Whitehouse.gov omits Blagojevich link from Michael Strautmanis biography

The all new whitehouse dot gov has a new Office of Public Liaison & Intergovernmental Affairs, the new president's gatekeepers to hoi polloi. That office's "Chief of Staff to the Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison" is Michael Strautmanis, a long-time Obama associate who also used to work for Rod Blagojevich. Oddly enough, that association is not listed in his biography (link and full text below).

Even the New York Times tells us this (go here and browse people):

A longtime friend of the Obamas who once worked as Michele Obama's paralegal. Obama's chief counsel in the Senate. He worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development and was legislative director to Rod Blagojevich when Blagojevich was a congressman.

And, from this:

At least one top aide to Obama, Michael Strautmanis, previously worked for Blagojevich. Obama has appointed Strautmanis to serve as White House chief of staff to the presidential assistant for intergovernmental relations and public liaison. The Chicago native was legislative director and counsel to Blagojevich when the governor was a member of Congress and then helped Blagojevich win the governorship in 2002. There is no indication that Strautmanis is involved in the [selling the Senate seat] case.

Now, compare that to what's found at whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/bios:

A native of Chicago, Strautmanis first came to know the Obamas when he worked as a paralegal at the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin for Mrs. Michelle Obama.

After law school, Strautmanis practiced complex litigation and employment law in Chicago, before joining the Clinton Administration at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Following this, he served as Counsel for Legislation for the American Association of Justice. Strautmanis served as Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Senator Obama in the United States Senate. He continued as Senior Counsel for Obama for America, where he played a leading role in political outreach as a member of the Congressional Relations team.

Strautmanis received a B.S. from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. He and his wife Damona are the proud parents of three.

Tue, 01/20/2009 - 12:30 · · Importance: 4