Posted by Jim Lindgren:
"It depends on what the meaning of the word ['contact'] is.”
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228972243
"It depends on what the meaning of the word ['contact'] is.�
Obama claimed [1]yesterday:
�I had no contact with the governor or his office and, so we were not
� I was not aware of what was happening," Obama said.
Now Politico [2]reports that he did have [3]contact:
Obama and Blagojevich both attended the National Governors
Association meeting last week in Philadelphia and were photographed
shaking hands at the event.
Before the meeting, Blagojevich was quoted saying he had asked
Obama�s transition team for federal stimulus aid of $3 billion over
the next three years to help fill Illinois� estimated $2 billion
deficit.
Picture of Blagojevich and Obama [4]not having contact in Philadelphia
Apparently, �contact� does not include a private meeting with
governors in Philadelphia, or a public shaking of hands in front of
the cameras.
It is not really plausible that Obama was interested in who was
replacing him in the Senate, and that Blagojevich was desperately
interested in shaking down Obama for money or favors, and that Obama�s
refusal to yield to Blagojevich�s bribery/extortion attempt was
conveyed to Blagojevich -- but somehow in over a month there was no
contact between the Obama camp and the Governor�s team.
All this leads me to wonder if Obama is becoming like Clinton?
When Obama says that �I had no contact,� does he mean that I DID have
contact, but it was not so substantial that I have to admit it to you?
And when Obama says that �I was not aware of what was happening,� does
he mean that I WAS aware of what was happening, but not to a level of
certainty that I could be meet a legal �knowledge� standard beyond a
reasonable doubt?
And when Obama says that �I had no contact with the governor or his
office and . . . I was not aware of what was happening,� does he mean
that my staff DID have contact with the governor or his office and
they WERE aware of what was happening?
I suppose "It depends on what [5]the meaning of the word [�contact�]
is� and �what the meaning of the word [�aware�] is.�
References
Visible links
1. http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_12_07-2008_12_13.shtml#1228903890
2. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16465.html
3. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Obama_and_Blago.html
4. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1208/Obama_and_Blago.html
5. http://www.slate.com/id/1000162/
Hidden links:
6. file://localhost/files/jim-obama.blago.jpg
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