The Icons and the See-nothing, Know -Nothing Sun Times Editorial Board gave Candidate Obama a Free Pass and Ride to the White House. Sun Times reporters would have dug deeper, but maybe the leash was on under Old Cyrus.
The Chicago Sun Times of neighborhood guy James Tyree is blessed with real talent - the reporters. Newspaper people Natasha Korecki, Mark Konkol, Chris Fusco, Maureen O'Donnell and the superb investigative pit bull Tim Novak.
The editorial board stinks and the iconic and fatuous loudmouth columnists offer little or nothing. The little that they do is enough to insult working people ( cops, firefighters, public employees and their neighborhoods) and drive a larger wedge between the races - to say nothing of the constant Catholic bashing.
That said, Jim Tyree's reporters are very good.
Today, Natasha Korecki and Chris Fusco beam some light on the SEIU Silverfish. Full disclosure: I met Tom Balanoff years ago over in Indiana when his father James represented the Steelworkers ( unlike most upper-echelon SEIU people, Tom Balanoff ( I think represented Cement workers at the time) is a working man and not a U. of Pennsylvania Social Worker manque) and found him to be a real gentleman and a rock-ribbed union man. SEIU needed a real working man in order to make sense to other real Union People here in Illinois -a real Union State. I believe that SEIU, which began here in Chicago with the sacking of the Old Janitors Local #25 in the 1970's, is anything but a real labor union, but that's me. Tom Balanoff, I believe has been triangulated by Stern and the Obama Staff and that Andy Stern will surface as the real deal maker. Again, what I know of Tom Balanoff is that he is a genuine, sincere and honest man getting jackpotted by power mad Stern and Anna Burger.
Here is Natasha Korecki and Chris Fusco's fine work:
It is the first indication that Obama personally called an official with SEIU, which had donated $1.8 million to Blagojevich.
Two sources with knowledge of the investigation say Obama called Balanoff on Nov. 3, 2008, to give Balanoff the green light to continue talking to Blagojevich about Jarrett's possible appointment. The man who would be elected president the next day first left Balanoff, whose union also supported Obama, an innocuous message asking him to return the call.
When Balanoff and Obama later spoke, Obama -- in addition to discussing the election and campaigning -- relayed to Balanoff that he would not publicly come out in favor of any one candidate for his replacement, sources said.
Obama also told Balanoff he preferred Jarrett to come to the White House with him, according to the sources. However, he said he thought Jarrett would be electable and a strong senator, the sources said.
Blagojevich's lawyers also cited a Feb. 3, 2009, FBI interview with the union official, quoting the official as saying, "Obama was aware that [Balanoff] would be reaching out to Blagojevich."
Balanoff interpreted the conversation as a green light to keep discussing Jarrett's candidacy with Blagojevich, the sources said.
The Blagojevich court filing doesn't accuse the president of any wrongdoing.
I hope that Tom Balanoff dodges any and all misery in this shabby tale, but I hope that Mandarin Andy Stern finally gets revealed as the Silverfish he is and has been.
So far all these two new, unnamed witnesses indicate is that Balanoff and Balanoff alone, a union man and NOT attached to the Governor's office, made a misinterpretation--or misrepresentation.
ReplyDeleteThe description of Obama's communications regarding both Jarrett's worthiness and Obama's preference to work with her directly in Washington, as well as the worthiness of other possible choices, are completely consistent with his earlier statements.
www.ilga.gov/house/committees/95Documents/Committee%20Exhibit%2026.pdt
So what's new in your post?
This story has a long way to go to play out, but I don't think you're going to tell me at this point that you regard Blago as a highly reliable witness at this point.
And what's with the station switching? One second you say the SEIU are the Devil incarnate and the next you're trying to exculpate one of them, a man whose comments seem to place him in the middle of some very dodgy negociations. Or is this solely about trying to tar Obama?
Nope as I mention I do not thinnk President Obama will have problems here - staff will.
ReplyDeleteAs to Tom Balanoff, as I mention he is just one man in a long list used and abused by Andy Stern. Stern, as the transcript indicates ordered Balanoff to make the calls.
As to Blago, the guy is a goof writ large and I believe that he will ot spend a day in jail.