Here's what he's hiding - nothing.

He's being ultra-cautious because he doesn't want to say one thing, find out later he was wrong and have the media and conservatives jump on him with both feet, weakening his credibility in a time when our president NEEDS credibility more than anything.

Sound and fury signifying nothing is what is in this scandal for Obama.

You covered the Clinton years ... this episode is utter bullshit and everyone not yammering about it on TV knows so. Very disappointing to see you even reference it. 'Probably nothing' ... yeah, and 'probably' Nicole Kidman isn't visiting me tonight for love and pizza ...

There is no evidence that he said or did anything that wasn't totally on the up and up. Exonerated by the republican prosecutor and by accident by Blago himself.

Yet, what's he hiding?!? WTF?!?

Too funny.

this doesn't absolve the root of the problem: a ratings-hungry and intellectually dishonest media who thinks insinuation and a lack of evidence makes an airtight case against someone.

It's the same mentality that led them to hype up the myth of Saddam's WMDs and it's the same mentality they will use time and time again to promote the GOP's agenda.

So, marks for technical merit are rock solid, but marks for presentation could be improved. What the hell is this, figure skating?

I think it was IMPOSSIBLE for Obama and his team to not have known what was going on in Chicago. And I do think they knew more than we can even imagine. But in the end they didn't have a lot of choices:

1) Play the game and pull some strings for their favorite candidate (and jeopardize years of effort to get where they are now).

2) Ignore, play dumb (yeah, right...).

3) Rat on the bastard to the authorities (and be called a tattletale, a party traitor).

3) Talk to the governor and try to convince that ass to stop the shenanigans - or else.

Is it that hard to believe in the latter?

It's only an educated guess, but I think Obama's secret "scandal" is his campaign's cooperation with the prosecutors to nail the MF Blagol

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com

I think your article is fairly correct except for the slam that only the media and republicans are probing for answers. Many ordinary citizens that voted for Obama are not feeling so sure of their man at this point.

It is impossible to believe that Obama was unaware that Blago was a rogue politician. I am sure he knew that Jesse Jackson jr. had been helping the feds regarding Blago for some time. He just looked the other way as he has done regarding many of his flawed friendships and acquaintances. It it is pattern to deny any wrongdoing and then want to dismiss any further questions about the matter insisting there are many really important matters that need his attention. That technique has worked quite well for him, but it will fail him as a president. He will be expected to clarify issues over and over and over until he thinks his head might pop off. That is life in the WH.

What I do think is disturbing is the foolish grinning that Rahm continues to do in front of the cameras. Obama made a mistake picking him. He is arrogant and will be a thorn in Obama's side unless he is able to rein this guy in. Nobody likes a cocky guy when the nation is watching one crisis after another unfold. Zip it Rahm.

Or did they give you hot pants instead?

Cheerleaders wear uniforms, right?

his birth certificate! ha!

Obama said that he had not spoken with Blagojevich. Emmanuel said he did no negotiating with Blagojevich. That means that Emmanuel had a channel open and nothing more.

What "legitimate questions" are left to ask, knowing these plain facts?

Oh please this is all so obvious and tiresome. The right wing will jump on any excuse. The bla bla about Blagojevich and Barrack has become very boring. The only real question is who will be appointed Senator from Illinois and how will that happen. Let's leave the commas and the semi colons and every other bit of trivia to the Rove bunch to stew over.

Remember after election night and it was so good even the neighbors wanted a cigarette, slowly but surely the Salonobams have been getting more and more riled that He Who Is is turning out to indeed not be the resurrection of Patrice Lumumba. Eventually when he doesn't round up all the non Marxists and shoot them in the town square, you'll be the first people venting your rage and disappointment on him.

Thank you for writing this article.

It provided a number of insights for me, the most interesting of which was that certainly Emanuel would have shared with Obama some of the content of more than 20 conversations he held regarding a subject Obama himself showed genuine and clear interest.

My question though is why call Obama's initial denial of any knowledge he may have had of this subject -- parsing. It appears to me to be far closer to lying.

Certainly as well if you trust the Blago tapes to suggest Obama was innocent of wrongdoing in regards to being willing to pay to play, why not as well trust them when they claim -- he was not interested! That is to say -- the tapes clearly indicate that a dialogue was making its way to Obama indirectly through Emanuel. Is there any reason to believe that Blago believed he was not communicating with Obama indirectly? No, there is not. He clearly believes he is involved in an indirect dialogue with Obama.

And yet we have Obama saying he knew nothing!

Why is Mr. Conason not intrigued or bothered by this apparent lie? What is Mr. Conason hiding?

Even more, Blago seems truly upset that Obama is not willing. Surely he must be thinking that he has actually had communication with Obama. If he is unsure if the message has gotten through to Obama he would not have been upset right? He would be frustrated. For instance, 'Why the F.. don't they tell me whether they are interested in discussing this deal??!!"

No, that is not his concern.

How about this question. Why are the implicating excerpts with Blago made public when we have yet to hear any excerpts from Emanuel who, as we have been told, is not under suspicion? Why not let us hear those excerpts?

Another question. Blago was not involved in the campaign, did not come to the party, etc. Obama clearly has been limiting the contact with him. And yet, after Obama wins the election Emanuel has over 20 conversations with Blago and his people. What would they be discussing if not the one thing Blago still controls that is of interest to Obama, the empty seat.

What else were they discussing? Which drapes to get for the office?

Last question. Why isn't there a significant journalist out there who is on top of this?

I remain perplexed.