Obama Calling On Blago To Resign
Barack Obama is calling on Governor Blagojevich to step down, an Obama aide confirms to us.
We'll have their statement and more momentarily.
Late Update: Here's the Obama team's statement:
The President-elect agrees with Lt. Governor Quinn and many others that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the Governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois.
More in a bit.
Late Late Update: It was perhaps inevitable that Obama would have to issue a stronger statement today. The press was, and is, not going to stop reporting -- or predicting, I should say -- that the Blago mess will inevitably be bad for Obama.
Case in point: The Associated Press, which today ran a silly story reporting that the Blago story "threatens to dog Obama." As both Steve Benen and Jamison Foser note, this sort of "analysis" is nothing but a self-fulfilling prophesy. The Blago mess hasn't "dogged" Obama yet in any meaningful sense, unless the fact that Obama had some sort of relationship with Blago is enough to conclude that Blago's conduct is "dogging" Obama.
To be clear, it's obviously possible that something embarrassing about the role of one or more Obama advisers could conceivably emerge at some point. But there are no reasons to conclude yet that this will happen. And Patrick Fitzgerald took pains to say yesterday that he wasn't alleging that the Obama camp even knew about Blago's foul conduct.
The AP's silly formulation -- that the scandal "threatens" to dog him -- is a story that could literally be written every day for as long as the scandal drags on, whether or not Obama or anyone from his team is ever actually implicated in any sense at all. Of course, even if no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Obama camp ever emerges, Obama will be nonetheless dogged by the scandal -- because of stories like these.
Late Late Update: A few of you have pointed out that the statement from the Obama team seems inconclusive. In fact, the Obama team says the statement is an answer to the question of whether Blago should resign, and the statement begins with the word "yes." So there's no ambiguity here about Obama's intentions -- he wants Blago gone.
An obvious tell that BigO is in it up to his eyeballs.
December 10, 2008 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Meaning he wasn't being truthful yesterday about not speaking with Blago?
Not sure what your comment means.
December 10, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think he's bein' snarky.
December 10, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think I need a sense of humor transfusion....
December 10, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
STAT!
December 10, 2008 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!!!
I was actually surprised he didn't say this in his statement yesterday, but Obama team seem to take everything calmly and slowly.
December 10, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
right now, it will seem like it took a long time for president-elect obama to finally come out and say that gov. blagojevich should resign, but in the coming days and weeks, it will appear as a measured and reasonable response.
December 10, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
It shouldn't seem like a long time even right now. It's been 24+ hours.
December 10, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but EVERYTHING MUST HAPPEN IN INTERNET TIME!!!!!! How can you be so obtuse after the last year? Internet Minutes = Oldthink Days. It's been practically an i-Month since these damning revelations were disclosed and Obama's month-long silence is suspicious, highly suspicious, I say.
December 10, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks. I needed that. My head feels like it's going to explode, what with all the chatter about the supposed "lack of response" of Obama.
Christ. It's been ONE DAY.
It's the same sort of ridiculous discussion within 48 hours of his election about how he wasn't doing enough.
Have we all lost our minds?
December 10, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think that it must have been a slow news day on other fronts and so the Upstanding Gov. from IL took over the news cycle. Personally, the highlight for me from yesterday was watching the podcast of Countdown and finding out from KO that Pat Boone thinks I'm the equivalent of a Mumbai terrorist. What I've always wanted to be: a Seething Lefty and Mumbai Terrorist. Whee!!
December 10, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess that means I'm a lefty Mumbai terrorist, as well! Pat Boone? Seriously? I missed that part of Countdown.
Pat Boone?
December 10, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
WORST person in the WORLD for Monday. Seriously, he gave this long, ranting speech about how people needed to pay attention to the rioters demonstrating in front of our churches and places of worship and even FORCING THEIR WAY INSIDE and attempting to destroy OUR WAY OF LIFE etc., etc., etc. It could only be a desperate bid for media attention. Me? I say Seething Lefty Mumbai Terrorists of the World unite!
December 10, 2008 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
So you bust into people's churches on Sunday during their services to what? Protest? Seriously? You can't find a better way to get your point across? You wonder why people think that's kind of shitty of you?
December 10, 2008 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joking, SFC, joking. Mocking Mr. Boone. Calm down!
December 10, 2008 3:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, this time of the year we're too busy waging The War on Christmas, but once War on Christmas season is over, sure.
December 10, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm incredulous.
Didn't he cut an album a couple of years ago in which he did cover songs for heavy metal bands?
Why yes. Yes he did:
Pat Boone in a metal kind of mind
Inexplicably enough, it's still in stock.
In any event, can't take him seriously. Couldn't before, really, but that was the final nail in the coffin...
December 10, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
LMAO! Did you happen to scroll down to the review? This is how it starts (the official Amazon review:
Monty Python have got nothing on Pat Boone. You want absurd, this is the pinnacle. No comedy writer in his/her dreams could have dreamt up anything even half as stupid. The mere idea of Pat Boone, Mr. Squeaky Clean himself, (ahem) crooning heavy metal tunes is bad enough, but it gets so much worse.
Holy crap! Made my day! :-)
December 10, 2008 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even better is Pat Boone doing "Tutti Frutti". You can find it on youtube. In the late 50's and early 60's, white bread establishment types were apoplectic about artists like Little Richard, so they lined up some clean cut types to record the same songs. That's the history behind this one.
December 10, 2008 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh. Dear. God.
Now I've got herbal tea all over my keyboard!
December 10, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
The story goes that Little Richard was so pissed off that Pat Boone's version actually sold more copies than his, that he wrote a song that was so fast Pat Boone couldn't sing it. Long Tall Sally was the result.
December 10, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
of course, from a republican point of view anything from this whole ordeal can be used as fuel for the fire against all things democrat.
a republican can say: "why did president-elect obama wait until after rep jackson became a person of interest to the investigation to call for blagojevich's resignation? why didn't he call for his resignation yesterday? if obama cares about change so much- if he cares about ending corruption in washington, why wasn't he clear about asking the governor of his state, rod blagojevich, to resign?"
there are plenty of arguments to support p-e obama waiting until today, but it appears that the longer this ordeal keeps going the longer it will drag him through the mud (fairly or unfairly).
December 10, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just think it's consistent with their style. They always seem to let everyone say everything before they say something.
I'm sure that's how they will try to steer away from this distration. They usually seem unnerved by all the critiscm and pressure.
December 10, 2008 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
You mean un-unnerved...right?
December 10, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
What pisses me off from the entire ordeal in how this is eclipsing important transition events like Obama talking with Gore about the Climate change or his initiative to improve image in the Muslim world.
It is frustrating to see this eclipse the public conciousness.
December 10, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not just the Associated Press.
It's Politico.
It's every freaking talking head on cable news.
December 10, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
it's that darn "liberal" media again.
December 10, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
So what's the deal with this article:
http://www.connecttristates.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=217582
December 10, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uh...the reporter...uh...mispoke?
December 10, 2008 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, if Carol Sowers said it on ConnectTristates.com, you can book it.
December 10, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
There was no "deal". That's the point.
December 10, 2008 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
There was no deal, but there was a meeting. Unless the reporter was mistaken.
My guess is that Obama will try to whitewash how much he knew of what a corrupt a**hole Blago was. And that could include saying there was "no meeting" when there was a meeting.
The odd thing is that if Blago was being wiretapped, wouldn't it be dumb to make a false statement (that there was no meeting) that could conceivably be disproven by wiretap evidence?
It's a bit hard to believe that Obama is that dumb, but this far in, anything is possible. I think he tries to keep that dirt off of him, but if the whole system around you is corrupt, how do you get anything done without striking deals?
Tricky situation.
December 10, 2008 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Read the article. It's a gossipy report that says he's meeting with Blago that day. It doesn't say that they met. And, remember, Obama had a pool reporter on him every day.
There was ZERO mention of a meeting between Obama and Blago--at any time. And don't say it was secret because if that was the case, this reporter would not have known.
December 10, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's true, insofar as schedules change, etc. The reporter could have been mistaken.
But at this point, we just don't know. Facts will come out, whatever they are.
December 10, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
1. The reporter mentioned something that she says was *supposed* to happen, without an ounce of proof.
2. Obama had a pool reporter that followed him everywhere. The pool reporter never mentioned a meeting between Obama and Blago.
3. Wouldn't it be downright stupid to lie about a meeting that a reporter covered?
4. Since Blago has been bugged since mid-October, how stupid would Obama be to claim he never met with the guy, knowing it would show up on tape?
5. Also, there's no incentive to lie about meeting with Blago. Meeting with him is no big deal since, according to Blago, the Obama folks told him to get lost.
6. This is the day after the election. Do you really think one of Obama's first meeting was with a guy he had snubbed for months and didn't even allow to attend the victory celebration at Grant Park the night before?
7. The only thing we have saying there was a meeting is this news report saying there was *supposed* to be a meeting.
December 10, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
She shoots! She scores!
Nice response.
December 10, 2008 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, but wait! There's MORE!
Politico44 has no record of Obama meeting with Blagojevich - or, for that matter, Blagojevich being anywhere near the transition offices on Nov. 5.
And, since the President-elect gets a full press POOL immediately after becoming President-elect, one would think that Blago being at Obama's transition offices would've been news.
December 10, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am debating whether I go over to Larry Johnson's site and see what's doing, but I think I know the answer. I can imagine the NoQuarter kids are rolling in this and loving it.
December 10, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you can stay here long enough you'll see some of those freaks come out of the bunkers.
I hope I helped in resolving your debate. ;)
December 10, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
The media 'creates' news... so it will take comedians like John Stewart to report the facts.
AP has become the equivalent of 'Fox "news"' and the National Inquirer. Sigh... the equivalent of receiving 'would be news' from 'soap opera writers with the imagination of 5 year olds.'
December 10, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
some updates, all
December 10, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Blago re Obama's call to resign:
F*ck him.
December 10, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
lol, now Blag will use his possible resignation as a bargaining chip--"I'll resign if you give my wife a job on a corporate board! You think I'm gonna f---ing resign for f---ing nothing?!"
Then you hear Mrs. Blag in the background "And tell them to f--- that f---ing Cubs deal if I don't get anything! F--- that f---ing s---!!"
Rachel Maddow did a hilarious dramatization of the phone transcripts.
December 10, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I bet the real story here is that Obama set this up so that the press would focus on the corruption and not the fact that he himself was actually born in Greece--or is it Chad--or maybe China!!!! OMG, Obama's a commie--
December 10, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Flaming, radical, muslim commie that is, born in a radical muslim country, like kenya, with a middle name of hussein.
December 10, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Forget ‘Coins’ or ‘Plates,’ Governor Rod Peddles the Commemorative ‘Obama Senate Seat'
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=5127
December 10, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Will The Blago Story Dog Obama?....News at 11, updated at 11:30, with extensive roundtable coverage tomorrow beginning at 5:30.
December 10, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
With flashy chyrons and screen crawls keeping you up to the minute between breaking news updates that are between the newscasts!
Please? Pretty please?
December 10, 2008 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anybody doubt that if Blago thinks he's about to go down that he'll start telling stories about Obama - real or imagined?
December 10, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
The AP is a dog.
December 10, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
if Blago thinks he's about to go down
That statement has so many euphmisms, starting with "If" and "Blago thinks."
I wouldn't be surprised though if Blago gives a major network interview.
December 10, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
euphemisms...
December 10, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Blago is clearly delusional. Look at the interview he gave Tuesday when he said he welcomed anybody who wanted to tape his conversations. Hence, the "if" and the other qualifications.
I have no doubt that at some point he'll try and lay it all on Obama.
December 10, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
He certainly is delusional.
And, I also think that he'll try to drag Obama in as much as possible. This is a mess. It will be interesting to see how Obama handles it.
December 10, 2008 1:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guarantee Blagojevich is too busy trying to wheedle his way out of this mess to worry about trying to implicate someone who - by Blagojevich's own taped words - wouldn't play ball with him.
December 10, 2008 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hope so.
Your comment about him not being the sharpest pencil in the box made me laugh out loud!
December 10, 2008 2:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
The AP's silly formula, as you characterize it, was also being echoed on the Rachel Maddow show last night, and I think by Isikoff.
December 10, 2008 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep, it was Isikoff, and I'm about ready to start changing the channel whenever I see his annoying face on tv if he doesn't shut up soon. I've already cancelled my Newsweek because of him.
December 10, 2008 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Blago Loghorrhea Dogs Blogs.
December 10, 2008 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just to add a comment that is totally irrelevant to this incident .....Governor Blagojevich looks like a dumb Roman Polanski -- not the 'talented Polanski' but the furtive Polanski who left the country after charges of being a pedophile.
December 10, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Best line of the day, from Politico:
"Anyone who has ever been near a public corruption case—and many of Obama’s top advisers have, thanks to their experience in the Clinton years—"
December 10, 2008 3:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
We can't all be as clean as Dick Cheney, Scooter, Rove, Gonzo and the gang. The next history books will record Clinton as Snow White compared to that bunch.
December 10, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
...I'm sorry...what were you saying about Nixon, Reagan and Bush 43 again?
December 10, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
The bigger problem is Fitz is gonna make The Gov squeal on all he knows....whatever he knows, about whomever. This guy know where all the Chicago bodies are at. He may have JJJ now and he has Rezko too. Does this worry anyone?
December 10, 2008 3:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Still mad at Fitz for letting Rove punk him out.
December 10, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
With all Blago's shakedown money couldn't he afford a decent haircut?
December 10, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
From my reading of the criminal complaint, it seems he felt he wasn't getting enough money, shakedown or otherwise. :)
December 10, 2008 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink