[Rhodes22-list] Politics: Here We Go Again...again!

[Bill Effros]

Brad,

There's much more to it than that. 

Fitz doesn't prosecute under conspiracy laws because they are too hard 
to prove.  Instead, he calls defendants "co-schemers" and prosecutes 
them for specific crimes--however, under "co-schemer" law, anyone aware 
of the scheme is as guilty of the crime as those convicted, in the eyes 
of the law.  They can testify against each other, and they can't adjust 
their stories to match. If they deny being part of the scheme out of 
court, and subsequently are convicted of being any part of it, Fitz will 
charge them with aiding the scheme by denying being part of it.  Fitz 
did this to Blagojevich earlier this year.  I can't find a single 
instance of Obama denying being part of the scheme. He did say Fitz 
hadn't asked to speak to him before Fitz asked to speak to him.  Then he 
got quiet on the issue.  Very quiet.

Are you familiar with the Hurtgen indictment?

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/pr/chicago/2005/pr0509_01.pdf

It's a relatively short one, and it lets you know where we're headed.  
The indictment was reinstated in 2007.

This New York Times lead explains it:

"In Developer's Trial, E-Mail Note Cites an Obama Role

March 11, 2008

By CATRIN EINHORN

CHICAGO --- An e-mail message made public on Monday in the fraud trial 
of Antoin Rezko, a businessman and political contributor, brought 
attention to Senator Barack Obama's role in discussions involving a 
state health planning board that Mr. Rezko is accused of improperly 
influencing.

The message indicated that Mr. Obama, now a Democratic presidential 
candidate, and other top Illinois 
(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/illinois/index.html?inline=nyt-geo) 
politicians consulted in 2003 on legislation to keep the board, which 
approved the construction of health facilities, from expiring under 
sunset provisions in state law.

The vaguely worded message also seemed to raise the possibility that Mr. 
Obama, who at the time was chairman of the Illinois Senate's health 
committee, had been involved in recommending candidates for the board.

Mr. Rezko is accused of using his influence in state government to stack 
the board with associates, including some who made political 
contributions to Mr. Obama and other top Illinois politicians, and of 
seeking a bribe on a hospital project.

But David Wilhelm, a former campaign adviser to Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich 
(http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/rod_r_blagojevich/index.html?inline=nyt-per) 
of Illinois who asked that the e-mail message be written, said in an 
interview that he had never talked about the appointment process to Mr. 
Obama. Mr. Obama has said he had nothing to do with Mr. Rezko's 
activities with the board.

Mr. Obama has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and his name is 
expected to come up only tangentially during the trial."

Obama wrote the legislation that saved the board and reduced its 
membership to 9 from 16. (You only must bribe 5 on a 9 person board, but 
you need 9 on a 16 person board--really--that was why they wanted to 
reduce the membership) Blagojevich appointed all 9, some were holdovers, 
but the 3 new ones were connected to Rezko, and immediately made 
campaign contributions to Obama.  The University of Chicago Hospital 
hired Obama's wife.  Obama's house was owned by University of Chicago 
Doctors.  The University of Chicago gave Obama a teaching job.  The 
University of Chicago appeared before the Board requesting a CON -- and 
they got it!

Now read the Hurtgen indictment.

IMHO that's where this thing is headed.

Bill Effros

Bonus reading for extra points:  According to this blurb from the 
University of Chicago Medical Center, Michelle Obama conceptualized and 
implemented her job for more than $100,000 a year just after Barack 
first won a (part time) seat in the Illinois Senate at a yearly salary 
of $56,000.

Now read the Hurtgen indictment again, in the part where they say you 
can't do business of any sort with anyone who has any kind of dealing 
with the Health Facilities Board.

 

Brad Haslett wrote:
> Bill,
>
> Ya gotta wonder if that $3K a day mansion in Hawaii helps jog The
> One's memory about what he said to the Fitzgerald underlings.  That's
> what got Scooter Libby in trouble.  They ask a few questions that they
> already know the answers to (only they know what's on the tapes), then
> call you back for a few more, then a few more, and again for a few
> more.  You can't tell the truth because that would be an admission of
> guilt.  Eventually, your "I don't remember" and "I can't recall"
> answers don't work because they play a snippet of a tape, reveal a
> small bit of testimony from one of the other players, and soon enough
> you're in Libby perjury land.
>
> In other news, Kennedy thinks, you know, she would, you know, make a
> good, you know, Senator.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W85XJADEHxU&eurl=http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/&feature=player_embedded
>
> Brad
>
> On Sat, Dec 27, 2008 at 3:39 PM, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>   
>> Brad,
>>
>> "Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in
>> the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled. That's one
>> of Obama's first priorities today. He's meeting with Governor Rod
>> Blagojevich this afternoon in Chicago to discuss it."
>>
>> Carol Sowers
>> KHQA (Channel 7)
>> Quincy, Illinois
>> November 5, 2008
>>
>> "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not - I
>> was not aware of what was happening."
>> BHO
>> December 9, 2008
>>
>> This just in:
>>
>> December 27, 2008
>>
>>
>>  US Atty Asks Panel Not to Subpoena Obama Aides
>>
>> By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>>
>> *Filed at 3:23 p.m. ET*
>>
>> CHICAGO (AP) -- The Illinois House committee investigating a possible
>> impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/rod_r_blagojevich/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>> won't subpoena two incoming White House advisers, the committee
>> chairwoman said Saturday, shutting down a request from the governor's
>> attorney.
>>
>> In a letter received by the committee Friday, U.S. Attorney Patrick
>> Fitzgerald
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/patrick_j_fitzgerald/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>> asked the special investigative committee specifically to not subpoena
>> President-elect Barack Obama
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>> adviser Valerie Jarrett
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/valerie_jarrett/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
>> incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/rahm_emanuel/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
>> U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/j/jesse_l_jackson/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>> Jr. and Nils Larsen, a Tribune Co.
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/tribune_company/index.html?inline=nyt-org>
>> executive vice president.
>>
>> Fitzgerald said any such subpoenas ''would interfere with the ongoing
>> criminal investigation into the activities of Governor Rod Blagojevich
>> and others.''
>>
>> Blagojevich's attorney Ed Genson had asked the committee earlier in the
>> week to issue the subpoenas.
>>
>> ''The ball is in Mr. Genson's court,'' committee chairwoman state Rep.
>> Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, told The Associated Press on
>> Saturday. ''We're not interested in undercutting the U.S. Attorney's
>> criminal investigation.''
>>
>> Genson did not immediately respond to a call requesting comment Saturday
>> on the committee's decision.
>>
>> Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on charges accusing him of scheming to
>> swap Obama's vacant Senate seat for profit, shaking down a hospital
>> executive for campaign donations and other wrongdoing.
>>
>> Genson has said testimony from Emanuel, Jarrett and Jackson would help
>> prove the governor's claim that he didn't do anything wrong in his
>> handling of Obama's Senate seat.
>>
>> Fitzgerald, however, said any testimony by Jarrett, Emanuel, Jackson or
>> Larsen ''would overlap with the subject matter of the pending criminal
>> investigation.''
>>
>> Larsen has been reported to be the Tribune financial adviser to whom
>> Blagojevich instructed aides to talk about firing editorial writers in
>> exchange for a grant to help sell Wrigley Field, home of the
>> Tribune-owned Chicago Cubs.
>>
>> State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, the House committee's head, said
>> Thursday that the panel received a letter from Genson asking members to
>> subpoena Emanuel, Jarrett and more than a dozen others.
>>
>> On Dec. 22, Fitzgerald had sent the committee a letter asking members
>> not to delve into the criminal charges against Blagojevich, saying
>> interviewing current or former members of Blagojevich's staff might
>> jeopardize his criminal investigation.
>>
>>
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