"Change" is Here

For those of you Obamamaniacs who expected "Change" and transparency, well here it is-the on-going mess that involves Governor Rod Blagoyevich selling Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder. Only that party-pooper, US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, prevented the deal from going through (kinda like a star ballplayer refusing to waive his "no-trade" clause).

Now the Chicago Tribune is reporting on a couple of meetings at an Indian Restaurant in Schaumberg, near Chicago. Present were about two dozen people, some wearing turbans (a couple of whom are already under FBI investigation), the Governor himself, and a guy named Jonathan Jackson (who happens to be son of Jesse Jackson Jr and brother of Senate hopeful, Jesse Jackson Jr). According to a couple of attendees who spilled the lentils to the Trib, the purpose of the meeting was more than just Tandoori chicken. The real purpose of the meeting was to raise a million dollars in "contributions" to Blago in order to get Jesse Jr. appointed Senator. The second meeting occurred the day before Blago was put in handcuffs. Now Jesse Jr is asking reporters how he can get his good name back-the name he is so proud of (Jackson). He insists he had no knowledge of anyone trying to buy that Senate seat for him. Darn, those younger brothers can sure be a problem, can't they?

Meanwhile, as Blago, Jonathan Jackson and the guys in turbans were meeting at the Hatchafelony Indian Restaurant in Schaumberg, Barack Obama was telling reporters he had no contact with Blago regarding the Senate seat. Then he said that he was conducting an internal review to see if any member of his staff had had any contact with Blagoyevich regarding the seat, and he would get back to them in a few days.

Change.

That shouldn't take more than a few hours. All he needs to do is ask two people, David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel. Of course, Axelrod told reporters on November 23 that Obama and Blago were in regular contact regarding the Senate seat. Now he says he "misspoke." That reminds me of that Nixon spokeshole who said during Watergate that a previous statement was now "inoperative".

Change. Transparency.

Emanuel, for his part, is now suspiciously nowhere to be found. After skipping an Obama meeting with the press, he was found at his son's school and angrily refused to answer those intrusive reporters' questions. Now he is laying low-or has entered the Witness Protection Program, who knows? The Chicago Tribune is reporting today that Emanuel did, in fact, have conversations with the Governor and his aide, John Harris about the vacant seat and who should be appointed.

Change. Transparency.

So all you folks who voted for Change, enjoy. We are about to witness at least 4 years of stories like this.

Oh ye suckers.