The Obama Report

From Sify:

There's no evidence Barack Obama knew that Rod Blagojevich may have sought to trade an appointment to the president-elect's vacated U.S. Senate seat for a Cabinet post or other top administration job, the judge at the ousted Illinois governor's retrial said Monday...

A sometimes-contentious day of testimony began with Judge James Zagel refusing a request from defense lawyers to let them look at FBI interview notes with Obama to see if the Democrat from Chicago ever reported to authorities that Blagojevich had tried to trade the Senate appointment.

"In all honesty, it is possible that the victim of this was busy with other matters at the time," Zagel said about Obama... "There is nothing to indicate that he was aware of" any attempted trade.

The judge is correct: Obama was busy with other matters, like contacting Union leader Tom Balanoff and asking him to convey - to Blago - his recommendation of Valerie Jarrett for the vacant Senate seat. And, when Blagojevich - according to the prosecution - later asked Balanoff to send word that he wanted a cabinet appointment in exchange for Jarrett's appointment, Obama was so busy, he was unaware of Blago's response.

Clearly, "there is nothing to indicate that" Obama "was aware of" any attempted trade. He was busy and preoccupied with other matters...

The defense had hoped to use the notes to show Obama never saw himself as a victim. Zagel said it was irrelevant whether Obama did or didn't: Bank tellers might not know their bank is being robbed, he argued, but that doesn't mean there was no crime.

True, but when a Bank robber tries to strike a deal with a Bank teller, the teller indubitably knows about it.

However, this argument is irrelevant, for two reasons: Firstly, Obama is not a bank teller.

In fact, unlike a Bank teller, President Obama actually hands out free money to his customers and constituents, who receive generous amounts of stimulus funds and other government perks...

Secondly, Obama was likely unaware of the wheeling and dealing surrounding his vacant senate seat because, at the time, he was busy conversing with a powerful Union thug about the senate seat; he was clearly preoccupied with other matters.

Case closed!

Nevertheless, I'd like to ask the Judge a few personal questions, if I may:

1) Did you, by any chance, vote for Obama in '08?

2) Are you aware of the fact that Obama's emissary to Blago, Union leader, Tom Balanoff, tried to extort the senate seat from Blago, on behalf of Valerie Jarrett and Barack Obama, by threatening to withhold campaign contributions?

3) Are you aware of the fact that although Valerie Jarrett was not Balanoff's preferred choice for the Senate seat, he, nevertheless tried to extort the seat, on behalf of Obama, the person you refer to as "the victim"?

Admittedly, these insignificant questions - particularly the last two - are all irrelevant to the case. Hence, if you do not wish to respond, that's perfectly alright, I will not be insulted... What's more, even if I would be insulted, it would be irrelevant, because you are likely so busy, you wouldn't even know I was insulted...