Surprise: Obama’s Staff Finds Obama Innocent

In an effort to minimize the perception that President-elect Obama has any connection with Illinois Governor Blagojevich’s attempt to sell Obama’s recently vacated Senate Seat, the Obama Transition Team issued a press release that looks like the opening tactic in a political disinformation campaign, or coverup:

“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.

This press release, like most of the communication from the Obama Campaign, was designed to beguile the naive and uninformed.  It was written for consumption by the compliant media and Obama’s young, star-struck supporters.  It’s the first pseudo-fact the pro-Obama version of the oral history of the scandal and it’s purpose is  to plant a perception in the minds of the public:  An investigation was done and Obama was cleared.

The key word is “inappropriate.” The use of this qualifier reveals that there was indeed some sort of discussion, but in the opinion of partisans who work for Barack Obama’s Transition, that discussion was not “inappropriate,” whatever that means.  It also means Obama and his team expect the that whatever discussion did take place will be revealed publically at some point.

Another excerpt from the press release:

“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.

How convenient!  Whatever information the Obama Team is willing to disclose will be released Christmas week, when public attention to politics is at a minimum.  There are more than one possible interpretation of the claim that the US Attorney “requested” a delay:

• Obama wants to hold off until Christmas week and persuaded someone in the US Attorney’s office to agree that it was OK.

Or,

• The US Attorney’s office actually did ask for the delay, which would indicate that something in the report was significant to them and they wanted time to check into it.

Liberty Works will be open for business next week and will keep you informed.