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Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel Pushed Hot Rod Blagojevich to Appoint Valerie Jarret to Obama’s Senate Seat
Rahm Emanuel (Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff and former Illinois Congressman) (right) and Gov. Rod Blagojevich at a news conference in 2004
Guess everyone knows who tipped off Valerie Jarrett about Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat, now don’t we?President-elect Barack Obama’s incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was pushing for Obama’s successor just days after the Nov. 4 election, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Emanuel privately urged Gov. Blagojevich’s administration to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, and the Sun-Times learned Tuesday that he also pressed that it be done by a certain deadline.
Jarrett was initially interested in the U.S. Senate post before Obama tapped her to be a White House senior adviser, sources say.
The disclosure comes days after Obama’s camp downplayed Jarrett’s interest in the post.
At one point, an “emissary” who said he represented Jarrett had discussions with Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris and the governor about naming Jarrett to the post, according to a criminal complaint.
In addition to the discussions, Emanuel submitted a list of names of candidates suitable to the Obama team to the governor’s administration. Jarrett was not among those names because she had pulled herself out of the running at that point, a source with the Obama camp said.
Obama said Monday that an internal report detailing any staff contacts with the embattled governor or his aide would be made public next week.
Emanuel’s discussions do not indicate he was involved in dealmaking with the governor. However, his deeper involvement creates a sticky political situation for Obama.
An Emanuel source said it was “possible” that Emanuel discussed the appointment with Harris and that a specific date was mentioned. “Valerie was deciding whether she wanted to go the Senate. Others had talked to her about it. There were plenty of people who talked to her about it and thought she would be a good choice,” the source said.
So, what did Rham Emanuel know and when did he know it? And, what did Valerie Jarrett know and when did she know it?
The political web is woven tighter for Rham Emanuel to take the fall for inappropriate political trading for Obama’s Senate seat. Plus, the fact that the Feds have him on tape 21 times discussing the matter with either Hot Rod Blagojevich or his staff will implicate him further in any Blago impeachment, Grand Jury indictment and/or trial.
While Obama is close to Emanuel and notwithstanding David Axelrod’s spin control this morning on “Morning Joe,” Barack Obama will need to assess whether Rham will be able to assume duties of COS to POTUS while under a cloud of political scandal.
Stay tuned……
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Was the SEIU an Obama – Blagojevich Intermediary for the Senate Seat? Part Two
The Blagojevich Private Conference Call, Valerie Jarrett and The Obama Transition Team
Was the SEIU an Obama – Blagojevich Intermediary for the Senate Seat?
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Rod Blagojevich, Valerie Jarrett
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Video: Illinois Wants a Special Election to Replace Obama in the Senate
ILGOP Launches New Ad as Madigan and Jones Refuse to Strip Blagojevich of Senate Appointment Power and Call for a Vote of The PeopleIllinois Democrats have determined that a special election might place Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat at risk. So, while Demcorat Governor Hot Rod blagojevich twists in the wind regarding trying to sell the seat, they abandon the process to give Illinois voters a chance to fill the seat directly.
The script:ANNOUNCER:
“Rod Blagojevich embarrassed Illinois and tried to sell our Senate Seat.
And now Blagojevich’s campaign chairmen are refusing to hold a special election and playing political games.
Blagojevich Democrats said they’d support a special election and went back on their word.
The people of Illinois – embarrassed again.
We should choose our own Senator to represent us – not the politicians in Chicago and Springfield.
We demand a voice.
Call Speaker Madigan and President Jones. Tell them we want a special election.”
Chances of a special election?
Slim and none.
The Illinois Democrats will replace Hot Rod (eventual resignation) with Democrat Lt. Governor Pat Quinn and Quinn will appoint an interim caretaker Democrat while the machine readies another Dem in two years.
Stay tuned…….
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich
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Another Day in the Obama – Blagojevich Cover-Up: Do You Have Another Question?
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and President-Elect Barack Obama
The internal Obama Transition Team report (which details any contact their staff had with members of Illinois Governor Blagojevich) will not be released until next Monday, December 22.And, Obama is obviously NOT going to answer any questions about the matter.
At today’s Chicago press conference, Obama was pressed by only one reporter out of four about embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The president-elect cut the Chicago reporter off — claiming that he didn’t want to “waste†their time –- before they could finish a question about Blagojevich.
“Do you have another question?†Obama asked, indicating the reporter should move on to another subject.
However, the reporter continued, trying to get Obama to remedy a seeming conflict between Obama’s “hands-off†approach dealing with the Blagojevich investigation and his promise for openness and transparency.
“The U.S. attorney’s office specifically asked us not to release this until next week,†Obama said of his Transition Team’s internal investigation that has yet to be made fully public, “The facts are going to be released next week. It would be inappropriate for me to comment.â€
The Transition Team will make their investigation available on Dec. 22nd, which will confirm who on Obama’s staff communicated with Blagojevich. No one on Obama’s staff is accused of any wrong-doing by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Obama said he has not confirmed the Chicago Tribune’s reporting over the weekend that his incoming Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, had a conversation with Blagojevich’s staff.
“I haven’t confirmed that it was accurate,†Obama said as Emmanuel looked on from the side lines of the press conference, “I don’t want to get into the details at this point.â€
And, next week Obama and his family will be vacationing in Hawaii and probably be unavailable for questions.
The press is starting to get wise and although there is nothing to indicate at this time Barack Obama’s direct involvement in the selling of his U.S.. Senate seat there remain some unanswered questions, particularly as to the role of his Chief of Staff, and former Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel.
Obama held his news conference shortly after his transition office released a statement by spokesman Dan Pfeiffer saying the internal review had found no wrongdoing.
Like the president-elect, the statement left several issues uncovered.
It did not say whether Emanuel was heard on a wiretap providing the governor’s top aide with a list of names that the president-elect favored. Nor did it say who, if anyone, on Obama transition’s team had made contact with the governor or his aides concerning a replacement for Obama or whether Craig interviewed people under oath, or to whom he talked.
Pfeiffer said the review “affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the president-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. Senator.â€
So, the exit question: What is Obama trying to hide?
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich, Rahm Emanuel
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Newt Gingrich Loses His Mind and Attacks Republican National Committee Over Blago Ad
The association of President-Elect Barack Obama and the recently charged in a political corruption scandal, Governor of Illinois, Rod BlagojevichHas Newt Gingrich lost his mind?
Apparently so in a letter to RNC Chairman Mike Duncan.
I was saddened to learn that at a time of national trial, when a president-elect is preparing to take office in the midst of the worst financial crisis in over seventy years, that the Republican National Committee is engaged in the sort of negative, attack politics that the voters rejected in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.
The recent web advertisement, “Questions Remain,†is a destructive distraction. Clearly, we should insist that all taped communications regarding the Senate seat should be made public. However, that should be a matter of public policy, not an excuse for political attack.
In a time when America is facing real challenges, Republicans should be working to help the incoming President succeed in meeting them, regardless of his Party.
From now until the inaugural, Republicans should be offering to help the President-elect prepare to take office.
Furthermore, once President Obama takes office, Republicans should be eager to work with him when he is right, and, when he is wrong, offer a better solution, instead of just opposing him.
This is the only way the Republican Party will become known as the “better solutions†party, not just an opposition party. And this is the only way Republicans will ever regain the trust of the voters to return to the majority.
This ad is a terrible signal to be sending about both the goals of the Republican Party in the midst of the nation’s troubled economic times and about whether we have actually learned anything from the defeats of 2006 and 2008.
The RNC should pull the ad down immediately.
Flap calls the letter BS.
Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel have been stonewalling the press on their long term associations with the corrupt Illinois Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich and there is nothing wrong with the GOP running the ad highlighting the inconsistencies in the Obama spin. Or, should we say cover-up.
The GOP is not going to start pulling its punches because it lost an election or because Newt Gingrich wants to be invited to Washington cocktail parties.
Technorati Tags: Newt Gingrich, Rod Blagojevich, Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama
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Day By Day by Chris Muir December 16, 2008 – Cheburger! Cheburger! Cheburger!
Talking about DEAD MEAT, Flap thinks that will be Rahm Emanuel after Hot Rod Blagojevich starts to negotiate with the FEDS about a plea deal. Or, in a protracted trial eventually leading to a plea deal.And, DEAD MEAT will be the Illinois Democrat Party if the continue to insist on an appointment to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.
It didn’t take long for the GOP to find a way out of the wilderness.
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Technorati Tags: Day By Day, Rahm Emanuel, Rod Blagojevich
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Video: The Obama-Blagojevich Cover-Up
President-Elect Barack Obama’s Presser TodayPresident-Elect Barack Obama said today that a review by his own lawyer shows he had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement, and transition aides did nothing inappropriate.
Obama pledged to make the review public, but said he decided to hold off because prosecutors asked for a delay and “I don’t want to interfere with an ongoing investigation.” U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald released a statement confirming the request.
Controversy has swirled around the president-elect and his incoming White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, following Blagojevich’s arrest last week on charges he schemed to trade Obama’s Senate seat for personal gain.
Obama, fielding questions at a news conference, sidestepped when asked whether Emanuel had spoken with aides to the governor about potential Senate appointees.
Emanuel was one of several aides who watched the news conference from the wings.
The president-elect pledged the results of the investigation by his incoming White House counsel, Gregory Craig, would be released “in due course.”
He said the probe was complete and thorough, but did not say which of his aides Craig interviewed, whether any of them was under oath at the time, or any other details.
Obama appeared before reporters to announce his environmental and natural resources team.
How do you spell cover-up?
What did Rahm Emanuel know and when did he know it? And, under whose authority did he discuss Obama’s replacement with Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich’s staff?
But, will the “IN THE TANK” media let Obama get away with this? Obama travels to Hawaii next week and the release date is a few days before Christmas.
Does anyone think they will get access to ask Obama or Emanuel any questions about unanswered questions regarding the flap before the first of the year?
Obama held his news conference shortly after his transition office released a statement by spokesman Dan Pfeiffer saying the internal review had found no wrongdoing.
Like the president-elect, the statement left several issues uncovered.
It did not say whether Emanuel was heard on a wiretap providing the governor’s top aide with a list of names that the president-elect favored. Nor did it say who, if anyone, on Obama transition’s team had made contact with the governor or his aides concerning a replacement for Obama or whether Craig interviewed people under oath, or to whom he talked.
Pfeiffer said the review “affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the president-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. Senator.”
As Flap asked before: How does waiting a week really help the United States Attorney’s investigation?
Both Patrick Fitzgerald, the United States Attorney and Barack Obama had better have good answers next Monday. And, Rahm Emanuel better be available to answer questions about his role in this affair.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich, Rahm Emanuel
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Internal Obama Review of Hot Rod Blagojevich Contacts is Completed But Delayed Until December 22
The association of President-Elect Barack Obama and the recently charged in a political corruption scandal, Governor of Illinois, Rod BlagojevichThe review of President-elect Obama’s Tansition Team and Illinois Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich who was arrested last week and charged with trying to sell an appointment to Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat has been delayed until December 22, 2008.
“At the direction of the President-elect, a review of Transition staff contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his office has been conducted and completed and is ready for release. That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.
“Also at the President-elect’s direction, Gregory Craig, counsel to the Transition, has kept the US Attorney’s office informed of this fact-gathering process in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation.
“In the course of those discussions, the US Attorney’s office requested the public release of the Transition review be deferred until the week of December 22, in order not to impede their investigation of the governor. The Transition has agreed to this revised timetable for release,” said Obama Transition Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer.So, Team Obama gets another week to spin the story. Guess Geraghty is RIGHT.
Note the following statement above:That review affirmed the public statements of the President-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the President-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator.
As an Obama transition spokesman says ,but since the press will not be able to scrutinize the report until a few days before Christmas, Flap supposes we will just have to wait another week.
Want to bet that Obama has NO COMMENT at this afternoon’s press conference?
Update:
And, how does waiting a week really help the investigation?
Last week, in a press conference on Thursday, President-elect Obama announced that his staff would conduct an internal review of contacts with Blagojevich and his office. At the same press conference, Obama announced that this internal review would find no inappropriate dealings between his staff and Blagojevich. Since Obama announced the findings of the promised internal review at the same time he announced the internal review, it should come as no surprise that the internal review found just what Obama said it would.
If none of those contacts were “inappropriate” could releasing the details really “impede” the investigation? Such a public release would reveal the nature of some Blagojevich discussions about the Senate seat and would necessarily compromise the identities of the individuals involved in those discussions. Presumably, Fitzgerald is interviewing some of those people now and the less they know about these discussions, the better.
But how will waiting a week — until Christmas week — help? We’ll see. But for political reasons it will be incumbent on Obama and (or?) Fitzgerald to explain in some detail why waiting a week was necessary.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich
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Illinois Legislature Convenes this Afternoon to Impeach Hot Rod Blagojevich?
Illinois GOP Ad: Time for a Special ElectionThe Illinois Legislature convenes in a special session later today to sort out the Governor Rod Blagojevich mess with Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
Illinois lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday with plans to disarm and dislodge Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose arrest in an alleged attempt to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat has thrown state government up for grabs.
But with Republicans looking to turn the tables on Democrats who control the Statehouse, and disagreement among leaders over whether to proceed with impeachment and how to handle the Senate dilemma, the only certainty on the agenda is chaos.
Blagojevich, arrested Tuesday on charges alleging that he sought bribes for everything from Obama’s Senate seat to state jobs and contracts, met with a prominent defense attorney Sunday but stayed largely out of sight and made no comment about his situation.
In his absence, leading Democrats and Republicans jockeyed for position in a growing battle for the two biggest prizes in state politics: the office of governor and a seat in the U.S. Senate.
The Illinois GOP should remain focused on two goals:
- Impeach Governor Blagojevich
- Enact legislation to enable a special election to replace Barack Obama in the United States Senate.
The rest of the political posturing is just noise and should be ignored.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich
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Illinois GOP Wants Special Election to Fill Obama’s Senate Seat
From FriendsofBlago.comThe Illinois GOP is calling for a special election to fill Barack Obama’s vacant United States Senate seat.Illinois Republican Party leaders are launching a television campaign to push their position that a special election should be called to fill the vacancy caused by President-elect Barack Obama’s depature, a move to prevent a Senate appointment by scandal-scarred Gov. Rod Blagojevich or Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn if he takes over the top job.
With Blagojevich hanging onto office despite last week’s arrest in a corruption case, Republicans are seek to seiz the political advantage of a reeling state government headed by Democrats at every level.
“Blagojevich Democrats like Pat Quinn did nothing to stand up to Governor Blagojevich and his ethical lapses,” said Joe Birkett, the DuPage County state’s attorney.
Birkett questioned why “Pat Quinn stood silent” when they ran together in 2006, when it was known that Blagojevich was the “eye of the storm”
When the people needed somebody in Illinois to stand up, Pat Quinn stayed in his seat,” Birkett said.
Of course, there should be a secial election after all of this drama with Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich’s arrest for trying to sell the seat. The Illinois Legislature which has been called back into special session tomorrow should first impeach Blagojevich’s ass and then write legislation making a special election possible.
Will the GOP have an advantage?
Yes, a slight one since Hot Rod’s corruption will be fresh in voter’s minds. But, the real winners here will be the people of Illinois.
Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Rod Blagojevich
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Day By Day by Chris Muir December 14, 2008 – Klaatu Baraka Nikto
Day By Day by Chris MuirThe political landscape will be even more barren after the MSM gets through with Rham Emanuel, Hot Rod Blagojevich and Obama tomorrow.And, Al Gore?
Don’t count on him for anything but paid speaking gigs to the Arabs and European Socialists.
Technorati Tags: Day By Day, Barack Obama, Al Gore, Rham Emanuel, Rod Blagojevich