Limbaugh says testimony in Blagojevich trial shows Obama “selling his own Senate seat”

Limbaugh: “Obama was right in the middle of selling his own Senate seat. ... There is testimony in a trial.” On the July 1 edition of his radio show, Limbaugh stated: “Obama was right in the middle of selling his own Senate seat. Right in the middle of it. There is testimony in a trial.” Limbaugh went on to say, “We got Blagojevich saying that Obama's more Tony-ed up than he, Blagojevich, is. ... This is trial testimony. This is under oath.” From the July 1 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Look at the Blago trial. Obama was right in the middle of selling his own Senate seat. Right in the middle of it. There is testimony in a trial. Obama was -- Rahm Emanuel -- they were in the middle of it. We got Blagojevich saying that Obama's more Tony-ed up than he, Blagojevich, is. Meaning, Rezko-ed. Meaning, “This guy's in deeper with Rezko than I ever could be.” This is trial testimony. This is under oath. And everybody's yawning about it.

Limbaugh echoed Hannity's and Malkin's discredited claims that Blagojevich trial revealed that Obama “was far more engaged in the process than he's let on.” Limbaugh's remarks echoed debunked claims by Michelle Malkin and Sean Hannity that recent testimony by SEIU official Tom Balanoff contradicted statements by the Obama administration about the president's involvement in the choice of his Senate successor. Malkin and Hannity suggested that Balanoff's testimony revealed that Obama “was far more engaged in the process than he's let on” and proved that the president “lie[d] to the American people” about his involvement. In fact, Balanoff is not a member of Blagojevich's staff, so his conversation with Obama cannot contradict the December 2008 report by Obama's lawyer at the time, Greg Craig, that "[t]he President-elect had no contact or communication with Governor Blagojevich or members of his staff about the Senate seat." The fact that Obama talked with Balanoff about his criteria for a Senate replacement does not invalidate the findings of Craig's report. The Craig report acknowledged that "[i]n various conversations with transition staff and others, the President-Elect expressed his preference that Valerie Jarrett work with him in the White House. He also stated that he would neither stand in her way if she wanted to pursue the Senate seat nor actively seek to have her or any other particular candidate appointed to the vacancy." The Sun-Times reported Balanoff himself testified that Obama “would much prefer” Jarrett work with him at the White House, but said that she met his qualifications for the post.

Further, even though Obama discussed the Senate appointment with Balanoff, that in no way implicates him in Blagojevich's alleged attempts to sell the Senate seat. In fact, according to the Chicago Sun-Times report, “Blagojevich told Balanoff -- who had Obama's blessing to act as an emissary for Jarrett -- to find a way to set up a new advocacy group Blagojevich would one day head, the union leader testified. And, in exchange, Blagojevich would appoint Jarrett.” However, Balanoff stated in his testimony that he “never intended to pass on the message” to President-elect Obama.