John King: Obama needs to prove a negative

Oh brother...

KING: Much like the star report in the impeachment saga Dana just mentioned. In this criminal complaint there are some non-family friendly language that we won't repeat on a Sunday morning, but that is Barack Obama's best defense at the moment, if you will, that the prosecutor who is known as a straight shooter and tough prosecutor has put forward a document saying there was tension between these guys, there was actually enmity between Blagojevich and Obama and the two camps.

That still does not reduce the threshold and the burden of getting out all of the information. If the phone call was Rahm Emanuel saying I think you should appoint Wolf Blitzer, not Dana Bash, because Wolf Blitzer can be elected statewide, she's strong in the city, but not in the rural areas, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. That's politics 101.

The question is was there any horse-trading involved and again, the complaint lays out zero horse trading from the Obama campaign. But a guy who ran saying he'd be the most transparent president in history, a guy who has the good will of most of the people who voted against him right now saying let's give guy this chance, needs to get off to a good start. So they just need to talk to everybody, put it all out there, and hopefully for them, then chapter over.

Got that? The complaint (PDF) alleges no wrongdoing on Obama's part, and, in fact, makes clear that Obama rebuffed Blagojevich's advances:

ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that the consultants (Advisor B and another consultant are believed to be on the call at that time) are telling him that he has to "suck it up" for two years and do nothing and give this "motherfucker [the President-elect] his senator. Fuck him. For nothing? Fuck him." ROD BLAGOJEVICH states that he will put "[Senate Candidate 4]" in the Senate "before I just give fucking [Senate Candidate 1] a fucking Senate seat and I don’t get anything." [...]

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but "they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."

This isn't a he-said, she-said situation -- the criminal complaint couldn't be any clearer -- Obama offered one thing for his choice for the seat -- "appreciation", which then drove Blago into a rage. He wanted and expected something tangible, and the Obama team by every indication was unwilling to play ball. Blago wasn't calling Obama a "motherfucker" and screaming "fuck him" multiple times because the president-elect was playing his corrupt little game.

So what exactly is John King looking for? What information would satisfy him that Obama didn't play ball when the information in the criminal complaint isn't enough? John King claims that Obama's "best defense" is "that the prosecutor who is known as a straight shooter and tough prosecutor has put forward a document saying there was tension between these guys, there was actually enmity between Blagojevich and Obama and the two camps."

Obama's best defense isn't that Fitz says that Obama is in the clear. Obama's best defense are the facts contained in the complaint. If you can't read those direct quotes from the Blago wiretaps and conclude that Obama didn't play ball, then there's really no hope for you.

These attempts to manufacture a link, by insinuation if necessary, are patently ridiculous.

But if King wants to play that game...

John King is from Idaho, which makes me wonder if he has ever had a tryst with Larry Craig, who is also from Idaho. Don’t you see the obvious connection? They are both from Idaho, just like Obama and Balgojevich are BOTH FROM CHICAGO. It is right there in front of your eyes, folks! Will John King be able to prove he has never had sex with Larry Craig in a bathroom stall? We need answers!