Questions are being raised about Obama’s connections with Blagojevich. David Axelrod (Obama’s campaign manager) in particular has been forced to retract a statement he made two weeks ago that directly contradicts Obama’s statement today that he never spoke with Blagojevich about his replacement in the Senate.
(Via Power Line.)
UPDATE: The investigation’s wiretaps strongly suggest some contact between the Obama camp and Blagojevich:
Signs remain, however, that the continuing investigation could still involve [Obama].
It appears that Obama friend Valerie Jarrett, an incoming senior White House adviser, is the person referred to repeatedly in court documents as “Candidate 1.” That individual is described as a female who is “an adviser to the president-elect” and as the person Obama wanted appointed to the Senate seat. Court papers say that “Candidate 1” eventually removed “herself” from consideration for the Senate seat.
In a Nov. 11 phone conversation with an aide, Blagojevich talked at length about “Candidate 1” and said he knew that Obama wanted her for the open seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. (Expletive) them.”
One day later, Jarrett, a Chicago businesswoman who is one of three co-chairmen of Obama’s transition team and was a high-level adviser to his presidential campaign, made it known that she was not interested in the seat.
In light of that, take a second look at Obama’s exact words:
I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.
and at Axelrod’s retraction:
I 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.
Neither statement denies that a member of Obama’s staff might have communicated his wishes to Blagojevich. Combined with the wiretap evidence, that seems likely to be what happened. It also makes Axelrod’s error smaller and more understandable.
UPDATE: Katie Granju thinks they’re just plain lying. That’s another possibility. (Via Instapundit.)
ANOTHER UPDATE: My theory looks even more likely, in light of Obama’s refusal to say whether any subordinates had been in contact with Blagojevich. Obama said it would be inappropriate to say, given that it’s an ongoing investigation, which makes no sense unless his team might be tainted by the investigation.
By the way, there would be nothing wrong with Obama’s team having spoken with the Governor of Illinois about the appointment. Indeed, it would be expected. So, if indeed they did, why are they hiding it?
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