Obama's honeymoon could be tainted by Blagojevich corruption scandal

WASHINGTON — The first shadow of scandal was cast over Barack Obama's forthcoming presidency on Tuesday as the governor of Illinois was arrested and accused of boldly trying to sell the president-elect's vacant Senate seat to the most generous bidder.
While there's no suggestion Obama had anything to do with the alleged actions of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the stunning charges placed the president-elect's aides in an unfamiliar position - scrambling to explain themselves and their boss's relationship with the governor.
In brief remarks about Blagojevich's arrest, Obama said he'd had no contact with the Democratic governor, someone with whom he's reportedly always had an icy relationship.
And yet David Axelrod, the man who helped orchestrate Obama's near-flawless presidential campaign, said two weeks ago that the president-elect had indeed recently spoken to Blagojevich about the Senate seat.
Axelrod, famed for doing almost everything right as he helped Obama win the White House, apparently had it wrong.
"What the president-elect said today is correct; David Axelrod misspoke," an Obama aide told the Politico website, speaking on condition of anonymity.
It was still unclear, however, when precisely Obama and Blagojevich last had a conversation. And regardless of their tense private relationship, TV newscasts, websites and blogs were rife Tuesday with embarrassing photos and footage of Obama shaking hands or chatting with Blagojevich at various events.
Governors traditionally decide who will take over vacant Senate seats until the midterm elections held two years after Americans vote for president and Congressional representatives.
The Republicans, who have been fruitlessly searching for ammunition against Obama since he first began his run for the presidency two years ago, were quick to seize upon the Blagojevich scandal.
"Americans expect strong leadership, but president-elect Barack Obama's comments on the matter are insufficient at best," Mike Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement.
"Given the president-elect's history of supporting and advising Governor Blagojevich, he has a responsibility to speak out and fully address the issue."
The allegations - dubbed by one investigator as "conduct that would make Lincoln roll over in his grave" - come amid a veritable honeymoon for Obama.
A recent poll suggests 79 per cent of Americans approve of his handling of his transition to power.
That's the kind of support generally accorded to presidents after a harrowing national disaster, although some have pointed out that many Americans view the George W. Bush presidency as exactly that sort of traumatic event.
Nonetheless Obama's usual critics on the right were quick to suggest that his honeymoon may soon be over, pointing to both Blagojevich's arrest and an expanding ethics investigation into the actions of Representative Charles Rangel, the Democratic chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.
"Blagojevich and Rangel are obviously first steps toward Democrats taking over the mantle of corruption from the Republicans," wrote Rich Lowry on the National Review Online.
But in fact, there were suggestions Tuesday that it was Rahm Emanuel, Obama's designated chief of staff, who pushed prosecutors to move faster on the Blagojevich investigation. Police had been watching him for years.
A Chicago Fox affiliate reports that after Blagojevich approached Emanuel about the Senate seat, Obama's no-nonsense confidant immediately contacted the authorities.
The Obama team, in fact, is reportedly clean due to their refusal to bribe Blagojevich, something that prosecutors say enraged him.
The governor apparently wanted to be named Health and Human Services secretary. Obama gave the post to Tom Daschle.
He allegedly wanted something in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama adviser, and Jarrett soon withdrew herself from consideration, closing the door on Blagojevich again.