Sorry, GOP. Ya Got Nothin’.
The recent news regarding Rod Blagojevich putting the senate seat vacated by Barack Obama up for sale, and his subsequent arrest, has the GOP and their supporters (most notably RNC Chair Robert Duncan) creaming their pants with near-orgasmic bliss. “Finally,” they exclaim, “we found something that we can hang on Obama. Now we can show America how much they need us.” Hate to be the pin in your balloon, GOP, but if you really look at what has come out about Obama’s relationship with Blago, and how Obama may have been instrumental in his downfall while he was senator, you’ll find that attaching Blago to Obama would be about as effective as trying to attach steel girders with Elmer’s Glue-all.
Even if you ignore Blago’s reaction when he realized that all he’d get from the Obama camp for appointing Obama’s suggested pick was a handshake and a smile (I believe the phrases used were “motherfucker” and “fuck him”), or that in the three months or so that Blago was bugged nothing was found (so far) that indicated anything nefarious between him and Obama, there is the New York Times story of a piece of legislation that Obama supported and urged the Illinois state senate to pass, which they eventually did. According to the story, Obama placed a call to the president of the Illinois Senate urging passage of a state ethics bill which would curbe the influence of money in politics. The senate president, Emil Jones Jr., was a critic of the legislation, and Blago ultimately vetoed it. However, after Obama’s phone call, the senate overrode that veto. Immediately, Blago started pressuring his state contractor friends for campaign contributions before the bill took effect on January 1st. Apparently, this was what tipped off the feds, and the rest is history. There are further reports (from a FOX news affiliate, no less) that it was Rham Emanuel who may have blown the whistle on Blago in all of this, which would seem to be a solid on his part. Further, Patrick Fitzgerald has already indicated that Obama has nothing to do with any of it.
Clearly the GOP wants something, anything, to hang on Obama to somehow tarnish his image. Given the failed guilt by association sleeze-balls they tried throughout the presidential campaign (Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Rashid Khalidi) one would think that they’d be reluctant to throw yet another one. But if there is one thing that we’ve learned this year is that the GOP is nothing if not consistent. Once again they throw some limp tired piece of spaghetti against the Obama wall hoping that it will stick. Given the president-elect’s approval rating (see NBC/WSJ poll: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28163452) it’s clear that even if Obama has more than a terciary involvement in this, they’d be hard pressed to find anyone other than hard-core right-wingers that would do little more than tisk-tisk the whole thing. Indeed, with what we’ve had to endure for the past 8 years (too numerous to put here), a little old-fashioned “pay-to-play” politics would seem quite tame. In any event, the RNC’s time would be better spent trying to figure out what kind of party it wants to be in the future if they’re to have any chance of being allowed to sit at the grown-up table again. For now, GOP, I can only say sorry. Thanks for playing. Enjoy your lovely parting gifts.
New York Times story refrenced here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/us/politics/10chicago.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&partner=msnbcpolitics&emc=rss
There’s something about that Illinois governorship that seems to attract the criminal element. However, a connection from this present sad situation to Obama is nonexistant and the GOP knows it. Seems they didn’t get the memo that the politics of fear and smear was soundly rejected on November 4th. Their feeble attempts to make something from nothing are old and pathetic. Go lick your wounds and try to come up with something better (like actually standing for something). We’re tired of your crap.
PE Obama had stated months ago that he had little or no contact with Blago. I can’t remember exactly when it was but do remember him saying that. Lynn Sweet has been on several of the shows talking about it too, she has said that he was not invited so to speak to the convention, or to any of the other events PE Obama has had so that shows he doesn’t want him around. There just isn’t much of a connection there, no matter what the Repugs want to make of it. Nice try them though…lol