ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style2 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style3 { height: 69px; } .MsoNormal {} .style5 { width: 179px; } .style6 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> <table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style5"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td height="2" class="style5">&nbsp;</td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style2">Rahm&#39;s Media Flop</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright December 11, 2008<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style6"> W</span>hen FBI investigators secretly recorded Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich trying wheel-and-deal with Barack s empty Senate seat, it revealed egregious abuse of his office and the public trust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No one could fully account for Blago s financial troubles or, for that matter, his mental health problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether he s found guilty or not of conspiracy and bribery doesn t exonerate him from abysmal judgment, calling into question his fitness for office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Listening to the tapes reveals a broken-down, raging politician, acting more like Al Capone, the infamous Chicago mobster, than Illinois chief executive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>State Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan asked the Illinois Supreme Court to declare Blago unfit for duty, suspending his gubernatorial powers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I recognized that this is an extraordinary request, but these are extraordinary circumstances, said Madigan, hoping to push the embattled governor to resign.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald charged Blagojevich Dec. 9 with conspiracy and bribery, citing recorded conversations with FBI agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Blago didn t pull any punches stating clearly what he wanted in the way of cash, favors and jobs for he and his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack was asked whether he or anyone on his transition team had contact with Blagojevich or anyone in the governor s office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I was not aware of what was happening, said Obama on the day Blago was arrested by federal agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I had no contact with the governor or his office and so I was not aware of what was happening, denying any personal involvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> What Barack didn t say was whether or not his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had any contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Rahm was asked that question yesterday, he was uncharacteristically defensive, refusing to answer any questions about his contacts with the governor s office.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>When chased down by the Chicago Sun Times at Chicago City Hall for his children s recital, he lost his composure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He was asked on the fly whether he had been in contact with Blago about Barack s senate seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> You re wasting your time, Rahm told the reporter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I m not going to say a word to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I m going to do this with my children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Don t do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I m a father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I have two kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I m not going to do it, apparently referring to answering questions about whether he had any discussions with Blago about filling Barack s senate seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Rahm, after all, was as close as it gets with Blagojevich after taking over his 5th District Congressional seat Jan.4, 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Blagojevich became governor Jan. 13, 2003 with support from both Barack and Rahm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Barack beat Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Nov. 4, discussions were already underway about a replacement for his soon-to-be empty senate seat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No one knows yet whether FBI recordings include conversations with Rahm or Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago s 2nd congressional district, mentioned as possible Candidate 5 in Blagojevich s short-list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Based on his close relationship with Blago, it s inconceivable that Rahm would not have had contact about Barack s senate seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Both he and Barack were rumored to support close advisor Chicago lawyer and businesswoman Valerie Jarrett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> One Fitzgerald s voice recording, Blagojevich said he didn t want to give [this]  mother-  F er [Obama] his senator.  F him. For Nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> F him, said Blago, apparently in reference to getting rebuffed by the Obama transition team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We were in the middle of a corruption crime spree, and we wanted to stop it, said Fitzgerald in response to why he moved to make the Dec. 9 arrest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Rahm did anything wrong, he would have been named in Fitzgerald s complaint.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Rahm s hostile response to the Chicago Sun Times raised more suspicions whether warranted or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He would have been far wiser to tell the reporter he couldn t respond now because of the delicate nature of the investigations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>But he would give more details in due time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Asked whether he could attend his daughters event and answer some questions, Rahm overreacted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I m not as capable as you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I m going to be a father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I m allowed to be a father, pushing away the reporter s digital recorder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Keeping one s composure and showing grace-under-pressure are prerequisites for jobs in the public eye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Rahm can t take the heat, he shouldn t have accepted chief-of-staff, except on an interim basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>His response to the press threw gasoline on an already explosive story, tying a corrupt governor to highly unethical and illegal pay-to-play politics with the president-elect s former job.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Rahm shouldn t be apologizing for his prior relationship with Blago, before his old friend went over the deep-end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of antagonizing the press, Emanuel should help give the situation a more plausible context, namely, of course there were discussions about preferences for Barack s replacement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>There s nothing illegal about lobbying for his or Barack s choice of Illinois next senator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whatever Blagojevich s financial or emotional problems, they have nothing to do with opining about his preference to fill Barack s empty seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Instead of barking at the press, Rahm should be helping them ascertain the facts, especially whether he was the  president-elect advisor accusing Blagojevich of putting Barack s senate seat up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span>for sale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>There s no crime in talking to Blagojevich about preferences for a new senator or telling the pushy governor to jump in the lake.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <bAbout the Author</u><b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.&nbsp; He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <i><a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> </i>and <i><a href="books.html"> Operation Charisma</a></i>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style5"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td height="1" class="style5"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>