Emanuel Identified as 'Congressman A'
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A quick trip around Hannity's America...
Blago and Team Obama
Prosecutors have laid out their case against the disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in a 19-count federal indictment. Blagojevich is accused of a series of extortion schemes including attempts to sell President Obama's vacated Senate seat in exchange for a nomination to his Cabinet and other political favors. The charges also outline conversations Blagojevich had with someone identified only as "Congressman A."
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FOX News has confirmed that individual is in fact White House Chief of Staff and former Illinois Representative Rahm "Rahmbo Dead Fish" Emanuel. Prosecutors say Emanuel, who the Chicago Tribune refers to as a "confidant to Blagojevich," approached the governor about a $2 million grant for a school in his district. Blagojevich allegedly halted the funds unless Emanuel raised money for him. Prosecutors say no fundraiser was ever held, but the cash was miraculously released anyway.
The Obama administration continues to refuse to comment on the indictment that places their chief of staff awfully close to one of the biggest scandals in American political history.
Oh, and if you were wondering where the former governor was when the indictment was handed down — where else? Disney World!
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Budget Bash!
We welcome the San Francisco speaker back to Liberal Translation. Speaker Pelosi was very happy that the House passed President Obama's "Generational Theft Act," also known as the budget and she took the opportunity to celebrate at her weekly press conference:
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SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF.: This is a very special day for us. It is a day that we've waited for, worked for, hoped for and now we will be able to pass a budget that it truly is a statement of our national values.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need! That's the American way!
PELOSI: When I became speaker, I quoted Thomas Jefferson who wisely said that every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.
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LIBERAL TRANSLATION: And Thomas Jefferson was totally wrong.
PELOSI: But some are. And the difference of opinion on these budgets is indeed a difference on principle.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: Then again, the last principal I knew was in high school!
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PELOSI: On some of the principles that Americans hold dear, principles of fairness, principles of security, principles of responsibility, principles that make our country great.
LIBERAL TRANSLATION: Unfortunately, these principles have been eliminated from this budget. Better luck next time!
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You know, Ms. Pelosi, the more you talk about principles, the less certain I am that you know what they are.
Hillary's Hotline
News from The FOX Nation: A red-faced White House corrected a press release Thursday after they mistyped a conference call number, inadvertently sending reporters to an X-rated hotline.
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The call was supposed to be an on-the-record briefing on the president's travels with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Adviser Jim Jones. Instead, callers heard this:
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have any hidden desires? Well, if you feel like getting nasty, then you came to the right place. Brought to you by the girls of Swank magazine. If you're an experienced caller, you can enter your credit card number at any time during this message.
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The White House did not seem to find the humor in all of this. FOX News asked them to comment on the error, but they said only "a corrected phone number on a press release is probably one of the stupider things FOX News has covered lately."
Wow, sounds to me like Mr. Burton may have been behind the press release. We all make mistakes, Bill. Maybe you should have checked the number first. Just a thought.
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And be sure to checkout TheFOXNation.com for more.
Back to the U.N.!
As North Korea prepares to test launch a missile capable of reaching Alaska, President Obama prepares to respond. After a meeting with the president of South Korea Thursday, the White House issued a statement reassuring Americans that the president "urged North Korea to abide by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and agreed on the need for a unified response by the international community."
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Well if that doesn't calm your nerves, the Gateway Pundit blog pointed out the similarities between the president's response and the one depicted in the major motion picture "Team America: World Police" a few years ago:
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KIM JONG-IL: Hello. Great to see you again.
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HANS BLIX: Mr. Il, I was supposed to inspect your palace today and your guards won't let me in to certain areas.
KIM: Hans, Hans, Hans, we've been through this a dozen times. I don't have any weapons of mass destruction. OK Hans?
BLIX: Then let me look around so I can ease the U.N.'s collective minds.
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KIM: Hans, you're breaking my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) here. You're breaking my (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
BLIX: I'm sorry. But the U.N. must be firm with you. Let me see your whole palace or else.
KIM: Or else what?
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BLIX: Or else we will be very, very angry with you. And we will write you a letter telling you how angry we are.
KIM: OK. I'll show you, Hans. Are you ready? Stand to your left. A little more. Good.
(HANS FALLS IN TRAP)
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Believe me, folks, nobody loves the diplomacy of engagement more than Kim Jong-il himself.
— Watch "Hannity" weekdays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX News Channel