Turns out Obama’s Chief of Staff had a more personal interest in his discussions with Blago… as in what to do with his own Senate [oops…] House seat. Perhaps he’s not not sure about his future in Obama’s cabinet, or how long term that would be. Because his discussions with Blago on his own position included finding an “interim” representative.
From today’s Chicago Sun-Times..
Just after accepting the top post with Obama, Rahm Emanuel discussed with Blagojevich the possibility of keeping his congressional seat “warm” for him for a couple of years, the Sun-Times has learned.
Emanuel expressed interest in returning one day to his elected position because he was on track to become U.S. House speaker, the Sun-Times previously reported.
An Obama transition team report released Tuesday indicates Emanuel talked with the governor days after the election. Sources said Emanuel broached with Blagojevich the subject of finding a candidate to temporarily fill the seat. But Emanuel isn’t accused of promising something in return.
~~~Days after Emanuel and Blagojevich spoke about Emanuel’s seat, the governor is overheard telling aides on secret wiretaps he wanted Emanuel “to get the word today,” about raising money for the governor and that when “[Emanuel] asks me for the Fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” The “Fifth CD” was a reference to Emanuel’s 5th Congressional District seat.
The ways of the beltway have always included the quid pro quo mentality. There is nothing illegal about favors in exchange for assistance in raising campaign bucks.
What I find most interesting is that Rahm’bo hasn’t resigned yet. Makes one wonder if he thinks he may be another politically expedient evictee from the Obama inner circle.
The Obama WH counsel designate, Greg Craig, issued his five page internal investigation on Obama and aides’ contact with Blago. In it, he states Obama had no direct contact with Blago, or his staff, on possible Senate seat replacements. Apparently, the President-elect left that task of the suggested preferred names to be relayed by Rahm’bo or Axelrod… a task that Emanuel confirmed was done as planned by delivering a list of candidates “acceptable” to the President elect.
It appears that with all the Congressional bozos leaving their seats with this election, there will quite a few unelected golden children in favor taking a very legal, if not slimely, short cut to power. What has US Congressional politics come to?
Vietnam era Navy wife, indy/conservative, and an official California escapee now residing as a red speck in the sea of Oregon blue.
Re the headline: Rahm is not a Senator, he is a member of the House of Representatives, to its disgrace, IMHO.
You must have meant his own congressional seat (Fifth CD).
On the topic, the Contact memo does not have much there “there”. It will be interesting what comes out from transcripts or the recordings if the US Atty will be providing to the IL House Impeachment Committee. If there are any discrepancies between those conversations and what Greg Craig published, then a shit storm will take out anyone who lied. Sounds like the FBI questioned the Obama people too (and Obama) so that could pose a problem for them too if they lied to investigators. This whole thing will either blow over (on the Obama side, Blago is screwed no matter what) or if they lied to cover up anything we will be dealing with years of grand jury and indictments for lying to the FBI.
In the end, I wonder if Blago has any cards to play… like knowing where some bodies are buried in the IL Democratic party. Will he sing to get a better deal before he joins George Ryan in jail? I heard they might be adding a new “Governors wing” to the prison (ok, I just made that up).
Clearly Blago and Emanuel were wheeling and dealing on all these appointments Blago was empowered to make. To believe otherwise, solely on the word of Obama, means you have to ignore the entire Chicago pay for play culture that Blago, Emanuel AND Obama were brought up in.
Emanuel’s role in all this may not rise to the level of a crime. But it certainly puts a heavy tarnish on the ethical reputation of a man who now would weild incredible power at the right hand of Obama.
If Emanuel was a Republican he would have been force to resign by now by Republicans.
But like the rest of the slime in the Dem party, Obama won’t mind having Emanuel around one bit.
Quite right, Sherlock… oops. LOL Musta had Senate seats on the brain, and seriously had a brain fart. And did that post in a rush so I could shovel over two feet off my deck before it collapsed! Another 5-8 inches enroute… LOVE this global warming… NOT!
MataH, Rahm Emanuel has certainly developed a sense of entitlement worthy of a Senator, so no doubt that confused you. Merry Christmas!
I doubt it. I don’t think either party has cornered the market on honesty. Sen. Larry Craig, you know, the guy with the wide stance who was going to resign and then didn’t (unless you don’t think soliciting a bj in a public bathroom worthy of getting fired). Sen. Stevens, Rep Duke Cunningham etc. There is just as long a list of Democrats. Dishonesty is not a partisan issue.
I did not post Scooter Libby since of course some people think he should not have been charged for lying to investigators, oh, I guess Libby did resign after his indictments, so that does not count huh.
Blast: Surely you jest.
When Republicans get in troube it’s the leaders of the GOP which hound them from office. Larry Craig told them all to stuff it but you may remember Mark Foley was hustled out of Congress in a New York minute. Going further back in time, Senator Lott was removed from his post as Majority Leader for a rather mild comment about Sen. Strom Thurmond. Harry Reid on the other hand can call President Bush a loser and a liar and say the war is lost and no one cares.
The double standard is undeniable.
If Rahm Emanuel were a Republican he would be gone by now.
If anyone ever gets to hear the tapes of him and Blago he may have to go. Emanuel uses the “F” word in nearly every sentence.
California’s Willie Brown, still friend of Blago’s, after a phone conversation with him hinted to the press that the Emanuel tapes will be leaked as soon as Blago’s defense gets the evidence. Could be why parts of the taped conversations were about the good gov appointing someone that would just “keep his seat warm.”
I posted a source a while ago that showed that Republicans are one third, if memory serves, as corrupt as democrats. Still isn’t acceptable, but it’s the dems that promised to drain the swamp and I believe Jefferson still swam in the swamp until his voters finally took care of him. Franks, Rangel, Reid, Pelosi and Dodd, to name a few, are active bottom feeders.
Since Pelosi made the promise, we have found many, many incidents of corrupt dems. Trouble is that most of the time you have to wade deep into the article to find the d or drag out the almanac to find what party they belong to. News items mentioning corrupt Republicans usually have the party affiliation mentioned in the headline or first paragraph.
If this were an academic exercise then we should attempt to list in specific all of the bad players and how they left. But alas, it is Christmas (Peace on Earth Good Will Towards All Men) prevails.
Oh, I hope no one ever audio tapes me as I do creatively use the F word, I also can belch the alphabet. Just something I learned along the way. lol