Posted Dec. 16, 2008 – Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said it’s high time the Republican Party get behind President-elect Barack Obama and get off his back.

When asked by ABC “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos whether he thought Obama was being less than forthright about his staff’s contact with embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, McCain shot back: "I think that the Obama campaign should and will give all information necessary. You know, in all due respect to the Republican National Committee and anybody — right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economic stimulus package, reforms that are necessary.  And so, I don't know all the details of the relationship between President-elect Obama's campaign or his people and the governor of Illinois, but I have some confidence that all the information will come out. It always does, it seems to me."

It’s not the first time McCain has chided his partymates for the way they’ve treated his formal rival.  During the recent presidential campaign he urged fellow Republicans to stop concentrating on Obama’s Muslim-sounding name and focus on the issues.

The Republican National Party has been fanning the flames of the Illinois governor corruption scandal, trying for all it’s worth to tie the president-elect to inappropriate deeds. 

On Sunday, the GOP released a Web video called "Questions Remain." It contends that there are “evolving explanations delivered by President-elect Obama and his advisers concerning their contact with the embattled and scandal-plagued Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich despite Obama's promises to instill greater transparency and confidence in government.”