Blue Spot

Axe ripped Fitzgerald’s patronage purge - Kenneth P. Vogel - Politico.com

Patrick Fitzgerald’s charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have drawn a chorus of shock and outrage.

But Barack Obama’s message man David Axelrod once staked out a much more nuanced position on Fitzgerald’s anti-corruption crusade.

In a 2005 op-ed, Axelrod argued, in effect, that trading political favors – including jobs – is part of the grease that makes government work.

He ripped Fitzgerald at the time for trying “to use the criminal code to enforce (his) vision” of “entirely remov(ing) politics from government.”

The piece in the Chicago Tribune was prompted by Fitzgerald’s indictment of aides to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley for conspiring to give city jobs as political favors. Daley was Axelrod’s client at the time.

Axelrod stressed he wasn’t condoning the test-rigging or document shredding Fitzgerald alleged in that case.

Of course, the specifics of the 2005 case differ from the one Fitzgerald unveiled Tuesday, in which federal prosecutors accuse Blagojevich of trying to auction off Obama’s Senate seat and being involved in a wide-ranging pay-to-play scheme.
Still, Axelrod’s musings make for an interesting read while Obama – no doubt with Axelrod’s assistance – formulates a strategy for dealing with the Blagojevich case, which doesn’t implicate Obama.

“The democratic process is often messy,” Axelrod wrote in the op-ed. “Diverse constituencies fight fiercely for their priorities. Their elected representatives use the influence they have to meet those needs, including sometimes the exchange of favors – consideration for jobs being just one.

“When a congressman responds to the president's request for support for a judicial nominee or a trade deal by replying that he'd like the president's backing for a new bridge in his district, he's fighting for his constituents. If the money for that bridge is approved over a worthier project elsewhere, should the deal between the two officials become a crime?” Axelrod wondered, questioning whether a “system free of political influence … is really desirable.”

Labels: Axelrod, Chicago politics, Gov. Blagojevich, Patrick Fitzgerald

Obama says climate change a matter of urgency | Reuters

CHICAGO, Dec 9 (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama said on Tuesday attacking global climate change is a "matter of urgency" that will create jobs as he got advice from Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the issue.

In remarks to reporters, Obama made clear he would adopt an aggressive approach to global warming when he takes over the White House on Jan. 20.

He and Vice President-elect Joe Biden met for nearly two hours with former Vice President Gore at Obama's presidential transition office in Chicago.

"All three of us are in agreement that the time for delay is over, the time for denial is over," Obama said.

He said he would work with Democrats and Republicans, businesses, consumers and others with a stake in the issue to try to reach a consensus on a bold, aggressive approach to tackling the problem.

"This is a matter of urgency and of national security and it has to be dealt with in a serious way. That's what I intend my administration to do," Obama said.

Obama had a willing accomplice in Gore, whose won a Nobel in 2007 for his years-long effort to educate people about the gradual warming of the planet and to argue against those scientists who believe a warming trend is a naturally occurring event.

There was no talk of offering Gore a job in the Obama administration. Gore has indicated he is not interested in a position of climate "czar" or any Cabinet post.

Just two days after Obama won the Nov. 4 election, Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection rolled out a media campaign to push for immediate investments in energy efficiency, renewable power generation like wind and solar technology and the creation of a unified national power grid.

Gore and his group are in line with most U.S. environmental groups, which believe the Obama administration has a chance to stem global warming.

Critics have accused the outgoing Bush administration of stalling on the issue, but the White House insists it is taking steps aimed at addressing the problem without damaging the U.S. economy.

"We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country, in all 50 states, to re-power America, to redesign how we use energy, to think about how we are increasing efficiency, to make our economy stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make us competitive for decades to come, even as we're saving the planet," Obama said.

Labels: Al Gore, Climate change, Global Warming, Green/Energy related, President-elect Obama

Labels: Chicago politics, corruption, Gov. Blagojevich, Illinois, Scandals, Senate

The Associated Press: NY Rep. King interested in NY Senate seat

WASHINGTON (AP) — New York Republican congressman Peter King told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he is preparing for a run for the New York Senate seat, even if that means facing off against Caroline Kennedy.

"I am seriously considering the race for Hillary Clinton's seat," King told The AP. "I'm very serious about it."

The eight-term lawmaker from Long Island said New York's GOP chairman Joseph Mondello "supports me 100 percent," and that state Conservative Party chair Michael Long has responded positively.

The son of an NYPD lieutenant, King said he "would genuinely represent the interests of blue-collar conservatives."

King's announcement is the latest twist in a political drama over who will succeed Clinton should she be confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of state.

Her successor would be appointed by New York Gov. David Paterson, and about a dozen Democrats are vying for that position. Kennedy's family has said she is interested in the seat.

Whoever is appointed would hold the job for two years, and run for election in 2010, against King or some other New York Republican.

King said the appointment of Kennedy would not scare him out of the campaign.

Labels: Caroline Kennedy, Rep. Peter King, The Kennedys

Chris Matthews Advised To Leave MSNBC And Begin Senate Campaign, Report Says | AHN | December 4, 2008

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - NBC anchor and pundit Chris Matthews has been advised to quit his post at the network and begin his campaign for senator of Pennsylvania, according to a report.

Speculation is rife that Matthews, host of MSNBC's "Hardball," wants to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), one of the most senior members of the Senate, in 2010. The 62-year old political commentator has been advised to resign from NBC "as soon as possible" and enter the race in order to demonstrate that he is serious about his candidacy, Politico quotes some Democratic operatives.

But the report also quotes NBC sources as saying talk of a Matthews' run is a ploy to have leverage during negotiations when his contract expires in June.

Matthews last week met with Democratic State Committee Chairman T.J. Rooney and executive director Mary Isenhour in Washington, D.C. about a possible Senate bid, according to The Patriot-News. He is also said to be looking for a house in the Keystone state.

Matthews, whose journalistic career includes more than a decade working as Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner and a David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, has been accused of being biased and favoring then-Senator Barack Obama during the election.

He had repeatedly expressed admiration for Obama's speeches, famously describing the feeling he had during one of them by saying there was "a thrill going up my leg." During the protracted primary race between Obaman and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Matthews had to apologize to viewers and to the former first lady after he came under fire for saying Clinton's support was due to sympathy for her and her husband's infidelity.

Labels: Chris Matthews, Media bias, MSNC

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Gates expected to stay on as Obama’s defense secretary « - Blogs from CNN.com

CHICAGO (CNN) – Several officials close to President-elect Barack Obama's transition told CNN on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to stay on the job for at least the first year of the new administration, with one source calling it "all but a done deal" that the official nomination could be announced as early as next week.

"It's now pointing in that direction," one of the sources close to the transition said of Gates being part of Obama's national security team, which many say also is likely to include Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

"It's likely to happen," a second source close to the transition said of Gates staying on. This source noted that Gates could stay longer than a year if he and Obama end up working well together.

Sources close to the transition have said Obama is interested in some continuity at the Pentagon because he is entering office having to deal with two wars — in Iraq and Afghanistan — as well as the international financial crisis.

The president-elect also has made no secret of his interest in having divergent views within his Cabinet.

Labels: Afghanistan, Foreign Policy, Iraq War, Robert Gates, The Pentagon

Schumer Steps Down From D.S.C.C. Post - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

After two election cycles in which the Democrats gained at least 13 seats in the Senate, Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York is stepping down as chairman of the party’s campaign committee.

Mr. Schumer, the senior senator from New York, is expected to turn the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee over to Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey — keeping control of the campaign operation close to Wall Street, party officials said.

In 2006, Mr. Schumer led the successful Democratic drive to win back control of the Senate from the Republicans. The Democrats picked up six seats that year, bringing them to a razor-thin 51 to 49 majority, thanks to two independents who organize with the Democrats.

In recognition of his efforts, Mr. Schumer was named to a new leadership position as the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, after the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, and the whip, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

This year, the Democrats have expanded their majority to at least 58 seats, with two races still undecided in Minnesota and Georgia. The unfinished races in Minnesota, where a recount is underway, and in Georgia, where a runoff will be held on Dec. 2, have kept alive the Democrats hopes of controlling 60 seats — the number needed to overcome filibusters and push legislation to a vote.

To Republicans, Mr. Schumer has become a symbol of raw and merciless politicking and his name is often invoked when the Republicans complain of unsavory campaign tactics such as a series of television advertisements this year attacking Republican incumbents for supporting the $700 billion bailout for the financial system.

Mr. Schumer himself voted in favor of the $700 billion bailout, but Democratic candidates made substantial gains by painting Republican Senators as beholden to President Bush on economic policies including the Treasury Department’s rescue plan.

Mr. Menendez will take over the campaign operations at a time of continuing strength for the Democrats. In 2010, 19 Senate Republicans will be up for re-election compared to just 15 Democrats, giving the Democrats an important numerical advantage.

Mr. Schumer at times has also vexed and impressed his fellow Democrats by seeming to insert himself into virtually every issue and in front of virtually every television camera. This weekend, for instance, he became the first Congressional Democrat to estimate the size of a potential economic recovery package. He pegged the effort at $500 billion to $700 billion at a time when President-elect Barack Obama and other party leaders have sought to be circumspect about the precise cost.

Labels: DSCC, Sen. Bob Menedez, Sen. Schumer, Senate

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - President pardons 14, commutes sentences of two others « - Blogs from CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Who might receive the ultimate in White House holiday gifts — a presidential grant of clemency — is one of the hottest Washington guessing games today.

The wait for 16 applicants is over. Fourteen people received a pardon from President George Bush and the sentences of two others were commuted, the Justice Department announced Monday. A commutation reduces a convict's prison term, but the conviction remains on the person's record.

Among those receiving commutations was rap singer John Forte, who was charged with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He was sentenced to 168 months in prison and five years supervised release. His prison term will now end on Dec. 22 of this year, and his release will still be supervised.

Those receiving pardons were not nationally-known and included persons convicted of marijuana use, unauthorized acquisition of food stamps and bank embezzlement.

Still unknown is how many more pardons and commutations the President may grant before he leaves office.

"The President carefully considered recommendations for pardons and commutations on a case-by-case basis and made his determinations. He will continue to review clemency requests," Assistant White House Press Secretary Carlton Carroll said.

Among the many who have applied are former Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham, Republican from California, who was convicted of receiving bribes, publishing executive Conrad Black, who was found guilty of fraud and John Walker Lindh, who was given a 20 year sentence after pleading guilty to supporting terrorists in Afghanistan.

Not including the ones granted on Monday, this administration has given 157 pardons and 6 commutations — far fewer than his predecessors considering this president has served two terms.

Labels: pardons

Minn. Senate Race Tightens In Recount, With 60% Of Ballots Re-Examined GOP Incumbent Leads By 115 Votes, But Challenges Remain - CBS News

(AP) The weekend isn't bringing any respite in the Minnesota Senate recount.

Ballots in the ultra-close race between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken are being counted in at least three counties Saturday.

Fifty-three counties have reported complete results to the secretary of state, meaning fewer than three dozen remain. As of Friday night, at least 60 percent of the estimated 2.9 million ballots had gotten a second look.

Coleman entered the recount with a 215-vote edge over Franken. That lead has dropped to 115 votes when comparing totals in precincts where the new count is complete. But the figure doesn't include ballot challenges, which have caused vote tallies for both men to drop.

There have been 1,525 challenges between the campaigns, although some could be withdrawn before the Canvassing Board's Dec. 16 meeting.

Officials for Coleman and Franken said Friday they'll review the hundreds of challenges they've made so far in their Senate race recount - and withdraw some - before the state Canvassing Board meets next month to consider them.

Minnesota's Senate battle is one of two that are unresolved, with Georgia's headed for a Dec. 2 run-off. If Democrats win both, they would have a 60 seat majority in the Senate.

Labels: Al Franken, Senate

Halperin at Politico/USC conf.: 'extreme pro-Obama' press bias - Alexander Burns - Politico.com

Media bias was more intense in the 2008 election than in any other national campaign in recent history, Time magazine's Mark Halperin said Friday at the Politico/USC conference on the 2008 election.

"It's the most disgusting failure of people in our business since the Iraq war," Halperin said at a panel of media analysts. "It was extreme bias, extreme pro-Obama coverage."

Halperin, who maintains Time's political site "The Page," cited two New York Times articles as examples of the divergent coverage of the two candidates.

"The example that I use, at the end of the campaign, was the two profiles that The New York Times ran of the potential first ladies," Halperin said. "The story about Cindy McCain was vicious. It looked for every negative thing they could find about her and it case her in an extraordinarily negative light. It didn't talk about her work, for instance, as a mother for her children, and they cherry-picked every negative thing that's ever been written about her."

The story about Michelle Obama, by contrast, was "like a front-page endorsement of what a great person Michelle Obama is," according to Halperin.

The former ABC News political director acknowledged that some of the press coverage was simply reflecting the reality of Obama's presidential campaign.

"You do have to take into account the fact that this was a remarkable candidacy," Halperin said. "There were a lot of good stories. He was new."

New York magazine's John Heilemann, one of Halperin's co-panelists, offered another reason for all the positive press coverage Obama received.

"The biggest bias in the press is towards effectiveness," said Heilemann, who is authoring a book on the 2008 race along with Halperin.

"We love things that are smart."

Because Obama's campaign was generally so well run, he argued, the press tended to applaud even his negative tactics.

"We'll scold you for being negative," Heilemann said, "but if it seems to be working, the tone of your coverage becomes more positive."

Another of Halperin's fellow participants, Los Angeles Times writer Mark Barabak, disagreed more strongly with the Time writer's comments. Still, Halperin's general point met with little resistance

"I think it's incumbent upon people in our business to make sure that we're being fair," he said. "The daily output was the most disparate of any campaign I've ever covered, by far."

Labels: Media bias, Obama supporters

Democracy Now! | Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama's Intelligence Transition Team

...questions are already being raised about the people heading Obama’s transition efforts on intelligence policy. John Brennan and Jami Miscik, both former intelligence officials under George Tenet, are leading the review of intelligence agencies and helping make recommendations to the new administration. Brennan has supported warrantless wiretapping and extraordinary rendition, and Miscik was involved with the politicized intelligence alleging weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the war on Iraq.

MELVIN GOODMAN: OK. John Brennan was deputy executive secretary to George Tenet during the worst violations during the CIA period in the run-up to the Iraq war, so he sat there at Tenet’s knee when they passed judgment on torture and abuse, on extraordinary renditions, on black sites, on secret prisons. He was part of all of that decision making.

Jami Miscik was the Deputy Director for Intelligence during the run-up to the Iraq war. So she went along with the phony intelligence estimate of October 2002, the phony white paper that was prepared by Paul Pillar in October 2002. She helped with the drafting of the speech that Colin Powell gave to the United Nations—[inaudible] 2003, which made the phony case for war to the international community.

So, when George Tenet said, "slam dunk, we can provide all the intelligence you need,” [inaudible] to the President in December of 2002, it was people like Jami Miscik and John Brennan who were part of the team who provided that phony intelligence. So what I think people at the CIA are worried about—and I’ve talked to many of them over the weekend—is that there will never be any accountability for these violations and some of the unconscionable acts committed at the CIA, which essentially amount to war crimes, when you’re talking about torture and abuse and secret prisons. So, where are we, in terms of change? This sounds like more continuity.

Labels: Afghanistan, anti-war movement, Congress, FISA, Foreign Policy, Gitmo, Impeachment, Intelligence, Iran, Iraq War, Liberals, Obama administration, Obama critics, Pakistan, Rahm Emanuel, WMD