Axelrod: Anxious to Release Blago Info

As you know, the Obama camp has been asked not to release the review until next week so it doesn't interfere with the investigation of What's His Face. Obama's expected to release details on Monday.

The Hill: Axelrod emphasized that he stands by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), Obama’s incoming White House chief of staff, who has come under fire because of his alleged contacts with Blagojevich.
“He is someone who I think has enormous integrity and unparalleled skill. And I think we're lucky to have him,” Axelrod said on MSNBC. “I have no concerns about Rahm. He is an enormous asset to us and will be an enormous asset to the country, as he has been in the Congress.”

Gingrich Tells RNC to Cut It Out - Support Obama

So far Colin Powell, John McCain and Newt Gingrich are among the republicans who have publicly berated the RNC's attempts to link Obama to Blago. Gingrich says they should get to work. Thanks Newt. 

CNN: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich isn’t happy with the Republican National Committee.

In a letter addressed Tuesday to Mike Duncan, chairman of the RNC, Gingrich slams the committee for releasing a recent Web video that seeks to connect Obama to embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

In a nearly three-minute spot entitled “Questions Remain,” the RNC seeks to raise questions about involvement by Obama or his staff in Blagojevich’s alleged plan to award Obama’s former Senate seat in exchange for political favors.

Gingrich calls the video a “destructive distraction” and asserts that the national committee “is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.”

Instead, “Republicans should be working to help the incoming president succeed in meeting” the “real challenges” the nation is facing, Gingrich writes to Duncan. When Republicans believe Obama is wrong, the GOP should “offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him,” Gingrich also wrote.

The letter ends with Gingrich’s suggestion that the RNC “pull the ad down immediately.”

The RNC tries too hard. Needs to accept loss, grieve and move on. Love the scary music:

Obama on Blago: We're Clean Details Next Week

The US Attorney's office has asked the Obama camp to wait until next week before it releases the results of its investigation -- Obama's team had no inappropriate contact with What's His Face. Too bad for the Sore Losing RNC, who tried to make this into a big Obama scandal. From the Obama camp:

"At the direction of the President-elect, a review of Transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.

"Also at the President-elect's direction, Gregory [Craig], counsel to the Transition, has kept the US Attorney's office informed of this fact-gathering process in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation.

"In the course of those discussions, the US Attorney's office requested the public release of the Transition review be deferred until the week of December 22, in order not to impede their investigation of the governor. The Transition has agreed to this revised timetable for release."

Face the Nation Dec. 14

Topics include the auto bailout and who else, Blago. News out late today says Blago wouldn't resign tomorrow.

Media Exaggerates Blago's Effect on Obama

The media keeps talking up about how Blago is such a big problem and a distraction for Obama. I bought it for a few days. Now I'm done.
It doesn't seem No Drama Obama is buying it either. That's because he's BUSY. 

Attention media: Most Americans have had it with scandal mongering. We want Obama to fix the problems.
Unless someone proves that Obama was involved in dealmaking on his senate seat, I don't want to hear about Blago in relation to Obama.

Blago Pales Next To Washington and Wall Street Scandals

Frank Rich makes a point:

Blagojevich’s alleged crimes pale next to the larger scandals of Washington and Wall Street. Yet those who promoted and condoned the twin national catastrophes of reckless war in Iraq and reckless gambling in our markets have largely escaped the accountability that now seems to await the Chicago punk nabbed by the United States attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald.

The Republican partisans cheering Fitzgerald’s prosecution of a Democrat have forgotten his other red-letter case in this decade, his conviction of Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney’s chief of staff. Libby was far bigger prey. He was part of the White House Iraq Group, the task force of propagandists that sold an entire war to America on false pretenses. Because Libby was caught lying to a grand jury and federal prosecutors as well as to the public, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. But President Bush commuted the sentence before he served a day.

Axelrod: Obama Wanted Jarrett in White House

Reporters attending the political mind meld at the Harvard Institute of Politics, are gleaning bits and pieces. Here's what Lynn Sweet gathered:

Sun Times: During the forum, Axelrod said Obama always wanted Jarrett to work for him in the White House. Afterward, I asked Axelrod how interested Jarrett might have been in the position. Jarrett issued a statement saying she did not want to be a senator as some chatter was heating up. "There were people, not the governor," Axelrod told me, "but there were people who called her and encouraged her to think about it, and I think she thought about it, but ultimately Obama was very clear that he wanted her to be in the White House, there was never any doubt about that."

Axelrod, years ago, was Blagojevich's media consultant when he ran for the House. His son, Michael, was an unpaid intern in Blagojevich's House office.

This whole "episode is disturbing and sad," said Axelrod, adding, "by the way -- he treated my son very well."

Blagojevich Could Resign Monday

If he cared about anything, he'd resign today.

Sun Times: Gov. Blagojevich will decide early next week -- perhaps as early as Monday -- whether he should resign, a source close to the governor told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Other Blago-related news:
Rahm Emanuel discussed senate seat but there was no dealmaking.

"He was blindsided by this," the source said. "He needs some time to digest what's going on. He's going to make his position clear shortly."

Jesse Jackson Jr. gets tainted by slime.

Obama's New White House Office of Health Reform

Jeanne Lambrew

Today at 11 am Eastern, Obama will officially announce Tom Daschle as his choice to head up Health and Human Services. Daschle will also direct a new department, according to Politico:

Daschle will also be director of a new WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF HEALTH REFORM. The deputy director will be Jeanne M. Lambrew, a Senior Fellow at American Progress and an associate professor of public affairs at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. She was one of two 'narrators' who co-wrote Daschle's health-care book, 'Critical,' out early this year. Her bio says that during the Clinton administration, 'She was the White House lead on drafting and implementing the Children's Health Insurance Program ... She also worked at the Department of Health and Human Services during the 1993-1994 health reform efforts.'

Politico's Chris Frates scoops: 'President-elect Obama will name Mark Miller, executive director of Congress' Medicare advisory agency, as head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.'

But will Obama answer questions about Blagojevich? I sure hope so.
Politico's questions:

PRESS CORPS PREP – Politico's Kenneth P. Vogel and Carrie Budoff Brown, '7 Blago questions for Obama' at his news conference this morning, his first since Blagojevich was charged:

1 – 'Did you communicate directly or indirectly with Blagojevich about picking your replacement in the U.S. Senate?'

2 – 'Why didn't you or someone on your team correct your close adviser David Axelrod when he said you had spoken to Blagojevich about picking your replacement?'

Last month, Axelrod unambiguously described a conversation between Obama and Blagojevich about filling the seat. 'I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names, many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them,' Axelrod told an interviewer from Chicago's Fox affiliate. ... Axelrod issued a statement [Tuesday] saying he 'was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the President-elect has spoken directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then, or at any time, discuss the subject.'

3 -- 'When did you learn the investigation involved Blagojevich's alleged efforts to 'sell' your Senate seat, or of the governor's impending arrest?'

4 – 'Did you or anyone close to you contact the FBI or U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald about Blagojevich's alleged efforts to sell your Senate seat to the highest bidder?'

5 – 'Did federal investigators interview you or anyone close to you in the investigation?'

6 – 'When did you and Blagojevich last speak and about what?'

7 – 'Do you regret supporting Blagojevich?'

Change To Win Distances Itself From Blagojevich

Can you imagine selling a senate seat? Does every person in power have to end up a complete jerk? Not to mention stupid. Read more.
Apparently, the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, tried to trade Obama's vacant senate seat for things, including a job at Change to Win but Change to Win, which backed Obama in the election, says that ain't so. In one scenario, Dumbo allegedly tried to set up a "pay to play" arrangement for Valerie Jarrett to take Obama's senate seat. Obviously, she didn't do that. She's Obama's adviser. 
Chicago Tribune has a big spread. Read the FBI complaint here. Full video coverage by Chicago CBS.

The following is a statement from Change to Win communications director Greg Denier on the federal investigation involving Governor Blagojevich.

“No one connected with Change to Win ever considered, discussed or promised any position at Change to Win to Governor Blagojevich, his staff or his advisers. In the affidavit released by the United States Attorney, a position at Change to Win is discussed only in conversations between the governor and his advisers. The first time Change to Win learned of any of the matters raised in the criminal complaint was with today’s public release of the affidavit.”

What Obama said in response to Blagojevich's arrest (he's out on bail):

President-elect Barack Obama said this afternoon he had no dealings with Gov. Rod Blagojevich over who would replace Obama in the U.S. Senate.
"Obviously, like the rest of the people of Illinois, I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the U.S. attorney's office today," he said at his transition office in Chicago with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and former Vice President Al Gore at his side.
"But as this is an ongoing investigation involving the governor, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time."

There are indications that Obama didn't go along with Blagojevich's scheme. But if Obama knew about the scheme, why wouldn't he say anything? Maybe he did. DK speculates that Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, brought down Blagojevich. All of this is too sketchy right now. Why was Change to Win even mentioned? 
Read Patrick J. Fitzgerald's comments. He is the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Or watch him here:

Apparently, Dumbo allegedly tried to pressure the Chicago Tribune to fire some members of its editorial board who were too critical of the governor. But an editorial writer, John McCormick, says it didn't work:

"The feds say somebody wielding power and money tried to muscle Tribune Co. at a difficult time for our industry – and didn't get away with it," McCormick e-mails Alan Mutter. "The Tribune Co. was the object of a huge extortion attempt and didn't budge."

Sketchy, sketchy, sketchy.