Could the Blago/Obama Chaos Open a New Steel Door for Republicans?

Governor Blagojevich met with his attorney today to discuss his current legal options. Fox news is reporting that he will decide by Monday whether to step down as Governor of Illinois. The news for President-elect Obama looked a little more murky as news broke that his new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, had spoken with the Governor about Obama's replacement.

It's interesting that the soon to be administration that promised transparency has had very little to say on the topic. Top Republicans are questioning Obama and his aides as to what, who, why, when, and how long? The one statement on the subject that President-elect Obama made on the subject has a more holes in it than Swiss cheese.

Even die-hard liberals are scratching their heads at the circumstances surrounding Governor Blagojevich. It's not a shock to anyone that there is corruption in Chicago politics. However, will the residents of the blue state begin weining their support for the ruling party. With all of the chaos that now surrounds the appointment of Obama's Senate replacement, many are calling for a special election.

Could this be the opening door that the Republicans in the state have been waiting for? After all, the country threw out the Republicans in 2004 for far less corruption than we see going on today in Chicago. How much more embarrassment can one state take from it's leadership? Republicans already have a winning streak going for post-November elections.

Could the Obama drama be a signal for a Republican come-back even before he spends a single day as the President?

Crooked Politicians Shocking? Not So Much.

Is it really that surprising that a crooked politician from a crooked political town was arrested today for corruption. It does not shock me that Governor Blagojevich was arrested. It shocks me that people were shocked by the news.

This is a man who has been under federal investigation for years. Here is a man who knew he was being watched by the Feds, but apparently had such an ego that he thought he was above it all. Chicago is and has long been a sesspool for crooked politicians. The sad fact is that Governor Blagojevich will not be the first Illinois Governor to go to prison should he be convicted. In fact, if he is convicted, he could share a prison cell with another former Governor of Illinois, George Ryan.

The issue about this case that I find even more interesting is the response from those surrounding President-elect Obama. Initially Barack Obama would not make a statement on the situation. Yet, later in the day he came out and made a strong statement concerning his dealing with Blagojevich:

"I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of
what was happening"

According to the Associated Press his statement that he didn't have contact with Blagojevich about the Senate seat seems to conflict with that of top adviser David Axelrod, who told Fox News Chicago on Nov. 23: "I know he's talked to the governor, and there are a whole range of names, many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

Conveniently, later in the day, Axelrod made a statement saying that he was "mistaken" about any discussion Obama had with Blagojevich regarding the Senate seat. One last tidbit of information, if Obama had no knowledge of what was going on, why is there now information creeping out that Rahm Emanuel may have been the one that tipped the Feds of about the corruption.

While there is no evidence of wrong doing on Obama's part in this case or the Rezko case, it still smells bad for the new President-elect. He hasn't been sworn in to office yet and there are two cases with his name attached in one way or another. With all of the corruption surrounding this man, President Clinton is starting to look like a saint. Maybe Hillary still has a shot at 2012 after all.