, 2009 at 12:55 PM
Pretty much his entire life. This guy shouldn’t be president, he should be america’s top spy. He doesn’t seem to exist on paper.
Tommy_G on January 6, 2009 at 12:55 PM
FOIA doesn’t give you everything either. You can ask for specific stuff, and still not get what you are asking for.
upinak on January 6, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Obama has more than enough surrogates to run interference for him. Plausible deniability.
LimeyGeek on January 6, 2009 at 12:57 PM
“They’re either acting like they have something to hide, or demonstrating a large degree of incompetence at handling crises.”
um, why does that have to be either/or?
:-)
/fitz has ~2 weeks to get this thing across the finish line!
Buckaroo on January 6, 2009 at 12:58 PM
As is appointing Podesta.
I would expect an incoming president to have conversations of his Senate seat replacement with his state’s governor, especially if they are of the same party. I’d see nothing wrong with that, absent outright bribery. A quid pro quo arrangement, I’d just put down to “that’s politics”
rbj on January 6, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Definitely…
Why did Hillary Clinton keep the FBI files under her desk?
Skywise on January 6, 2009 at 12:59 PM
thump… Thump…. THUMP.
What is that noise? Oh that is the Obama bus running over his surrogates and minions. Nothing to see here, move along.
upinak on January 6, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I’ll do you one better.
Where there is taint, there is stink.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 6, 2009 at 12:59 PM
The chickens are coming home to……….roooost!
grapeknutz on January 6, 2009 at 1:01 PM
kinda like Lucky Luciano!!
right4life on January 6, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Wouldn’t a discussion of the senate seat be economic policy? I mean, you have to determine an asking price, discuss what the market will bear, and so forth.
Nugai on January 6, 2009 at 1:01 PM
They’re so besotted with him, they’re practically throwing themselves under the bus to pave his way.
LimeyGeek on January 6, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Obama minions are like parking spots. You have the WAY back parking, don’t touch my stuff type. The Handicapped for those whom are special. And the ones who try to cut you off, going the wrong way.
The surrogates are just the speed bumps in the way of the good parking…. and Obama knows it.
upinak on January 6, 2009 at 1:06 PM
This means nothing. There a photographs of Obama talking to Blago. Who cares? To get Obama you need proof that the subject matter discussed was related to the vacant seat and any deal making that resulted from that.
Zetterson on January 6, 2009 at 1:07 PM
To paraphrase Bubba:
kingsjester on January 6, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Just breaking on NBC…
“The country is NOT INTERESTED in anything NEGATIVE about Barack Obama at this time.”
singlemalt_18 on January 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Careful, that may carry inappropriate connotations. At least I hope they’re inappropriate, we don’t need that aspect of the Clinton years on top of all the familiar faces.
Marine_Bio on January 6, 2009 at 1:13 PM
I like glazed donuts
LimeyGeek on January 6, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Hysterical!
sherry on January 6, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Marine_Bio on January 6, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Good to see ‘ya back, buddy. I was just saying that Barry’s going to weasel out of any notion that there was a substantial meeting about the Senate Seat with Blago.
kingsjester on January 6, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Remember, the “no contact” morphed into “no inappropriate contact” between pressers.
Of course Obama talked with Blago about his Senate seat. The only issue is there is no direct evidence on same…
catmman on January 6, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Ah, now there’s one of my favorite words more commonly used by Brits but not Americans.
Very aptly applies to the madness over Obama.
Marine_Bio on January 6, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Breaking News from fogw ….
Obama appoints Jocelyn Elders as new FBI Director.
fogw on January 6, 2009 at 1:18 PM
As if Obama is gonna write this –
Dear Blago:
As per our recent conversation, wherein it was agreed that my Senate seat would be sold to the highest bidder, with 25% of all funds paid, pursuant thereto, being forwarded to my secret Cayman account, this is to acknowledge that it is my desire that such criminal enterprise occur, ASAP.
Yours, always,
Barack
OhEssYouCowboys on January 6, 2009 at 1:18 PM
I became an American for the sole purpose of reintroducing the word ;)
LimeyGeek on January 6, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Is Grandmaster Flash taking over HHS?
LimeyGeek on January 6, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Fixed it for you!
grapeknutz on January 6, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Upon further review, did anyone notice the use of the Presidential seal on the letters to the Governors linked in the post?
BobMbx on January 6, 2009 at 1:25 PM
And here I was foolishly thinking it was for the purpose of spreading glazed donut humor.
;)
Marine_Bio on January 6, 2009 at 1:36 PM
It looks like a form letter to me except for the “Dear Rod”. Are we certain that Blago is the only gov who received it?
Couldn’t “open discussion” mean a discussion between Obama, Biden and several ( or all ) of the governors at this governor’s meeting?
Buddahpundit on January 6, 2009 at 1:39 PM
The country is NOT INTERESTED in anything NEGATIVE about Barack Obama at this time.”
singlemalt_18 on January 6, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Hysterical!
sherry on January 6, 2009 at 1:14 PM
——-
What scares me, sherry and singlemalt, is what happens when America is forced to confront the fact that Obama is, at the core, a politician.
That has the potential to turn very very ugly….
Mew
acat on January 6, 2009 at 1:45 PM
And, don’t forget the discussion of how much is Barry’s cut…
Vashta.Nerada on January 6, 2009 at 1:45 PM
I agree with Buckaroo on January 6, 2009 at 12:58 PM.
INC on January 6, 2009 at 1:55 PM
What I find more interesting is the lawyerly stall from Blago’s office when they say that they have “no independent knowledge of all individuals who are representatives” in the office of president-elect, Transition Project, or SEIU, and are thus unresponsive to the request (barring a second round where specific names are provided).
Buy Danish on January 6, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Thanks! What was I thinking!
singlemalt_18 on January 6, 2009 at 1:58 PM
More of that phony Office of the President-Elect stuff along with the seal.
Clinton and Obama seem to have run for office as a way of handling their personal journey for validation and acceptance.
INC on January 6, 2009 at 1:59 PM
The country is NOT INTERESTED in anything NEGATIVE about Barack Obama at this time.”
Have you tried to get in an Obama supporter’s face and ask them what they think of THE ONE now?? They refuse to ackowledge anything even remotely unusual about him!! The Kool-Aid lives on!
anniekc on January 6, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Somebody, a conservative site has a Palin calendar on sale.
Is HE the initials?
Aaa,,,,
IlikedAUH2O on January 6, 2009 at 2:21 PM
BINGO! I would say this is pretty much the Obama administration’s M.O.
canditaylor68 on January 6, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Blagojevich’s taint
Dude…
Beagle on January 6, 2009 at 2:48 PM
These poor democrats can’t even get the doors open to a new congress without stumbling. Panneta gets the nod for CIA director and no one bothers to inform the head of the Senate Intell committee, (Feinstein). Harry Reid can’t get his trycicle pedals in reverse fast enough to end the unseated Illinois Senator fiasco. In one week the Senate Majority leader has gone from “we will not accept any appointee from Blagojevich” to “as long as his paperwork is complete, we can work something out”. Round two of an economic stimulas package proposed by the Dems has inflated from 700 billion to upwards of 1.2 trillion. Throw in an out-of-work crude comedian into the upper chamber, and a few more Clinton and Carter relics into the mix, Allah and Ed will have plenty of COMPETENCE storys to write about for months to come. Special thanks must go out to the folks in Illinois that have provided us with so much Chicago-style “hope and change”, and our adoring media that was complicit in the delivery. Pass the popcorn.
Rovin on January 6, 2009 at 2:56 PM
Slogan of the Party.
PaddyJ on January 6, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Has he trotted out the “no controlling legal authority” line yet or are they saving that for a stickier wicket?
SKYFOX on January 6, 2009 at 3:07 PM
It doesn’t matter. There’s no shortage of room under “the bus” for any number of folks who will fall on their sword for the
MessiahMistake. Or have their sword meet them halfway, with help from Above.hillbillyjim on January 6, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Obama lied. Name a politician that doesn’t. Case closed.
volsense on January 6, 2009 at 3:48 PM
So the newspaper article, Barry’s own team members not enough proof?…lol…Barry has the media shoved up his arse pretty tight!
christene on January 6, 2009 at 6:40 PM
Obama will be the Grant of the 21st Century. He has all the earmarks.The man has not one clue of what is going on around him. His Bullshit detector is broken and that is going to comeback to bite us all….
Dr. Dog on January 6, 2009 at 8:27 PM
Both letters are ‘canned’ that probably went out to ALL Governors. Not that I’m defending ‘The One’ but what I’m relatively certain of is that their admission they had “no contact” was specifically in reference to the Blago dibacle. I agree that they should have stated they sent out these 2 letters but it is far from anything damaging at this point. I still don’t believe when they say the transition team had no contact with Blago….where are all those serious gut wrenching journalist that love to get this sort of dirt? The clock is ticking and we need the truth exposed.
lyfsatrip on January 7, 2009 at 7:27 AM