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A committee of the Illinois House considering evidence and testimony in an impeachment inquiry against Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich adjourned its first day of hearings after about an hour on Tuesday, after the governor’s lawyer and the federal prosecutor seeking to indict him both expressed concerns.

Members of the 21-member committee, appointed Monday, said that United States Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald had asked for them more details about the witnesses the committee planned to call in its hearings. Mr. Fitzgerald asked the committee for a formal letter outlining its plans, indicating some reluctance about having witnesses testify who might harm the federal case.

The lawyer for Mr. Blagojevich, Edward Genson, also objected, saying that he wanted to be present at the proceedings. The committee agreed, and Mr. Genson, who was not at the hearing on Tuesday, said he would be there when the committee reconvenes Wednesday morning.

And, Illinois Democrats cancelled plans to craft legislation to take the appointment away from Blagojevich and call a special election.

Democrats in the Illinois House of Representatives postponed stripping Governor Rod Blagojevich’s power to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama that prosecutors say Blagojevich tried to sell.

The governor, a Chicago Democrat, retains authority to appoint Obama’s successor while the House pursues an impeachment process that may last weeks. Democratic lawmakers led by House Speaker Michael Madigan dropped plans late yesterday to schedule a special election to fill the post after failing to agree in a closed-door meeting, said Steve Brown, a Madigan aide.

Blagojevich, 52, has resisted demands he resign since his Dec. 9 arrest by the FBI and accusations he tried to auction Obama’s seat for personal gain and intimidate the Chicago Tribune newspaper into firing editorial writers. Republicans said Democrats, who hold a 67-51 majority in the chamber, seek to avoid a loss of the seat to the GOP in a special election.

So, where do we stand?

Governor Blagojevich has been charged with a two count federal criminal complaint, lawyered up and facing impeachment. He retains all powers of the Illinois Governor and has absolute discretion to appoint a successor to Barack Obama’s Senate seat for a two year interim term.

Next week, President-elect Barack Obama leaves for a Hawaiian Christmas vacation and will not comment on the affair any further until December 22nd.

The speed of this case reminds Flap of recently defeated Congressman William Jefferson – SHEESH.

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Another Day in the Obama – Blagojevich Cover-Up: Do You Have Another Question?

Flap wants to GAG. Isn’t it enough President George W. Bush screwed up the GOP for possible decades with a poorly conceived and conducted foreign policy, especially in Iraq?

Now, Bush has succeeded in leaving a lasting imprint on the economy.

KEY GRAPH: “I’ve abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system….”

Michelle calls the quote a political epitaph. Flap thinks the President is just burying his reputation deeper.

Shoe anyone?

And, Obama is obviously NOT going to answer any questions about the matter.

At today’s Chicago press conference, Obama was pressed by only one reporter out of four about embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The president-elect cut the Chicago reporter off — claiming that he didn’t want to “waste” their time –- before they could finish a question about Blagojevich.

“Do you have another question?” Obama asked, indicating the reporter should move on to another subject.

However, the reporter continued, trying to get Obama to remedy a seeming conflict between Obama’s “hands-off” approach dealing with the Blagojevich investigation and his promise for openness and transparency.

“The U.S. attorney’s office specifically asked us not to release this until next week,” Obama said of his Transition Team’s internal investigation that has yet to be made fully public, “The facts are going to be released next week.  It would be inappropriate for me to comment.”

The Transition Team will make their investigation available on Dec. 22nd, which will confirm who on Obama’s staff communicated with Blagojevich. No one on Obama’s staff is accused of any wrong-doing by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Obama said he has not confirmed the Chicago Tribune’s reporting over the weekend that his incoming Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, had a conversation with Blagojevich’s staff.

“I haven’t confirmed that it was accurate,” Obama said as Emmanuel looked on from the side lines of the press conference, “I don’t want to get into the details at this point.”

And, next week Obama and his family will be vacationing in Hawaii and probably be unavailable for questions.

The press is starting to get wise and although there is nothing to indicate at this time Barack Obama’s direct involvement in the selling of his U.S.. Senate seat there remain some unanswered questions, particularly as to the role of his Chief of Staff, and former Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel.

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.”

So, the exit question: What is Obama trying to hide?