Archive for Barack Obama
Caroline Kennedy Will Not Make Financial Disclosure
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By David M. Halbfinger Published: December 23, 2008
If she were applying to be, say, an undersecretary of education in Barack Obama’s new administration, Caroline Kennedy would have to fill out a 63-item confidential questionnaire disclosing potentially embarrassing text messages and diary entries, the immigration status of her household staff, even copies of every résumé she used in the last 10 years.
If she were running for election to the Senate, Kennedy would have to file a 10-part, publicly available report disclosing her financial assets, credit card debts, mortgages, book deals and the sources of any payments greater than $5,000 in the last three years.
But Kennedy, who has asked Governor David Paterson to appoint her to succeed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton — and who helped oversee the vetting process for Obama’s possible running mates — is declining to provide a variety of basic data, including companies she has a stake in and whether she has ever been charged with a crime.
Kennedy declined on Monday to reply to those and other questions posed by The New York Times about any potential ethical, legal and financial entanglements. Through a spokesman, she said she would not disclose that kind of information unless and until she becomes a senator.
“If Governor Paterson were to choose Caroline, she would, of course, comply with all disclosure requirements,” said the spokesman, Stefan Friedman.
Paterson’s office said his choice for the Senate would undergo the same background check as any cabinet-level officer in Albany, including verification of employment and education, a review of tax returns, and a criminal background check by the State Police. The governor’s vetting process drew criticism this fall when it surfaced that his top aide at the time, Charles O’Byrne, had failed to pay income taxes for five years. The Paterson administration has since said it is requiring more extensive background checks.
The Senate’s self-imposed ethics rules do not require any disclosure by potential appointees, although sitting senators are required to file financial disclosure statements by May 15 each year. (The latest filing by Kennedy’s uncle, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, showed a net worth of at least $43.8 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which ranked him the seventh richest senator.)
But several ethics experts, good-government advocates and scholars, who called Caroline Kennedy’s situation highly unusual — because of her overt pursuit of the job, her celebrity and her lack of previous political experience — urged her to reveal information on her finances now, if only for appearances’ sake.
Kennedy made headlines around the world last week after alerting the governor that she wanted the job. She then began a public tour, meeting with political leaders around the state, and quickly cemented herself as the dominant contender for the seat.
“Precisely because there is no campaign or election, she should be more willing to disclose and subject herself to a greater level of public scrutiny than is required,” said Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, a nonpartisan watchdog group. He noted that other major contenders for the Senate seat — officeholders like the attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, and Representative Kirsten Gillibrand — have mounted runs for office and filed public disclosures before.
Others wonder if Kennedy’s unwillingness to disclose personal information suggests she lacks the stomach for the kind of intrusive questions that could come her way as a candidate in 2010.
“If this were an open primary, and all the people seeking that position had to run, she’d have to make all those disclosures, so why not in the appointment process?” said Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, a watchdog group that lobbies for tighter ethics rules. “She can’t simply ride in on her name recognition or place in history. The voters and people of New York deserve that full disclosure.”
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, another watchdog group, warned that requiring financial disclosure by “anyone who is speculated about” for such a vacancy could be untenable. “I would think it would be up to her,” he said. But he called Kennedy’s campaign for the appointment “kind of unique.”
So far, on her tour, Kennedy has taken just 11 questions from reporters, has granted no interviews, and responded only in writing to inquiries about her positions on significant issues.
“She needs to deepen the public’s idea of who she is,” said Paul Light, a professor at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. “To the extent she can be more transparent, she dispels the notion that it’s all about her name. We obviously know that she’s quite wealthy, but beyond that, we don’t know much about where she gets her income, how she’s invested, whether she has followed her own principles in her investing activities, and so forth. That would be very useful to know.”
Is Rahm Emanuel in Deeper With Gov. Blagojevich…
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December 18, 2008President-elect Barack Obama’s incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder.
Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however.
A source with the Obama camp strongly denied Emanuel spoke with the governor directly about the seat, saying Emanuel only spoke with Blagojevich once recently to say he was taking the chief of staff post.
But sources with knowledge of the investigation said Blagojevich told his aides about the calls with Emanuel and sometimes gave them directions afterward. Sources said that early on, Emanuel pushed for the appointment of Jarrett to the governor and his staff and asked that it be done by a certain date.
At least some of the conversations between Emanuel and Blagojevich were likely caught on tape, sources said.
After Jarrett took herself out of the running in mid-November, Emanuel submitted a list of suitable names to the governor’s camp that didn’t include her name.
Emanuel, who has refused to comment on the issue, is not accused of wrongdoing.
In portions of conversations released in a criminal complaint against Blagojevich, he can be heard complaining that Obama wouldn’t give anything in return for a Jarrett appointment.
Is Rahm Emanuel The “Advisor”???
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Rahm Emanuel never misses Obama’s news conferences. Well, he did today. So what does that say? Emanuel claims to be listening to his two children performing in a concert with their school.
Then he gives the reporters this:
A Sun-Times reporter pressed him to comment about whether he was the emissary named in the criminal complaint.“You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Dont do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.”
Asked, “Can’t you do both?” Emanuel replied, “I’m not as capable as you. I’m going to be a father. I’m allowed to be a father,” and he pushed the reporter’s digital recorder away.
So what has happened to mister calm, cool, and collected? Sounds to me like the Obama Administrations Chief of Staff may have some questions to answer.
December 11, 2008
No one in the Obama campaign or administration has been charged with any wrongdoing. Obama said this morning that none of his staff has had a hand in any dealmaking on his Senate replacement.BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND ABDON M. PALLASCH Staff Reporters
President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, refused to take questions from reporters this morning about whether he was the Obama “advisor” named in the criminal complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The complaint states Blagojevich wanted a promise of a high-level appointment or some other reward for Blagojevich in exchange for Blagojevich naming Obama’s friend Valerie Jarrett to replace him in the U.S. Senate.
Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama’s news conference this morning. He was spotted two hours later in the lobby of Chicago’s City Hall. He was there to listen to his two children performing in a concert with their school, Anshe Emet.
A Sun-Times reporter pressed him to comment about whether he was the emissary named in the criminal complaint.
“You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Dont do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.”
Asked, “Can’t you do both?” Emanuel replied, “I’m not as capable as you. I’m going to be a father. I’m allowed to be a father,” and he pushed the reporter’s digital recorder away.
Blagojevch was caught on tape saying that he wanted the Obama advisor in question to know what Blagojevich wanted in exchange for the Jarrett appointment.
Blagojevich said, “He asks me for the fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” Emanuel represents the 5th Congressional District in Illinois.
Racism is Alive and Well…In the US Congress
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This is ridiculous! If a white Congressman would have suggested that the Governor appoint a white person, the entire planet would implode.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be calling for their resignation. What ever happened to choosing the best candidate?
FOXNews.com
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
The race to replace Barack Obama as Illinois’ junior senator heated up Tuesday as Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., called on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to name a black man or woman to the seat.
By invoking race, Rush, who is black, drove a potential wedge between the prospective white and black contenders for the seat. Rush said it would be a “national disgrace” if Obama’s seat were not filled by an African American.
Illinois isn’t the only state with a seat to fill. As Barack Obama takes over the White House, he leaves in his wake a host of vacancies, and some are becoming the focal points for fresh political battles.
The Illinois governor has said he plans to name the replacement by the end of the year. That person would serve out the remaining two years of Obama’s term.
“We don’t want (Blagojevich) to short-circuit the will and the wisdom of the state of Illinois,” Rush told FOXNews.com, after holding a press conference in Chicago announcing his petition drive for the governor to name a black candidate.
“As we speak, there are no African Americans in the Senate. (Blagojevich) has the power to put one there.”
Obama’s seat has been occupied twice by a black politician since the early ’90s. Carol Moseley Braun, the first and only black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, held the seat from 1993 to 1999, when Peter Fitzgerald defeated her. Obama then succeeded Fitzgerald in 2005 and served until he resigned last month to prepare for the presidency.
Rush, a former Black Panther member who defeated Obama in a 2000 race for a seat in the House of Representatives, said that he wasn’t backing any particular candidate to replace Obama and that he had no insight into whether Blagojevich was leaning toward a white candidate over a black candidate, or vice-versa.
But Rush said, “We don’t want to risk being silent in this process.” He said he plans to deliver his petition to the governor by Christmas.
Among the potential black candidates who could replace Obama are Rep. Danny Davis, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones. Among the other potential candidates are Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Tammy Duckworth, who is Asian-American, also is in the mix. However, speculation is growing that Duckworth, head of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, will get the nod to lead the national department under Obama.
Chicago political consultant Philip Molfese said Blagojevich has no choice but to consider race in his decision.
“That’s, I think, an important consideration the governor has to take,” he said. “Barack Obama was the only African American in the U.S. Senate.”
Blagojevich’s office did not return a request for comment on Rush’s petition. However, the Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that Blagojevich may have slipped when he referred to Davis twice last week as “Senator Davis.”
Though the governor corrected himself and said he hasn’t made his choice yet, he still talked up Davis as a “strong candidate” for the job.
“That’s certainly telling of something,” said Molfese, president of Grainger Terry. He said Davis and Duckworth are creating the most buzz in Chicago as potential replacements.
Obama’s official announcement Monday that Hillary Clinton will be his secretary of state nominee also leaves a vacancy in the New York Senate seat that she holds.
Her departure means New York Gov. David Paterson will have a month or more to choose Clinton’s successor. The window could lead to a frenetic holiday season in New York politics. Among those mentioned as potential successors are New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and a number of representatives in Congress.
Rep. Nita Lowey, one of the more prominent potential replacements, told The Associated Press she is not interested in Clinton’s seat. But other potential candidates from the halls of Congress include Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand and Brian Higgins, both of whom would satisfy those seeking someone from upstate New York. New York City contenders include Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Nydia Velazquez.
The replacement process for other Cabinet selections is a bit more clean-cut.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to be named as Obama’s commerce secretary on Wednesday. According to state law, the former presidential candidate would be replaced in New Mexico by Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. She would then have to run for re-election in 2010.
“It’s automatic in our state,” said James Flores, spokesman for the New Mexico secretary of state’s office. “As soon as (Richardson’s) gone, our lieutenant governor will move up to the governorship at that time.”
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano was nominated by Obama on Monday to be his Homeland Security secretary. The move means the Arizona Democrat will be replaced by a Republican, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer. Brewer is a veteran Republican officeholder with more than two decades as a legislator, county supervisor and secretary of state. Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden already has his replacement in the U.S. Senate. His former aide, Edward Kaufman, was named late last month by Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner to fill the seat. Kaufman plans to serve until the 2010 election, and said he is comfortable stepping down at that point.
Speculation had centered on Biden’s son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, but the Delaware official announced last month that he planned to fulfill his National Guard duties and would not accept an appointment. Biden is a prosecutor for the 261st Signal Brigade, which left for Iraq in November. Beau Biden could, however, run in 2010.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hillary Clinton to Accept Secretary of State Job
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Breaking from Guardian.co.uk:
Hillary Clinton plans to accept the job of secretary of state offered by Barack Obama, who is reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration, the Guardian has learned.
Obama’s advisers have begun looking into Bill Clinton’s foundation, which distributes millions of dollars to Africa to help with development, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. But Democrats do not believe that the vetting is likely to be a problem.
Clinton would be well placed to become the country’s dominant voice in foreign affairs, replacing Condoleezza Rice. Since being elected senator for New York, she has specialised in foreign affairs and defence. Although she supported the war in Iraq, she and Obama basically agree on a withdrawal of American troops.
Clinton, who still harbours hopes of a future presidential run, had to weigh up whether she would be better placed by staying in the Senate, which offers a platform for life, or making the more uncertain career move to the secretary of state job.
As part of the coalition-building, Obama today also reached out to his defeated Republican rival, John McCain, to discuss how they could work together to roll back some of the most controversial policies of the Bush years. Putting aside the bitter words thrown about with abandon by both sides during the election campaign, McCain flew to meet Obama at his headquarters in the Kluczynski Federal Building, in downtown Chicago.
Obama, speaking before the meeting, said: “We’re going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country.” He said he also wanted to thank McCain for his service to the country.
Asked by a reporter whether he would work with Obama, McCain, who has long favoured a bipartisan approach to politics, replied: “Obviously”.
Sources on both sides said Obama did not offer McCain a cabinet job, but focused on how the senator for Arizona could help to guide through Congress legislation that they both strongly favour.
Given Obama’s status as president-in-waiting, the two met in a formal setting, a room decked out with a US flag, and were accompanied by senior advisers. Obama appeared the more relaxed of the two, sitting with legs crossed, smiling broadly and waving to reporters, while McCain sat stiffly, with a seemingly fixed grin.
Although the two clashed during the election campaign over tax policy and withdrawal from Iraq, they have more in common than they have differences. They both favour the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention centre, an increase in US troops to Afghanistan, immigration reform, stem cell research and measures to tackle climate change, and oppose torture and the widespread use of wire-tapping.
Although Democrats made gains in the Senate in the November 4 elections, they fell short of the 60 seats that would have allowed them to override Republican blocking tactics and will need Republican allies to get Obama’s plans through. This was highlighted today when the Democratic leadership in Congress announced that a broad economic stimulus package Obama sought was not likely to be passed because of Republican opposition.
Obama confirmed at the weekend that he would offer jobs to some Republicans. One of the names that crops up most often is Chuck Hagel, the former Republican senator who is a specialist in foreign affairs and a critic of the Iraq war.
Let Palin Be Palin…
Posted by: | CommentsThe Yolo Cowboy, who is a Contributor here and with whom I have blogged with for a couple of years had a great post about Sarah Palin. I thought it was a great point and wanted to share it with you…
Newspapers Booted From Obama’s Plane
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Journalists from three major newspapers that endorsed John McCain have reportedly been booted from Barack Obama’s campaign plane for the final leg of the presidential race.
The Washington Times reported Friday that it was notified of the Obama campaign’s decision Thursday evening — even though the paper has covered Obama from the start.
Executive Editor John Solomon told FOXNews.com that the Obama campaign said it didn’t have enough seats on the plane, but “I don’t think the explanation makes sense to us.”
“We’ve been traveling since 2007 with him. … We’re a relevant newspaper — every day we break news,” Solomon said. “And to suddenly be kicked off the plane for people who haven’t covered it as aggressively or thoroughly as we are … it sort of feels unfair.”
The New York Post and Dallas Morning News also have been kicked off Obama’s plane, according to the Web site The Drudge Report. It said the three reporters were told to find alternative transportation by Sunday so that the plane could accommodate “network bigwigs” and reporters from two black magazines, Essence and Jet.
Remember, Obama is the self proclaimed people’s champion. Provided they pass his litmus test…
