This link was sent to me by a former co-worker. They purport to show that Obama was better acquainted with Blagojevich than he claimed to be.
The co-worker’s record for accuracy in such things is not the best. I’ve debunked some of his stuff in the past (principally with Snopes, who seem to have nothing on this). Anyone know if the Obama quote is accurate, or if these photos are?
Those pictures are likely real. I am dubious about the authenticity of the quote though. He was an advisor to Blagojevich’s initial election campaign. It would be outrageous for him to claim to have never met the man.
My word! The Senator from Illinois was seen talking to the Governor from Illinois! That’s sheer proof, and proof doesn’t get any more sheer than that!
Obama was a major politico from the state Blagojevich is governor of. There are probably events where the two were together. There were probably times Obama actually had to deal with Blagojevich.
I think the best proof that Blagojevich and Obama weren’t on the same page is the fact that Blagojevich was pretty much forced to sign a Pay to Play legislation that later got him into trouble. That legislation would prohibit any group that contributed to a political campaign from taking state contracts.
Blagojevich was caught because he was running around like crazy trying to get all the donations he could wring out before that bill actually became law.
Showing pictures of two people together and claiming that this is proof they are plotting together is something right out of Joe McCarthy. Normally, you don’t normally see me do name calling like this, but I am serious. Senator McCarthy use to show pictures of people together and offer it as proof that the two were together. He managed to destroy many reputations that way.
Google this quote. You’ll find it on web pages like this with these very same pictures, but no where you’ll see anyone giving you the name of the reporter or newspaper or television station where Obama actually said that quote. That’s because the quote is bogus.
So, we go from pictures of Obama and Blagojevich at some political rallies to murder most foul! Is there no stopping this man!
If you are really interested in debunking you should simply ask them to show you where that Obama quote really came from. Not some other webpage where it was copied from, but the name of the reporter who heard this or the publication. You think if someone saw Obama say this very quote, you’d find it on YouTube.
When they are unable to find this quote, simply state that obviously this whole thing is an absolute lie, and there is nothing to debunk.
What would be really odd would be if you couldn’t find pictures of the then Governor and the then Junior Senator from Illinois together. Even if they weren’t in the same political party, they would have met on many occasions.
And what I find really interesting is that, although he comes out of the Democratic Party in Chicago, none of the sliminess that is usually associated with that scene has ever seriously been linked to Barack Obama. As far as I can see, he’s always been clever enough to keep the corruption well at a distance from himself. He must have known about it, but he never seems to have been involved. That’s a real achievement.
It didn’t look to me as if there was any claim they were plotting anything. The claim seems to be that Obama made a statement that certain photos contradict.
Of course if Obama never made that statement, the thing is obviously bogus.
I may be missing something here, but if an undoctored photo shows two people together, doesn’t that demonstrate they were together?
Agreed.
Further Googling has produced this link to a website that believes the Obama quote is bogus.
That will do for at least a preliminary response to the guy who sent me this. I’ll tell him to watch Snopes for further updates (he more or less trusts Snopes, even though he rarely checks it before passing stuff along).