[GingeM]

Yes, I know it comes from a blog - but there is no opinion in it, it's reporting what was said which is checkable.

Union leader Tom Balanoff just testified that right after the Presidential election, he met with both Valerie Jarrett and Alexi Giannoulias about Jarrett's possible appointment to the Senate by Rod Blagojevich. Balanoff said he asked Giannoulias to set up the meeting. The three met at the Aon Center on Nov. 7.
Balanoff said at the meeting he told Valerie Jarrett about his meeting the day before with Blagojevich.
"I said: 'He said some goofy stuff ... he could be Secretary of Health and Human Services.'" Balanoff testified. "I told her I told him that wasn't going to happen. We both laughed."
Balanoff said he planned to tell Blagojevich that if he didn't appoint Jarrett then the governor couldn't expect future help from the union, a major Democratic contributor.
"I was going to use our union's influence to make a good decision," Balanoff said.
Balanoff said he tried meeting with Blagojevich that Saturday to have coffee. Blagojevich told him he'd be out of town.
"I really felt that he blew me off," Balanoff testified.
He then called Jarrett, he said.
"I'm really sorry, I thought you'd be a really good Senator for the state of Illinois," Balanoff said he told Jarrett in the phone call.
In the courtroom, Blagojevich adjusts his watch, purses his lips and shifts considerably in his chair during Balanoff's testimony.
Giannoulias revealed on Sunday the defense subpoenaed him in the case.
Also in his testimony, Balanoff revealed Jarrett knew Obama called him the day before the election about her being named senator.
The morning of the election, Balanoff said he had a discussion on the phone with Jarrett in which he talked about her wanting the Senate seat.
"Didn't Barack call you last night?" Jarrett asked, according to Balanoff. "Well, I am interested." He said she told him.

Source

I believe that is illegal on His part. Even if it isn't you will remember that, early on, His administration denied that anyone had had contact with Blago regarding His replacement. Now it seems that Emanuel might have had a teeny weeny chat and the Anointed One himself stuck his finger in the pie. That's called fibbing and is very naughty. But since it's Him the media are letting it go. They were sure rabid enough when they thought Bush might have lied over intelligence... And you lefties swear there's no bias in the mass media...

On another note that is being discussed in another thread - Who the heck do the Union think they are???

[Nesster]

OK, so we shoud be *Shocked* that politicians do this sort of thing.

I note the following: Blagjo dissed the union guy and would not meet. Obama &co attempted to indirectly support Jarrett via the union guy (and probably others) but did not talk to Blagjo directly. The reason people organize is to influence political decisions, unions do this, corporations do this, non profits do this, churches do this, politicians do this, PACs do this, and so on.

Seems to me Blagjo had his graft-hand out and wasn't getting any from the union guy, thus the dis.

Regarding the Bush thing, we must keep in mind the relative importance and impact of these things. Bush may have lied about intelligence, and seems to have subverted the intelligence gathering process itself, in order to provide an excuse to start a war he and his advisors seem to have planned even before his Presidency.

The outcome of one is the scandal about a governor, and the appointment of a lesser Democrat to senate. The outcome of the other is a war that's dragging on, at the cost of many American lives either dead or wounded, the draining of the US Treasury and other resources, the impairment of US influence and ability to act world wide, the further radicalization of some parts of the Moslem world, and so on.

I would be truly amazed if Bush, or Clinton, or Bush the father, or Reagan hadn't done similar things that Obama has. But these things are SOP and usually don't come to light because most politicians aren't as obvious as Blagjo.

[JeffJS]

Yes, I know it comes from a blog - but there is no opinion in it, it's reporting what was said which is checkable.

Source

I believe that is illegal on His part. Even if it isn't you will remember that, early on, His administration denied that anyone had had contact with Blago regarding His replacement. Now it seems that Emanuel might have had a teeny weeny chat and the Anointed One himself stuck his finger in the pie. That's called fibbing and is very naughty. But since it's Him the media are letting it go. They were sure rabid enough when they thought Bush might have lied over intelligence... And you lefties swear there's no bias in the mass media...

On another note that is being discussed in another thread - Who the heck do the Union think they are???

Someone/thing without whom nothing could ever get produced.

[Oldschool]

Yes, I know it comes from a blog - but there is no opinion in it, it's reporting what was said which is checkable.

Source

I believe that is illegal on His part. Even if it isn't you will remember that, early on, His administration denied that anyone had had contact with Blago regarding His replacement. Now it seems that Emanuel might have had a teeny weeny chat and the Anointed One himself stuck his finger in the pie. That's called fibbing and is very naughty. But since it's Him the media are letting it go. They were sure rabid enough when they thought Bush might have lied over intelligence... And you lefties swear there's no bias in the mass media...

On another note that is being discussed in another thread - Who the heck do the Union think they are???

I saw this on ABC . Big deal, nothing new here.

[jeffkrol]

Wheres George saying.. "you can't believe everything you read in BLOGS".
anyways interesting post

Someone/thing without whom nothing could ever get produced.

That should be in the joke thread. What a ridiculous statement.

[Driver3]

Yes, I know it comes from a blog - but there is no opinion in it, it's reporting what was said which is checkable.

Source

I believe that is illegal on His part. Even if it isn't you will remember that, early on, His administration denied that anyone had had contact with Blago regarding His replacement. Now it seems that Emanuel might have had a teeny weeny chat and the Anointed One himself stuck his finger in the pie. That's called fibbing and is very naughty. But since it's Him the media are letting it go. They were sure rabid enough when they thought Bush might have lied over intelligence... And you lefties swear there's no bias in the mass media...

On another note that is being discussed in another thread - Who the heck do the Union think they are???

You must not have watched the nightly news.

'Obama Called Me About Senate Seat' Testifies Union Leader During Rod Blagojevich's Trial - ABC News

[JeffJS]

That should be in the joke thread. What a ridiculous statement.

Along with the Unions (which are an antiquated joke). You didn't actually think I Meant that goods couldn't be produced or delivered without them, did you?

Along with the Unions (which are an antiquated joke). You didn't actually think I Meant that goods couldn't be produced or delivered without them, did you?

You forgot the requisite (insert sarcastic smiley here) notation.

[Nesster]

...anyway, this is all Bush's fault. If he weren't so incompetent - and didn't abandon his True Believers - we would have elected a Republican instead. Ergo, no senate opening in Illinois, no Blago graft, no Obama as president.

...anyway, this is all Bush's fault. If he didn't abandon his True Believers - we would have elected a Republican instead. Ergo, no senate opening in Illinois, no Blago graft, no Obama as president.

I have now made your sarcastic statement a truism.