Obama Refused Blagojevich's Dirty Politics

Barack Obama has only been in the swamp that is known as Washington for four years, but he was in the stink of Chicago politics for double that. Yet as corrupt as Chicago is known for, certainly proved again by Blagojevich today, it hasn't had an effect on Barack. While Blagojevich was consumed with his own personal power and greed, Obama wanted no part of it.

From TPM Muckraker:

From Fitzgerald's statement:

In a conversation with Harris on November 11, the charges state, Blagojevich said he knew that the President-elect wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the open seat but "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive] them."

Looks like Obama wouldn't pay to play.

It may be one of the oldest games in Chicago (and definitely in New York) but our next President is having none of it. Senate seats may have financial value to scumbags like Blagojevich, but they're priceless to Obama. Change in the way we do government is more than just a campaign slogan, it is going to be the major component of the Obama Administration and help move every essential piece of legislation through in the next few years.

Update: And as the news keeps leaking out of this story, it turns out Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had a role to play in getting Blagojevich arrested.