Blagojevich to Face Off Against Northwestern Panel

Is it true that Obama played a huge role as political godfather to Blagojevich in pushing him into and through the Illinois guv. race? Who of these two learned ethics from whom?

"… it should be pointed out, Mr. Obama has a relationship with Mr. Blagojevich, having not only endorsed Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006, but having served as a top adviser to the Illinois governor in his first 2002 run for the state house....

"On the Chicago TV show "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz" on June 27, 2002, state Sen. Obama said, "Right now, my main focus is to make sure that we elect Rod Blagojevich as Governor, we..."

"'You working hard for Rod?' interrupted Berkowitz.

"'You betcha,' said Obama.

"'Hot Rod?' asked the host.

"'That's exactly right,' Obama said....

"In the Summer of 2006, then-U.S. Sen. Obama backed Blagojevich even though there were serious questions at the time about Blago's hiring practices..."

(Political coverage and musings on pop culture from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper and the ABC News White House team. - http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/12/questions-arise.html)

Then there are the Obama - Stroger ties.

Early during the prez campaign, I invested hope in Obama as an apparently fresh, clean, reform candidate. Then I learned how he dissed two outstanding reform candidates for Cook County Board president in favor of continued corruption, cronyism, and disaster in the person of Todd Stroger as successor to the senior Stroger.

'Since taking office as Cook County Board President, however, he has been an unmitigated disaster. With runaway tax increases and the county hospital system in crisis, Stroger has been busy packing the County payroll with allies at the expense of taxpayers, including more than a dozen friends and relatives making more than $100,000 per year.

One critic put it this way just a few weeks ago: "He [Stroger] is like a kid in a candy store handing out goodies to his buddies and his family members at a time when the average taxpayer is hurting." That critic was Barack Obama's good friend and the reformer candidate he didn't endorse for the job, Forrest Claypool.' (Obama's 'No, I Can't' Moment - http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2008/06/10/obamas_no_i_cant_moment/)

Again Obama seems more like the Cook County political godfather, more like the hatchery master than just another collegial fry from the same hatchery.

The Cook County Hatchery is highly infamous for corruption, cronyism, and fraud--all, of course, in the name of the public good.

When someone is so much about image, there is a danger the wizard may be exposed. Might this happen to the acclaimed Wizard of Cook County and now of Washington?

Let the Wizard Beware

Dan Bartholomew of UT 11:35PM March 02, 2010