Media play meteorologists, baselessly forecast "clouds" for Obama because of Blagojevich scandal
SUMMARY: In the absence of any actual allegations of wrongdoing by President-elect Barack Obama or his staff in connection with the scandal involving Gov. Rod Blagojevich, several media figures have in recent days ominously asserted that a "cloud" hangs over Obama because of the Blagojevich scandal, or that the scandal threatens to cast a "cloud" over Obama's presidency.
In the absence of any actual allegations of wrongdoing by President-elect Barack Obama or his staff in connection with the scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), several media figures have in recent days ominously asserted that a "cloud" hangs over Obama because of the Blagojevich scandal, or that the scandal threatens to cast a "cloud" over Obama's presidency.
As Media Matters for America noted, prosecutor and U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald stated during a December 9 press conference that the criminal complaint against Blagojevich "makes no allegations about the president-elect whatsoever -- his conduct," and Fitzgerald cautioned the press to "not cast aspersions on people for being named or being discussed or if you learn they're being interviewed." Indeed, as Media Matters has documented, the complaint against Blagojevich does not include a single allegation of misconduct by Obama, and at least one mention of "president-elect" in the complaint affirmatively undermines any suggestion of wrongdoing on Obama's part.
And yet, there are numerous examples of media repeating the "cloud" cliché, even while, in some cases, acknowledging there is no evidence that Obama has done anything wrong. For example:
- In a report that aired during the December 11 editions of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight and CNN's The Situation Room, reporter Drew Griffin asserted: "We already knew President-elect Obama was appalled. We already knew he wants Governor Blagojevich to resign. That hanging cloud is what he or his team or anyone representing him knew about the deals that at least the governor allegedly thought he was cooking up with the president-elect's administration."
- During the December 10 broadcast of the CBS Evening News, reporter Dean Reynolds said: "A dark cloud hung over Chicago this morning as Governor Rod Blagojevich made his way to work. And longtime observers of the political climate here wonder whether that shadow will fall on Barack Obama."
- During the December 9 edition of The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer stated: "President-elect Obama says he is saddened by the scandal in his home state. Will it cast a cloud, though, over his early days in the White House?"
- During the December 11 edition of CBS' The Early Show, CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer asserted that Obama must "give every detail of what they talked about, when they talked about, and what the circumstances of that were. The president-elect cannot start a new administration with any kind of a cloud hanging over him."
- During the 3 p.m. ET hour of the December 10 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Norah O'Donnell asserted: "I understand that the Obama team is essentially huddled behind closed doors today trying to figure out how to respond to all of this. Does this really kind of cast a cloud over what has been a pretty fast-moving transition team with their rolling out their cabinet? Has this essentially been a big speed bump?"
- During the December 12 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly claimed that as President, Bill Clinton "came in with all these Whitewater guys on his shoulder, with all of this stuff, cronyism, and this deal and that deal, and [Susan] McDougal and [former Arkansas Gov.] Jim Guy Tucker. Isn't it eerie?" Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee responded: "Well, here's what has to happen. Because of that background, Barack Obama cannot start his presidency with that kind of cloud hanging over him."
- During the December 12 edition of MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, MSNBC contributor Pat Buchanan asserted: "I disagree with [Democratic strategist] Bob Shrum to this extent. I think there's a real cloud developing over the Obama team. You've got three top advisers -- Valerie Jarrett, [David] Axelrod, and Rahm Emanuel -- whom you would think would be in touch or might be in touch with the governor about this -- who's going to replace -- who's going to replace Barack Obama in the Senate."
Additionally, a December 10 Washington Times headline read: "Scandal casts cloud over Obama presidency."
From the December 11 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight:
LOU DOBBS (host): The corruption scandal tonight is raising concerns about the influence of special interest groups and the president-elect's political appointment process. One of those groups is the Service Employees International Union. It is, of course, one of the country's largest labor organizations.
The union has a long history of trying to influence public policy and was the largest single donor to the Obama campaign. As Drew Griffin now reports, it's now linked to the Blagojevich scandal.
[begin video clip]
OBAMA: I was as appalled --
GRIFFIN: We already knew President-elect Obama was appalled. We already knew he wants Governor Blagojevich to resign.
That hanging cloud is what he or his team or anyone representing him knew about the deals that at least the governor allegedly thought he was cooking up with the president-elect's administration.
JAY STEWART (Better Government Association of Chicago): The president-elect has a lot of serious issues to deal with. He really shouldn't be dealing with this, but, you know, Illinois politics is like a black whole -- it keeps sucking you back in.
GRIFFIN: Sucking him in is the deal mentioned deep into the government's 78-page complaint against the governor -- specifically, the deal to put "Candidate No. 1," believed to be Valerie Jarrett, in the vacant U.S. Senate seat. She is one of Obama's closest confidants, money raiser, and now White House staffer, who was considered a front-runner for the seat before suddenly pulling out.
From the December 11 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
GRIFFIN: In the spotlight today, Wolf, was the president-elect -- completely denying he had any involvement in any Blagojevich dealings. But when it came to his staff, he left the door open.
[begin video clip]
OBAMA: I was as appalled --
GRIFFIN: We already knew President-elect Obama was appalled. We already knew he wants Governor Blagojevich to resign. That hanging cloud is what he or his team or anyone representing him knew about the deals -- that at least the governor allegedly thought he was cooking up with the president-elect's administration.
Like it or not, says Jay Stewart of the Better Government Association of Chicago, Obama is dealing with his very first presidential scandal. And it grew out of the same political swamp Obama, the politician, was raised in.
STEWART: The president-elect had a lot of serious issues to deal with. He really shouldn't be dealing with this, but, you know, Illinois politics is like a black hole -- it keeps sucking you back in.
GRIFFIN: Sucking him in the deal mentioned deep into the government's 78-page complaint against the governor -- specifically, the deal to put "Candidate No. 1," believed to be Valerie Jarrett, in the vacant U.S. Senate seat. She is one of Obama's closest confidantes, money raiser and now White House staffer, who was considered a frontrunner for the seat before suddenly pulling out.
From the December 10 broadcast of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric:
REYNOLDS: A dark cloud hung over Chicago this morning as Governor Rod Blagojevich made his way to work. And longtime observers of the political climate here wonder whether that shadow will fall on Barack Obama.
From December 9 edition of The Situation Room:
BLITZER: And, to our viewers, you're in the Situation Room. Happening now: the Illinois governor charged with plotting to sell Barack Obama's former Senate seat. This hour: the astounding allegations of corruption -- even hardened prosecutors sounding shocked and appalled.
President-elect Obama says he is saddened by the scandal in his home state. Will it cast a cloud, though, over his early days in the White House? The best political team on television is standing by.
From the December 11 edition of CBS' The Early Show:
HARRY SMITH (co-anchor): Because one of these conversations, Bob, that there's a long conference call, all the parties that were involved are not necessarily named. One is supposedly Rahm Emanuel. He would have had responsibility to talk to federal authorities if pay-for-play had been discussed in it.
SCHIEFFER: He'll have to do that. And he's going to have to say -- and give every detail of what they talked about, when they talked about, and what the circumstances of that were. The president-elect cannot start a new administration with any kind of a cloud hanging over him. That's why it's so important to get this thing settled, get the details, get the facts out there as quickly as he possibly can. And my sense of it is that the president-elect will begin to do that in his news conference today.
We have to underline here, these are allegations. It hasn't gone to a trial yet. And there is nothing to suggest that Barack Obama has done anything wrong. But he's got to get this deal settled; and the quicker, the better, Harry.
From the 3 p.m. ET hour of the December 10 edition of MSNBC Live:
O'DONNELL: Joining us from The Washington Post newsroom is editorial writer Jonathan Capeheart. Jonathan, good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.
CAPEHEART: Hi, Norah.
O'DONNELL: I understand that the Obama team is essentially huddled behind closed doors today trying to figure out how to respond to all of this. Does this really kind of cast a cloud over what has been a pretty fast-moving transition team with their rolling out their cabinet? Has this essentially been a big speed bump?
CAPEHEART: Yes, it has been a big speed bump. It's not only that they've been rolling out announcements of people who are going to be in the cabinet, but it's been done so effortlessly, and now, here, you have Governor Blagojevich throwing up a huge speed bump in all of this. And I would gather that the Obama team is huddled behind closed doors not only trying to figure out how to respond to all of this, but also trying to get to the bottom of what happened. Because I do think that the longer folks like you and I ask the question -- "Just what did the Obama campaign know and what kind of contacts it had with Governor Blagojevich" -- the more it's going to be incumbent upon the Obama team to answer those questions.
From the December 12 broadcast of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:
O'REILLY: Are you surprised at all of this stuff?
HUCKABEE: I'm disappointed, and I'm not at Obama. Let me say this: I have no reason to think that Barack Obama --
O'REILLY: Nobody does -- right.
HUCKABEE: -- has even the tiniest bit of stain on his fingers on this. Nothing. There's nothing to suggest that he's dirty. But if he has people around him who are about to go into the White House, who even are a little bit dusty from this, he's got to clear it up, and he's got to do it now. Otherwise, he does not go in with a celebration; he goes in with a question mark. And he needs an exclamation mark going into office.
O'REILLY: And the reason I brought the Clintons up is because when Bill Clinton was elected president in '92, he came in from Arkansas where you live.
HUCKABEE: Right.
O'REILLY: Right. OK. He came in with all these Whitewater guys on his shoulder, with all of this stuff, cronyism, and this deal and that deal, and McDougal and Jim Guy Tucker. Isn't it eerie?
HUCKABEE: Well, here's what has to happen. Because of that background, Barack Obama cannot start his presidency with that kind of cloud hanging over him.
O'REILLY: So he's got to change -- he's got to pay a lot of attention to this, Obama.
HUCKABEE: He can't act like this is not touching me.
O'REILLY: This is big.
HUCKABEE: It is big. It's big, because it does have some semblance of memory to the Clinton beginnings. And here's the point: You know, every politician, I don't care how clean he is, gets accused of being dirty. So that's not unusual.
O'REILLY: Well, you guys have to deal with a lot of people. And you're never [inaudible] for power.
HUCKABEE: Sure, well, you've got people who hate you. You have people who are against you. People who want to see you torn down.
O'REILLY: Right.
HUCKABEE: So that's part of politics.
O'REILLY: All right.
HUCKABEE: But when there's that much smoke here, you've got to clear it out, and it has to be done right now.
From the December 12 broadcast of MSNBC's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with David Gregory:
O'DONNELL: Pat, do you think that Obama walked way too far out on a limb yesterday when he said, I'm confident that no one on my staff would be involved in any deal-making?
BUCHANAN: No, I think he ought to say that, because if somebody was, he'll say, I was wrong and they'll be fired.
But I disagree with Bob Shrum to this extent: I think there's a real cloud developing over the Obama team. You've got three top advisers -- Valerie Jarrett, Axelrod, and Rahm Emanuel -- whom you would think would be in touch or might be in touch with the governor about this -- who's going to replace -- who's going to replace Barack Obama in the Senate. Rahm Emanuel will not talk to anybody. He is stiffing everybody.
Why? You've got to ask yourself: Why haven't they just come forward, and say, yes, a number of us talked to the governor about this, but, no, we were not involved in any deal. We would never be involved in any deal. No deal, illicit deal, was offered to us, and we talked on the following days.
You don't need 72 hours of dead silence to get this material together. So -- and I think Rahm Emanuel in particular, as the chief of staff, and who apparently is the, quote, "adviser" on the tapes, why he doesn't come forward and clear his name instantly and be done with this, I don't understand.
It is becoming a daily game for them , the Repugs will do anything to taint, and to damage the Obama Presidency. None of this will catch on. There are no clouds for the President Elect on this matter. I wish the media covered the firing of the US Attorneys and the Ted Stevens matter like the are with this issue.
"the Repugs will do anything to taint, and to damage the Obama Presidency."
And with that said JLyons... it is wise to remind everyone about the FACT that these are the same Repugs that for the last eight years (well... more so since 9/11) that anyone that speaks out or up against the president is somehow un-American... and that we 'must' respect the presidency... because...
Remember their lame excuse for it... we live in a different world now... where there are terrorists in every corner ready to blow themselves up because they hate us for our freedoms... yada, yada, yada...
These rightwing assclowns soiled and disrespected the presidency from 1/20/93 until 1/20/01... and suddenly... we had to respect the office and the man because we were now suddenly in the fight for the very life blood of America...
Here we are coming up on 1/20/09... any chance these bobble-heads will respect the office or the man.... I doubt anyone is going to hold their breathe...
We live in a different world now all right, created by these buffoons to serve their longevity in the political arena. I am very happy Mccain got trounced not because of himself but these GW Bush followers now have no place in US governance.trust me, Rumsfeld and company were poised to come back and continue saving the country from the terrorrists .
predicting a " cloud " you yourself plan to create is no the result of genius work.
I think the media is partially right on this one. They just got the cloud color wrong. Instead of a dark cloud, the transcripts I've heard from the lips of Blogojevich himself make it look like a big white puffy cloud over Obama. After you hear Blog complaining that the Obama camp won't offer him anything but "appreciation" and calling the president elect a "Motherf..er", what more is there to say? It certainly doesn't seem odd that Emanuel or another staffer might have talked to the governor about the appointment. In fact it would seem odd if they hadn't since the governor was the one making an appointment and they would have an obvious interest is influencing the decision if possible. If the media wants this to be a real story they should give us more than guilt by association.
The liberal media is at it again, desperately trying to associate a right-winger like Obama with a scandal, no matter how manufactured the association, just to advance their agenda.
Imagine if President Bush, a liberal that the press fawns over now in his final days, had been treated like this by the biased media. But of course, we know that this left-leaning press was always looking the other way when someone in the fringe media started to bring up uncomfortable connections. Just like in this case, they were so desperate to never let their liberalism suffer a defeat, that they just ignored everything that their liberal hero Bush did - if he had been associated with scandals, their whole liberal agenda would have failed.
It's good to see that the would-be Hitler, Barack Hussein Obama, isn't treated with kid gloves - but the hypocrisy of the press is astounding and depressing. Now that the president no longer espouses their liberal ideals, they are attacking him. So much for them trying to remain neutral even when there's a right-leaning president in the White House.
It might be understandable if there actually was evidence that suggested that someone from Obama's team had engaged in some sort of illicit deal making with Blagojevich but...am I missing something? Where's the evidence upon which these dire assertions of dark clouds is based? No doubt Blagojevich probably asked Obama's rep "What's in it for me?"...but that's ordinary politics. From Blagojevich's recorded remarks it appears that he was advised that he could expect nothing from Obama except his appreciation, which apparently ticked off Blago. On the eve of Obama's inauguration I find it difficult to believe that Obama or anyone close to him would would have countenanced any sort of "pay to play" scheme. Show me the evidence... Otherwise the only clouds I see are clouds of joy that we are finally rid of George W. Bush and will soon have a president who commands world respect. Maybe these naysaying media types didn't get the memo but I feel comfortable saying that "most people" are looking forward to Obama's presidency...even some who voted for John McCain. If there is evidence of wrongdoing by Obama or anyone close to him it should be investigated and reported responsibly. But all I see is cynical speculation...
What I find hard to believe is that Obama's camp would find this to be a worthwhile deal to make. As I said before, the pro/con analysis on this is laughable. Let's say they knew what he was doing and had a choice to accept a deal or not. Blagojevich is a Democrat, so to make it appear above board he would surely appoint a Democrat. Obama's won the Presidency, and there's going to be a significant advantage for his party in the Senate anyway. So what's the difference between Obama's favored candidate and some other Democrat in the seat, as far as Obama is concerned? Is it worth taking such a huge risk for the minimal difference of a very sympathetic member of the Senate, as opposed to a merely supportive member of the Senate?
That doesn't mean it's not possible, but on top of the lack of any evidence it makes it even more difficult to understand why it would be true.
You know, Brab, I was thinking along the same lines. A constant source of aggravation for me is the so-called logic, or lack thereof, of the right wing wing talkers whenever they spell out their theories of some grandiose illicit plan of Barack Obama. They not only presume Obama to be dishonest, which has not been demonstrated, but also dumb (as Hannity is) and reckless (as Limbaugh is). Does Barack Obama strike you as dumb and reckless? Me neither...
Actually, Obama has no problem on the horizen, compred to the ones that G. W. Bush had when he was inaugerated. Remember, GW's daddy had to con his soon-to-be vice president to help GW select a VP because obviously his own father had no confidence in his kid to select the correct person. Then of course there was all the flack about his out-of-the ordinary treatment, when he was slow to receive draft papers. G W Bush has been, is now and always will be some little frat ne'er-do-well who flies by holding onto his daddy's strings and who has been given every excuse not to do his duty, His behavior while in the Academy (5th from the bottom of his class) and his record as a pilot with so many crashes of expensive planes would have gotten most booted on the spot, but GW had enough pull to avoid problems. G W is a spoiled brat who would never have grown up without H W Bush's assignment to Cheney to keep a watchful eye on the little weakling. Then his entre presidency would have long ago blown into bits. G W could be blue, black, white or whatever and he would remain a really self-centered frat boy who has fialed miserably as the President of our great country. How pitiful the guy is!
Media (in the plural) are behaving like a bunch of rabble rousing sneaks. There is nothing to this assumption that folks like Buchanan and Hannity and the other hate-Obama nasty choir boys have concocted that is based on any fact. I believe I had already heard of the list Rahm had given the Governor. Sorry Republicans, even though I am a Republican, I am not falling for another Whitwater claim you goofs try to pawn off on as factual. I have heard your years of excuse making for GW so I am not impressed with your racord of being factual when someone is trying to harm our country. Try as you might, I KNOW it is all a load of crap and no thanks, you may have fooled me once (shame on you), but if I let you bamboozle me twice, shame on me. Mari2JJ
The funny part is, every left or left-leaning blog, every liberal poster at this site, every liberal- leaning person I know has been pretty clear; Blagojevich is dirty and should suffer the consequences of his actions. Obama seems to be hated by Blag for being too clean, yet all of the right wing nuts are screeching to connect the two.
I realized that I was suckered a bit by the media, and the tendency to hold the left to higher standards, based on my own opinions on Blago. Then I heard a caller to one of the non-con radio shows last week (I think it was Stephanie Miller) who made a comment about what a mundane scandal this is.
True, compared to the pile of crimes commited by the actual Repub president and his associates over the past 8 years. As blatant as Blago's attempt to sell influence was,it really is dwarfed by the wholesale p[rivatization of our country under the Bush administration.
Of course, that's not what we'll hear from the media. I caught a little of The Beltway Boobs this weekend, and one of them (morty or Freddy, sorry, can't tell them apart) declared that this was the biggest scandal since Monica Lewinsky. Like the last two presidential terms didn't have anything bigger than an extramarital BJ going on. Un-be-freekin-lievable.
watching the today show just now. they said that the republican national committee "released a video" of obama supporting the election of blagojevich as governor. that's a shocker. i'll bet there's video of bush supporting ted stevens. then i had to turn to another channel, tom cruise was on today.
"...the republican national committee "released a video" of obama supporting the election of blagojevich as governor."
For what purpose...? Is there a presidential election coming up soon? Or did we just have one and the Republicans lost? Is the purpose to politically weaken the president before he even takes office? To cast a contrived cloud over his presidency? Yep, to that last one... This is politically driven. It has nothing to do with facts...or reality. It's the same old hateful, smear-mongering Republican Party we've learned to despise in the past 15 years. And the so-called liberal media are complicit in furthering their despicable tactics... What will they latch onto next?
Blagojevich was a tainted character before last week.
If there's an Obama connection, why didn't the Republicans pick up on it during their angry campaign ?
I noticed McCain is back to his old "bi-partisan" self again.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Sunday sided with President-elect Barack Obama and scolded the Republican National Committee for fanning the Illinois corruption scandal.
On ABC's "This Week," host George Stephanopoulos asked: "The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Mike Duncan, has been highly critical of the way President-elect Obama has dealt with this . . . saying that the Obama team should reveal all contacts they've had with Gov. (Rod) Blagojevich. He says that Obama's promise of transparency to the American people is now being tested. Do you agree with that?"
McCain replied: "I think that the Obama campaign should and will give all information necessary. You know, in all due respect . . . I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy-stimulus package, reforms that are necessary." Politico
How do we know that the Obama team hasn't already been talking to the Feds? Potential witness were pounced on by the FBI contemporaneously with Blagojevich's arrest. Considering that the subject matter of the arrest and ongoing investigation is Obama's Senate seat isn't it logical that members of the Obama team would have been contacted already as potential witnesses just like any other potential witnesses who are not associated with Obama? How do we know that the FBI advised witnesses not to talk to anyone about the investigation because it is ongoing? Since we're dealing almost entirely in the realm of speculation, not all assumptions are automatically unfavorable to Barack Obama as the right wingers would try to have people believe.
I could not agree with you more. Well stated!
I noticed McCain is back to his old "bi-partisan" self again.
And Crooks and Liars reports that on ABC This Week McCain declined to endorse Palin for prez if she decides to run in 2012. Either he wants to run again or they didn't get along well. See the clip there. He says there are other governers out there that would be good and....
MCCAIN: ... my corpse is still warm, you know?
McCain has about as much a chance of getting nominated again by the Repugs as Ronnie Reagan does.
I think Reagan has a much better chance of getting a nomination.
it depends on who's "warmer".
That's an excellent point. Joe (dead girl in his office) Scarborough was bloviating this morning, wondering why the press hadn't investigated Obama's Chicago "connections" as vigorously as they had Simple Sarah's background.
If there had been something there, wouldn't the Republicans have found it months ago? All they could give us was William Ayers and Reverend Wright. Yawn.
Obama has been under a microscope for the past two years and yet we still have idiots like Sean Hannity asking "Do we reaally know who Barack Obama is?" Obama comes from the rough and tumble politics of Chicago and the worst they could come up with were his associations with Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers and Tony Rezco. "Yawn" is right...
"Do we reaally know who Barack Obama is?"
Yes Sean , he is our President Elect and he will be a great President. I know one thing we do know. Hannity and his Repugs are going to keep spinning and talking this story until they turn blue in the face.
"Do we really know who Barack Obama is?"
I especially like how they asked that while keeping Palin, who they sprung on us in September, from doing interviews.
All I can say is, compare this "scandal" to all the stuff Puddinhead George has gotten away with... then compare the press reaction and amount of coverage.
The next time some Republican toadie whines about the "Liberal Media", can we do anything but laugh?
Definitely a "cloud" meme in the corporate media this week. Except on John McLaughlin's show where he posed the question, "Mountain or molehill?. Of course Crowley and Buchanon said it was a mountain or will become one. Buchanon couldn't resist a giggle as he knows it's it NOT true but Monica Crowley can do it with a straight face without breaking up.
During the December 12 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly claimed that as President, Bill Clinton "came in with all these Whitewater guys on his shoulder, with all of this stuff, cronyism, and this deal and that deal, and [Susan] McDougal and [former Arkansas Gov.] Jim Guy Tucker. Isn't it eerie?" Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee responded: "Well, here's what has to happen. Because of that background, Barack Obama cannot start his presidency with that kind of cloud hanging over him."
May I ask? What cloud is Huckabee talking about? I have stated numerous times on here there is no connection between Obama and Blab (despite a few trolls who keep changing my words. The only "connection" is that they are from Illinois and they worked together as Senator /Governor. The Republicans are on tight rope here and they need to somehow change the subject of 8 years of division, and a year of recession. This is the only hope many of the staunch Republican media pundists have to "getback" . It is the same thing all over again. We live in Groundhog Day.
Casey, you are apparently unaware that there is a picture of Obama shaking hands with Blagojevich...so obviously they are best friends and partners in crime. ;>)
In the 'Newspaper headlines..." thread, you claimed that Obama's team could be directly involved in the scandal:
It is an issue because it was his senate seat and he is from the State where this occured, that is his involvement. Not to mention it may be some of his team members.
How is that not implying a "connection between Obama and Blab" beyond simple geography?
There is no involvement other than the geographic connection, what is wrong with you?
Why must there be something wrong with me for not understanding your claim that Team Obama may be directly involved with this corruption yet Obama has "no involvement"? Can't you see how that might appear conflicting?
I give up.
If John McCain is ever indicted for anying I'm sure the Republicans and the complicit media will point out how troubling it is that Barack Obama was closely associated with McCain for almost the past year and even shared the stage with him several times. And if George W. Bush was indicted...well, didn't Obama have a secret meeting with him just a few weeks ago? Hmmmmm... ;>)
Big Connection, investigate the Obama Bush connection ;-)
Omigod...! There are even pictures of them shaking hands! Quick...call Sean Hannity! ;>)
Somehow, I think the visual of President Numbnuts ducking a thrown shoe will become the enduring symbol of the past 8 years.
Gotta give Bush credit, he seems to have good reflexes. He ducked pretty well for a guy getting up in age. I guess the coke and drinking and his younger years did not damage his reflexes.
I'm pretty sure that ducking and self preservation comes from the reptilian instincts of the brain stem and not the cerebral cortex. Which would explain Incurious George's avoiding the shoe.
Now let's see if he's able to avoid a trip to The Hague.
I noticed that, too. In fact, the whole thing almost looked like it had been rehearsed.
What I want to know is how the guy had time to throw a second shoe before the Secret Service nailed him?
I think the guy was just quick, that's all...
Or, the Secret Service just took their time in responding (why, I have no idea).
;)
In their defense, I imagine they were in what was considered a "low threat" situation. No doubt those reporters had been screened for weapons.
Whatever the reason, can you imagine the ribbing that SS detail will get in the locker room when they get home?
Somehow, I think the visual of President Numbnuts ducking a thrown shoe will become the enduring symbol of the past 8 years.
Exactly...it sums up everything about the Bush administration perfectly. And perfect timing, too, coming at the end of the line for the Bush presidency. Glad he wasn't hurt, though...just in case the Secret Service is monitoring MMFA. ;>)
He should be thanking his personal saviour right now... he was responsible for invading the country, occupying it, killing tens of thousands of its citizens including women and children... and all he gets is a show thrown above his head. Let's just say that if I was an Iraqi, I would at least have wanted the shoe to hit his head.
Fawlty, it's the thought that counts... ;>)
There may be some unfortunate truth in this "forecast". It's like me predicting where I'll go for lunch. The Corporate Media pretty much control the narrative, and if they decide that this is the biggest scandal since Watergate, then, by God, it will be.
All we can do is sit back and shake our heads in dumbfounded disbelief, while President Numbnuts and his entourage skip out of town without being held accountable for ANY F***ING THING.
Great point...the old self-fulfilling prophecy.
I thing Reagan has a much better chance of getting a nomination.
Lewis Black has a routine where he describes the election of a dead president, Ronald Reagan being the chosen corpse. Black posits that no one in the world would mess with us if we propped up a dead man for president. Bring in Rehnquist, just for good measure, to swear him in...
Go Lewis!
Lewis Black makes me laugh LOL
Another squall hitting the good ship obama. Looks like his pick for Commerce Sec is about to get wet on his watch.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aL0GGUluJeT8&refer=worldwide
Nice job of keeping with the wacky weatherman theme.
Umm, no, actually if you had READ the article, which I'm doubting that you did, it doesn't say anything about Richardson being involved in anything illegal, or illicit.
It would take some sort of intellegence for Tbone to actually read the article.
And if the country is willing to accept a socilaist as President who pals around with terrorists and isn't even a U.S. citizen then I'm sure Richardson's alleged indiscretions must pale in comparison. I'll think he'll be oaky... ;>)
socialist - not socilaist
I'm all for ferreting out corruption. Maybe with a new Justice Department, they can look into a few things the Numbnuts Administration has gotten away with.
How involved was Karl Rove in the firing of those Federal Prosecutors?
What did the Bush administration know about the torture of prisoners at Abu Graib?
What the hell happened to that 9 Billion Dollars that just mysteriously vanished in Iraq? Even in the tax dollar bonfire of Iraq, 9,000,000,000,000 dollars is still a lot of money. Would it even fit in the bed of a pickup truck?
nerzog , i would also add that the secret trials at Gitmo need to be investigated ASAP. America can never be seen as a torturer again.
The major point that no one in the media seems to bring up enough is that Blagojevich said almost outright (and in the crassest way possible) in the recordings that obama and his team were not involve. The prosecutor for the case who wrote up the 78 page complaint has stated obama and his team are not involved. And obama himself has stated that he and his team were not involved on several occasions (the changing of pronouns argument is irretrievably stupid). The only thing going on here is that either the media wants so badly for their to be a scandal in the white house that they are willing to bark up any tree available or they desperately need some story, any story, to distract them from the fact that the president they supported, and who could do no wrong, blew up there stock portfolios and has no idea how to fix it.
Well, there's always the Shoe-Throwing Reporter story. Maybe Karl Rove staged that whole thing to get President Numbnuts some sympathy, and get the economic meltdown off the front page.
Frankly, there's as much evidence for that as there is of Obama's complicity in "Blagogate".
you're right I can't wait for the in depth analysis of what brand of shoes they were. and quite possibly who will drop them from the shelves because of this un-american company's association with such a treasonous act.
I have to wonder if Blagojevich was guv'nah of any other state if anyone in the media would have given him much airtime.
You know that O'Really and his ilk will jump on any bandwagon they can find if they can stir the pot, get some ratings, and/or inflame the Righties. Why would they believe anything Fitzgerald said in his press conference....eek! he must be hiding something juicy! Gossip whores.
There is no cloud and they are losing a good nights sleep trying to construct one.
Blah.
I have several pairs of old shoes in my closet.
I think I will take aim at a few Talking Heads.
Any takers?....