Obama - What Did He Know, And When Did He Know It, Pt III

Among others, Barack Obama's claim that he's had no dealings with Governor Blagojevich in the appointment of his replacement in the Senate is the one that stinks the most. As I pointed out in prior posts, not only is it likely that Obama would have a hand in his replacement, it's a virtual certainty, based on historical precedent.

More importantly, there's no legitimate reason why Obama would not want to play a role. This is what makes his denials and his weasel words all the more compelling.

Today, though, I read an article that put this entire thing into perspective, so much so that a child can follow its significance. Charles Krauthammer did a piece on Caroline Kennedy seeking the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton. In the course of the article, he mentioned other Senators who have vacated their seats, and literally hand-picked their successors. The most recent of these? None other than Vice President Elect Joe Biden, who has picked Edward Kaufman "a family retainer whom no one ever heard of before yesterday", as Krauthammer describes him, and who will "keep the seat warm" for two years until Biden's son can run for the seat.

Now, this sounds entirely like the process that both Dems and Republicans use to fill open congressional seats, and it redounds to the benefit of the Party and is influenced by the incumbent who holds the seat. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

So, is Obama lying (or at best obfuscating) about his involvement in choosing his replacement, or has every other senator who has vacated his seat simply had some juice that Obama doesn't? And is it just me, or is it curious that Biden should be so all-powerful in this process, but his boss be so curiously neutered?