Is Barack Obama Tainted by the Rod Blagojevich Scandal?

Of all the many questions that have arisen in the wake of yet another Illinois political scandal, none is more pressing than whether or not the accusations against Governor Rod Blagojevich implicate or reflect poorly on President-elect Barack Obama. Let's consider a few of the many articles on this topic.

From The Washington Post comes "Obama Tries to Stay Above Hometown Fray" which highlights the speculation that Obama seemed to want Valerie Jarrett to get his Senate Seat. Jarrett withdrew her name from consideration, and even drew Blagojevich's ire for not paying to play:

Nothing in the indictment suggests that Obama ever discussed any deal with Blagojevich. And in some places, Blagojevich is quoted by prosecutors as being frustrated with Obama's transition team.

"Blagojevich said he knows that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 [Valerie Jordan] for the Seante seat, " the indictment states, "but they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Explative] them."

In its story, "Obama's Effort on Ethics Bill Had Role in Governor's Fall," The New York Times points out that it was Obama's own phone call that, indirectly, may have led to Blagojevich's ultimate downfall by helping to enact tougher ethics rules that are to take effect in the coming year:

Mr. Obama placed a call to his political mentor, Emil Jones, Jr., president of the Illinois Senate. Mr. Jones was a critic of the legislation, which sought to curb the influence of money on politics, as was Mr. Blagojevich, who had vetoed it. But after the call from Mr. Obama, the Senate overrode the veto, prompting the governor to press state contractors for campaign contributions before the law's restrictions could take effect on Jan. 1, prosecutors say.

Politico sees the scandal as presenting Obama with potential problems for some time to come, largely because the story and its innuendo will be kept alive by his political enemies. Here's the salient bit from their piece "In scandal, risks for Obama":

The Blagojevich scandal is nothing but a stink bomb tossed at close range for Obama and his team.

Legal bills, off-message headlines, and a sustained attempt by Republicans to show that Obama is more a product of Illinois's malfeasance-prone political culture than he is letting on--all are likely if the Blagojevich case goes to trial or becomes an extended affair.

So what's your reading so far? Is this episode guilt-by-association's smoking gun, or has Obama shown, once again, that he is a man who rises above it all?




For more Political Machine takes on the Blagojevich mess, check out our full coverage here.