The real take away here is that there was no suggestion of a deal on either end. Nothing was asked for by anybody. I know some people were still holding onto a thread of hope that there might have been some discussion of a deal that Emanuel turned down but failed to report to investigators. It appears, however, that not even that much ever happened.
This report also says that Emanuel was interviewed by investigators and that they played the tapes of his convos with Blago and Harrison for him, so that basically wipes out any chance that the transcripts are going to contradict anything, since this report is being issued with full knowledge of what’s on them.
The review also says that no one other than Emanuel had any contact with Blago or his staff. So basically, there doesn’t appear to be anything in the tapes that’s at all damaging to either Barack Obama or anyone on his staff. Not only is there nothing to suggest Obama’s people had discussed any quid pro quos with Blago, there’s nothing to suggest they even knew Blago wanted to make a deal.
Will that stick a fork in the attempts to connect Obama to any of Blagojevich’s problems?
Of course not. The RW will simply point to the very idea of a self-exonerating internal investigation and laugh (as the LW laughed when the Justice Department did the same – or was it the WH? well, same principle applies).
Chuck Todd of NBC Nightly News says that Obama wasn’t being honest when he said that he was taking a hands off approach to the Senate appointment since he provided a list of 6 acceptable replacements.
His words are stupid. Absent any pressure, any offers of a deal or any further discussion at all, simply providing a list of preferred names does not contradict Obama’s statement that he was taking hands off approach.
Huh. Weren’t these the same people who were previously upset because Obama wasn’t disclosing his conversations? Apparently, they wouldn’t be happy with anything but Obama saying “I’m a terrible man and have committed horrible crimes.” I know, I know… Freepers.
The report hasn’t “exonerated” Obama & Co. because they were never accused of anything to be exonerated of.
I guess the fact that the Obama team ran its report past past Fitzgerald’s office before releasing it means nothing to the freepers. Obama’s staff knows what Fitzgerald has on tape. Fitzgerald knows what he has on tape. This isn’t just the Obama team clearing itself without any ability to be gainsayed. They know that if anything they’re saying isn’t 100% accurate that it’s going to bite them in the ass. They know they can’t lie. It would be idiotic for them to deny something they know is on tape.
What are they going to say when Fitzgerald releases the transcripts of the tapes and they can hear for themselves that there’s no discussion of a deal? Are they going to say that Fitzgerald is part of the conspiracy and that he destroyed the incriminating tapes?
I asked that last question sarcastically, but now that I think about it I realize that’s EXACTLY what they’re going to say.