Patterico's Pontifications

12/12/2008

Watch for the Obama Team To Emulate The Clinton White House — A Significant Revelation Regarding the Blago Affair After 6:00 pm Today

Filed under: General — WLS @ 1:05 pm



[Posted by WLS Shipwrecked]

The late Friday dump of damaging information was made into an art form by the Clinton White House.  We have a leak today that incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had conversations with Blago about filling the Senate seat. 

Obama has pledged to make public the contacts between his staff and the Illinois Governor and his staff.   Expect that to come late today, with the hope that it will be buried over the weekend by Big 3 bailout news.  Look for there to be no Obama team presence on the Sunday shows.  By Monday they want this all to be treated as yesterday’s news, as they move forward and concentrate on cabinet nominees and preparing for confirmation hearings.

Fortunately for Obama, as Chief of Staff, Emanuel does not undergo Senate confirmation.

9 Responses to “Watch for the Obama Team To Emulate The Clinton White House — A Significant Revelation Regarding the Blago Affair After 6:00 pm Today”

  1. This is yet another reason to rely on the internet for news. Who cares about the weekly news cycle?

    For me, I get most of my news on the weekends anyway. Let it be breaking on Friday! I wonder if this Clintonian idea has inadvertently harmed dead tree and TV media… they aren’t useful when they are so easily manipulated.

    It’s going to be hard for Obama to handle this well. If Rahm is really involved, then Obama is involved. No way around that. We are too used to associating Bush with Karl Rove to not pretend Obama doesn’t have responsibility for his advisors.

    And unlike Clinton, Obama exudes ‘novice’. Even low information voters know he’s not a separate entity from his friends.

    Juan (4cdfb7)

  2. Tom Maguire agrees with you WLS, including the Clinton comparison. (Great minds think alike.) I like this part:

    “My guess – Rahm didn’t play ball but he didn’t call the coppers, either, which leaves him in an ethically gray area and exposes him to possible howls of “Geez, if the President’s projected chief of staff didn’t think that was illegal, what would it take to get this Administration’s attention?”

    Awkward, even if legal. Of course, his years in the Clinton White House will be invaluable now – there is no scnadal so small that a diligent cover-up can’t turn it into something newsworthy.”

    DRJ (b4db3a)

  3. Here’s the problem that maybe bites Rahm in the behind:

    “Whoever, having knowledge of the actual commission of a felony cognizable by a court of the United States, conceals and does not as soon as possible make known the same to some judge or other person in civil or military authority under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.”

    18 U.S.C. Sec. 4 — “Misprison of Felony”

    The actual felony here would be conspiracy to engage in honest services fraud, via wire.

    You would think that a Congressman would know.

    WLS (26b1e5)

  4. I hope they reported something to somebody. If not, I think they will claim they were consulting with their attorneys.

    DRJ (b4db3a)

  5. Here’s one Friday afternoon story:

    “People who have been briefed on the Illinois governor corruption investigation say Barack Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is not a target of the probe.”

    I doubt that stories like this are what Obama’s supporters expected from a hope-and-change Administration.

    DRJ (b4db3a)

  6. We’re still screwed! Watch them implode.

    J. Raymond Wright (0440ef)

  7. ANOTHER ADMINISTRATION IN LOVE WITH DEBT. What could possibly go wrong?

    More revelations present a better and more accurate view of the nature and attitude that can be expected from the Obama Presidency. And now for a taste of its attitude regarding DEBT….

    http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/12/obama-second-tell_10.html

    James Raider (1679cd)

  8. Emanuel not a “target” — that means nothing at this point. A “target” is someone against whom the government has obtained significant evidence of criminal wrongdoing, and its just a matter of time until charges are filed.

    A “subject” is someone about whom significant questions exist.

    I’m not saying Emanuel is or is not a “subject”, I”m merely saying that a statement declaring someone is not a “target” is good for the day it is written, and not much else.

    WLS (26b1e5)

  9. Emanuel is a “Chicago machine politician” piece of shit, pure and simple. Obama is part and parcel of that machine, period. He was told to fill his cabinet with experienced centrists, for the reason of perpetuating Democrat power for at least 8 years. The idea that he is — or ever was — his own man is ludicrous.

    Icy Texan (b7d162)


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