# Obama releases internal review of Blago contacts. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 23, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466 "2008-12-23T23:26:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/1 "2008-12-23T23:26:37Z")
[Not much juicy here](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081223/D958M2QG0.html). > [@](#): > > Emanuel had one or two conversations with Blagojevich and four with Harris on the subject of the Senate seat, according to the review. The report said Obama authorized Emanuel to pass on the names of four people he considered to be highly qualified to take over his seat - Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, Illinois Veterans’ Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. > > “In later telephone conversations, Mr. Emanuel - also with the president-elect’s approval - presented other names of qualified candidates to Mr. Harris including Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Ms. Cheryle Jackson,” the report said. “Mr. Harris did not make any effort to extract a personal benefit for the governor in any of these conversations. There was no discussion of a Cabinet position, of 501c(4), of a private sector position or of any other personal benefit to the governor in exchange for the Senate appointment.” > > The report said that earlier, Emanuel recommended Jarrett for the Senate seat without Obama’s knowledge, and Jarrett later accepted a job as a senior White House adviser. 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? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/2 "2008-12-23T23:32:26Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > 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). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/3 "2008-12-23T23:33:58Z")
[And, sure enough . . .](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2153443/posts) ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/4 "2008-12-23T23:47:03Z")
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. Not mine. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/5 "2008-12-23T23:57:45Z")
> [@KRM](#): > > 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. Not mine. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/6 "2008-12-24T01:28:49Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [And, sure enough . . .](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2153443/posts) 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_. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/7 "2008-12-24T01:49:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/8 "2008-12-24T02:56:18Z")
Clearly, a special prosecutor needs to be appointed ASAP to get to the bottom of this coverup. What is Ken Starr up to? ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/9 "2008-12-24T03:00:40Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Clearly, a special prosecutor needs to be appointed ASAP to get to the bottom of this coverup. What is Ken Starr up to? Defending the [sanctity](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/12/kenneth-w-starr.html) of Proposition 8, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-releases-internal-review-of-blago-contacts/478466/10 "2008-12-24T03:23:35Z")
[PDF text of the report](http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/politics/Contacts_Memo.pdf).