Rancho Miller

Time’s Michael Scherer has this interesting post on the magazine’s Swampland blog on potential dot-connecting between Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Cell 32) and President-elect Barack Obama.

To be clear, the bugging and wire tapping of Blagojevich suggests that Obama was not playing in the corruption scheme. The complaint states, “Blagojevich said he knew that the President-elect wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the open seat but ‘they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive] them.’ ” But that is not the operating factor here. U.S. Attorney investigations often end with indictments far from where they start. (See the cases of Valerie Plame and Jack Abramoff.) And Fitzgerald is going to continue to follow the facts, which means many more questions for people close to Obama. So regardless of Obama’s innocence, this will continue to be a burden for the president-elect and those around him. Politics, like life, is not fair.

Scherer’s post also points out that contradictions are starting to surface in what Obama is saying about his interaction with Blago.

At a press avail this afternoon, Obama said, “I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.” But just a few weeks ago, David Axelrod, Obama’s top adviser, said this on Fox News, about Obama, the governor and the search for a Senate replacement: “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.”

Later, however, ABC’s Jake Tapper updated a post on the subject, saying that an Obama aide said Axelrod “misspoke.”

The Obama administration is covering up before it even takes office.

Peoria Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano hits the implications of the Blagojevich scandal squarely on the head with today’s column.