Obama's Reluctance

It was a point blank question, and it was a question that had to be asked.

Did The Obama have any conversations with the corrupt Democrat Governor of Illinois over who he would appoint to the Senate seat he had vacated? It wasn't even a gotcha question, for it had already been asked and answered weeks earlier.

Back in November, Obama adviser David Axelrod had said there had been conversations between the two camps. The statement had been in the public record and it had not been downplayed or denied by anyone from the O-Team or, just as notably, it had not been a point of contention for any political foe of Obama. But, that was before Rod Blagojevich was arrested, and that was before it became public knowledge just how brazenly stupid and corrupt Rod Blagojevich actually is.

So, when Obama was asked about any conversations between the two, Obama curtly denied any. Shortly thereafter, Axelrod himself submitted that he had been mistaken.

Of course, now we know that there had been conversations between the two parties.

Barack Obama had every legitimate reason to be concerned about whom the corrupt Illinois Democrat was going to appoint to the Senate seat vacated by Obama. Good grief, when I left the stock room at the college food commons I went so far as to talk with the boss to see who was taking over. Now, that is not to say that Obama could demand the appointment of any one of his favored candidates, (he is denied that power in the process,) but presenting his opinion to the Governor on the matter should have been expected. Who would have thought otherwise? No one that I know of.

And yet, out came the denial.

Politics is a rough game, something that Obama has probably figured out even with the media performing during his latest election like the Harvard Glee Club on his behalf. He can expect things to get appreciably tougher now that he has ascended into a new theater.

By most accounts I have seen, Team Obama probably performed admirably during its communications with Blagojevich concerning the Senate seat. There certainly is nothing on the surface that would point to any questionable behavior. Except the denial, that is.

So, what does this episode tell us about Barack Obama?

During the campaign, when asked to dispute accusations that he was too inexperienced to ascend to the White House, Obama used the shallowest of qualifications as an example of his experience, that being the size and scope of his own campaign team. In effect, running for the office of the presidency was the best qualification he felt he had in actually holding the office of the presidency. As it turns out, that experience, and John McCain, were good enough to get him elected. Well, that and the Glee Club thing.

His inexperience, his glorious campaign machine notwithstanding, might already be showing. So afraid of the appearance of impropriety or dirty associations, the Obama did what lawyers do best, deny everything, when the truth would have been a better option. His tactic of denial might work well in a courtroom venue or in any legal process where all players are routinely expected to only begrudgingly accede to a distant foregone conclusions--for knee jerk denials and obfuscations in law are nothing more than a part of the landscape. In the office of President, however, a more forthright approach might be advisable.

I hope that we can expect Barack Obama to perform admirably whenever he is confronted with not only corruption, but pointed questions. Both flow in politics as frequently as the f-bomb does from the noted potty mouth of Mrs. Rod Blagojevich. He is going to have plenty of chances to learn the ropes.

It is not going to help his ability to govern when the truth can only eke its way out on the third try.