• Barack Obama,  Rahm Emanuel,  Rod Blagojevich

    Video: The Obama-Blagojevich Cover-Up

    President-Elect Barack Obama’s Presser Today

    President-Elect Barack Obama said today that a review by his own lawyer shows he had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement, and transition aides did nothing inappropriate.

    Obama pledged to make the review public, but said he decided to hold off because prosecutors asked for a delay and “I don’t want to interfere with an ongoing investigation.” U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald released a statement confirming the request.

    Controversy has swirled around the president-elect and his incoming White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, following Blagojevich’s arrest last week on charges he schemed to trade Obama’s Senate seat for personal gain.

    Obama, fielding questions at a news conference, sidestepped when asked whether Emanuel had spoken with aides to the governor about potential Senate appointees.

    Emanuel was one of several aides who watched the news conference from the wings.

    The president-elect pledged the results of the investigation by his incoming White House counsel, Gregory Craig, would be released “in due course.”

    He said the probe was complete and thorough, but did not say which of his aides Craig interviewed, whether any of them was under oath at the time, or any other details.

    Obama appeared before reporters to announce his environmental and natural resources team.

    How do you spell cover-up?

    What did Rahm Emanuel know and when did he know it? And, under whose authority did he discuss Obama’s replacement with Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich’s staff?

    But, will the “IN THE TANK” media let Obama get away with this? Obama travels to Hawaii next week and the release date is a few days before Christmas.

    Does anyone think they will get access to ask Obama or Emanuel any questions about unanswered questions regarding the flap before the first of the year?

    Obama held his news conference shortly after his transition office released a statement by spokesman Dan Pfeiffer saying the internal review had found no wrongdoing.

    Like the president-elect, the statement left several issues uncovered.

    It did not say whether Emanuel was heard on a wiretap providing the governor’s top aide with a list of names that the president-elect favored. Nor did it say who, if anyone, on Obama transition’s team had made contact with the governor or his aides concerning a replacement for Obama or whether Craig interviewed people under oath, or to whom he talked.

    Pfeiffer said the review “affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the president-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. Senator.”

    As Flap asked before: How does waiting a week really help the United States Attorney’s investigation?

    Both Patrick Fitzgerald, the United States Attorney and Barack Obama had better have good answers next Monday. And, Rahm Emanuel better be available to answer questions about his role in this affair.


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  • ABC,  Jay Carney,  Joe Biden

    Jay Carney to Leave Time Magazine and Become Joe Biden’s FLACK

    Joe-Biden-Press-for-Hire

    This is hilarious.

    Of course, Jay Carney is leaving for a government job.

    Jay Carney is leaving Time magazine after 20 years to be President-elect Biden’s communications director in the White House, astonished magazine and gleeful transition sources said.

    Carney’s title will be assistant to the vice president and director of communications. TIME.com’s “The Page” first reported his new job.

    Carney, the magazine’s Washington bureau chief, is one of Washington’s best-known talking heads, with regular appearances on ABC’s “This Week,” “The McLaughlin Group” and MSNBC’s “Hardball.”

    Time Magazine is failing just like the rest of the MSM and Carney can read a spreadsheet.

    So, when you get your GUY elected – jump at the chance, RIGHT?


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  • Barack Obama,  Rod Blagojevich

    Internal Obama Review of Hot Rod Blagojevich Contacts is Completed But Delayed Until December 22

    The association of President-Elect Barack Obama and the recently charged in a political corruption scandal, Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich

    The review of President-elect Obama’s Tansition Team and Illinois Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich who was arrested last week and charged with trying to sell an appointment to Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat has been delayed until December 22, 2008.

    “At the direction of the President-elect, a review of Transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.

    “Also at the President-elect’s direction, Gregory Craig, counsel to the Transition, has kept the US Attorney’s office informed of this fact-gathering process in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation.
    “In the course of those discussions, the US Attorney’s office requested the public release of the Transition review be deferred until the week of December 22, in order not to impede their investigation of the governor.  The Transition has agreed to this revised timetable for release,” said Obama Transition Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer.

    So, Team Obama gets another week to spin the story. Guess Geraghty is RIGHT.

    Note the following statement above:That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.

    As an Obama transition spokesman says ,but since the press will not be able to scrutinize the report until a few days before Christmas, Flap supposes we will just have to wait another week.

    Want to bet that Obama has NO COMMENT at this afternoon’s press conference?

    Update:

    And, how does waiting a week really help the investigation?

    Last week, in a press conference on Thursday, President-elect Obama announced that his staff would conduct an internal review of contacts with Blagojevich and his office. At the same press conference, Obama announced that this internal review would find no inappropriate dealings between his staff and Blagojevich. Since Obama announced the findings of the promised internal review at the same time he announced the internal review, it should come as no surprise that the internal review found just what Obama said it would.

    If none of those contacts were “inappropriate” could releasing the details really “impede” the investigation? Such a public release would reveal the nature of some Blagojevich discussions about the Senate seat and would necessarily compromise the identities of the individuals involved in those discussions. Presumably, Fitzgerald is interviewing some of those people now and the less they know about these discussions, the better.

    But how will waiting a week — until Christmas week — help? We’ll see. But for political reasons it will be incumbent on Obama and (or?) Fitzgerald to explain in some detail why waiting a week was necessary.


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  • George W. Bush,  Iraq,  Iraq War

    A New Game For Bush Derangement Syndrome Sufferers -Throw The Shoe at Bush

    Shoe-the-Shoe-at-Bush-game

    Here is the site (contributed to Flap by a reader)

    This is the “throw a shoe on Bush” -game.

    In the upper curve you adjust the angle.
    In the lower curve you adjust the strength.
    And if that wasn’t it, this guy has 3 shoes!

    (When it pops yellow you have a hit, when it is red you must throw again)

    Kast skoen = Throw the shoe
    Kast igjen = Throw again

    It is quite easy to hit Bush. The Iraqi journalist yesterday must REALLY be a moron.


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  • Caroline Kennedy,  Hillary Clinton

    Caroline Kennedy for U.S. Senate – Going For It

    Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

    Caroline Kennedy and Barack Obama

    Yes, as Flap said before, Caroline Kennedy will be seeking Hillary Clinton’s soon to be vacant U.S. Senate seat from New York.

    Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of an American political dynasty, has decided she will pursue the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a person told of her decision said Monday.

    The decision came after a series of deeply personal and political conversations, in which Ms. Kennedy, who friends describe as unflashy but determined, wrestled with whether to give up what has been a lifetime of avoiding the spotlight.

    Ms. Kennedy will ask that Gov. David A. Paterson consider her for the appointment. The governor was traveling to Utica today could not immediately be reached for comment.

    If appointed, Ms. Kennedy would fill the seat once held by her uncle, the late Robert F. Kennedy.

    Ms. Kennedy has been making calls this morning to alert political figures to her interest.

    The sound you now hear is the field clearing.

    Good luck Senator Caroline Kennedy.


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  • Barack Obama,  Rahm Emanuel,  Rod Blagojevich

    Why is Barack Obama Lying About Contact with Hot Rod Blagojevich? Part 3

    During a meeting with former Vice President Al Gore, Barack Obama told reporters that he was not aware of the corruption surrounding Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, December 9, 2008

    So, Flap asks again: Why is Barack Obama lying about contact with Illinois Governor Blagojevich? The above video (3:31) shows Obama explicitly stating on December 9, 2008: “I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.”

    Now, it has been revealed that Barack Obama dispatched his Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to give Hot Rod Blagojevich his list of perferred nominees for his Senate seat. How is that NOT contact?

    The question was actually, “Mr. President-elect, did you have any contact — were you aware of — were you aware at all of what was happening with your Senate seat?” Two questions are asked, the first on “any contact,” and Obama’s answer was that there was no contact, which I argue is contradicted by the two men meeting at the National Governors Association meeting.

    But nonetheless, today we learn from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal that      . . . surprise! Obama “dispatched” Emanuel to “to begin talking up Mr. Obama’s preferred candidates.”

    So once again, Obama’s initial “I had no contact” answer is proven to be inaccurate, or in a less sympathetic interpretation, a lie.

    So, tell me how is this NOT a blatant lie by President-Elect Obama?

    And, do not the American people need an explanation and apology by “The One?”

    Previous:

    Updated: Why is Barack Obama Lying About Contact with Hot Rod Blagojevich? Part Two

    Why is Barack Obama Lying About Contact with Hot Rod Blagojevich?


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  • GOP,  John McCain,  Republican National Committee

    Why Flap is NOT Missing a John McCain Election

    McCain-and-Blago

    Senator John McCain on ABC’s “This Week”, December 14, 2008

    Answer (s):

    • “You know, in all due respect to the Republican National Committee and anybody — right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together…”. Video is here.
    • “The committee’s report details the inexcusable link between abusive interrogation techniques used by our enemies who ignored the Geneva Conventions and interrogation policy for detainees in U.S. custody,” Sen. McCain said in a statement. “These policies are wrong and must never be repeated.”

    Flap is not losing ANY sleep either wondering if McCain will EVER support Sarah Palin or any other Republican for President.

    Like an old soldier, McCain should just fade away – and quickly.


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  • Gay Marriage

    California Proposition 8 Aftermath: Life Thrown Into Turmoil for a $100 Donation

    Video of the El Coyote Restaurant protest aftermath of California Proposition 8

    The Los Angeles Times had a column yesterday by Steve Lopez that documents the turmoil of a gay marriage opponent.

    Well, Christoffersen was a manager at El Coyote, the Beverly Boulevard landmark restaurant that’s always had throngs of customers waiting to get inside. Many of them were gay, and Christoffersen, a devout Mormon, donated $100 in support of Proposition 8, the successful November ballot initiative that banned gay marriage.

    She never advertised her politics or religion in the restaurant, but last month her donation showed up on lists of “for” and “against” donors. And El Coyote became a target.

    A boycott was organized on the Internet, with activists trashing El Coyote on restaurant review sites. Then came throngs of protesters, some of them shouting “shame on you” at customers. The police arrived in riot gear one night to quell the angry mob.

    The mob left, but so did the customers.

    Sections of the restaurant have been closed, a manager told me Friday during a very quiet lunch hour. Some of the 89 employees, many of them gay, have had their hours cut, and layoffs are looming. And Christoffersen, who has taken a voluntary leave of absence, is wondering whether she’ll ever again be able to work at the restaurant, which opened in 1931 (at 1st and La Brea) and is owned by her 92-year-old mother.

    OH those tolerant folks from the radical Homosexual Lobby – winning hearts and minds.

    Intimidtion really works, now doesn’t it?

    Previous:

    California Proposition 8 Aftermath: Mormon El Coyote Restaurant Manager Quits

    El Coyote Mexican Cafe Bullied Into $500 Donation to Homosexual Advocacy Group – JIZYA


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  • Barack Obama,  Rod Blagojevich

    Illinois Legislature Convenes this Afternoon to Impeach Hot Rod Blagojevich?

    Illinois GOP Ad: Time for a Special Election

    The Illinois Legislature convenes in a special session later today to sort out the Governor Rod Blagojevich mess with Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.

    Illinois lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday with plans to disarm and dislodge Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose arrest in an alleged attempt to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat has thrown state government up for grabs.

    But with Republicans looking to turn the tables on Democrats who control the Statehouse, and disagreement among leaders over whether to proceed with impeachment and how to handle the Senate dilemma, the only certainty on the agenda is chaos.

    Blagojevich, arrested Tuesday on charges alleging that he sought bribes for everything from Obama’s Senate seat to state jobs and contracts, met with a prominent defense attorney Sunday but stayed largely out of sight and made no comment about his situation.

    In his absence, leading Democrats and Republicans jockeyed for position in a growing battle for the two biggest prizes in state politics: the office of governor and a seat in the U.S. Senate.

    The Illinois GOP should remain focused on two goals:

    • Impeach Governor Blagojevich
    • Enact legislation to enable a special election to replace Barack Obama in the United States Senate.

    The rest of the political posturing is just noise and should be ignored.


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