Rahm Emanuel Reportedly Spoke with Blagojevich About Senate Seat

[bijou]

Chicago  --  The firestorm surrounding Governor Blagojevich is putting some heat on Barack Obama’s transition team. Fox Chicago News has learned about possible conversations between a top Obama aide and the governor regarding the open senate seat. Craig Wall has the exclusive.

video here

That's not the Rahm Emanuel I knew.

[franksolich]

Oh, sure, that's the Rahm Emanuel we all knew.

Remember the Inaugural Parade on January 20, 1993?

There was ol' Rahm in the middle of it (he had some Oval Office job), riding in a luxury limousine all by himself (plus the driver), several feet longer, much more expensive, more ostentatious, than the heap Bill and Hill were in.

[bijou]

Oh, sure, that's the Rahm Emanuel we all knew.

Remember the Inaugural Parade on January 20, 1993?

There was ol' Rahm in the middle of it (he had some Oval Office job), riding in a luxury limousine all by himself (plus the driver), several feet longer, much more expensive, more ostentatious, than the heap Bill and Hill were in.

All of you except Obama of course.

[franksolich]

All of you except Obama of course.

In case you didn't know, madam, Ol' Rahm has an ego bigger than the globe.

He makes Donald Trump look humble.

[bijou]

This is a rush transcript from "America's News HQ," December 11, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST: Well, an aspect of the Blagojevich story that is getting the microscope today is a rather revealing conference call that took place on November the 11, just several days after the election. In it, Blagojevich, the governor of Illinois, said he wanted financial assistance for his family as payback for making somebody the new senator from Illinois.

FOX's Washington deputy managing editor, Bill Sammon, joins me now.

There is a treasure trove of stuff in there, Bill, and a lot of talk about all this today. But, you know, what do you make of this conference call, which was — in the participants were his wife, his top advisors, and then a number of Washington officials yet to be named, but there are folks who were in on this and we don't know who they were yet?

• Video: Watch Martha MacCallum's interview

BILL SAMMON, FOX NEWS WASHINGTON DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR: Well, that's perhaps the most tantalizing tidbit that these were his, quote-unquote, "Washington, D.C.-based advisors," who, of course, the prosecutors don't named in there.

But it raises the question about whether somebody from the Obama team might have been on that, because as soon as the conference call ended, it was a two-hour conference call, and in that conference call, Blagojevich basically said — OK, well, if, you know, Valerie Jarrett, if, you know, I'm going to appoint Obama's favorite person, Valerie Jarrett, to that Senate seat and Obama's not going to pay me off for it, the heck with her, I'm not going to do it.

Of course, he used a little saltier language. But as soon as that conference call ended, within a matter of hours, Obama aides were leaking to reporters that Valerie Jarrett had taken herself out of the running for that seat.

MACCALLUM: Right.

SAMMON: So, either someone who was in on that call, or got briefed by a participant in the call, someone from the Obama camp, and the question is who.

...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,465891,00.html

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Obama screwed-up big. He made a categorical statement that there was no deal-making for his vacated seat. Of course he parsed it to emphasize HE had no such contacts but he was quick to claim no deals on his side were being made.

That Obama wanted Valerie Jarrett as his heir is widely known; that Jarrett was "Senate Candidate No. 1" is no longer a secret. Yet, Jarrett's candidacy was quickly withdrawn seems to indicate Obama may have caught wind of the fact Blago was going down faster than a liquored-up prom date.

Now the most charitable theory would say Obama was approached and was reviled by Blago's overtures and went straight to the feds. I doubt this because if he had he would have claimed as much early on. Hiding behind the excuse that he tipped the feds and the feds asked him to remain quiet won't wash because Fitzgerald is politically astute enough to to arrest Blago before the appointment and bribed-based bills could be signed into law. If Obama had tipped the feds than I'm sure Fitzgerald would have made more definitive statements that Obama had been proactive.

Odds are Obama was in on the wrangling but not willing to outright purchase a seat for Jarrett. There's probably nothing illegal--at least in as far as the letter of the law is concerned--but a serious breach of ethics tied to a flagrantly corrupt politician...the one Emmanuel coincidently inhereted his congressinal seat from and who also did business with Rezko. For Obama to lie with so many dogs and not come-up flea-free stretches all sense of credulity to the breaking point.

But now we have Obama stonewalling on his promise of the most-transparent-government-evah and subsequent promise to provide details of any and all contacts between his people and Blago's. At this late date it seems the delay falls down to 2 internal questions: 1) How can we spin this? and 2) Will future prosecutor revelations contradict our spin?

Of course this takes us to the Nixonian what-did-he-know-and-when-did-he-know-it? as well as it's-the-cover-up.

Obama's 1 saving grace: his ratings in the polls haven't dipped one iota. Obama may very well tell the MSM and his critics to go pound sand the mind-numbed masses still love him and they'll cast more ballots than the entire editorial boards of the LAT and NYT as long as the promises of free this-and-that keep flowing.

DREAM SCENARIO: Just prior to the naming of her replacement Hillary Clinton quits, calling the Obama administration far too shady and shifty for her liking and has the governor of NY re-appoint her to the senate. The political fallout and outright animus crushes Obama's administration before it even begins. The GOP takes back congress in 2010 and Hillary trounces Obama in the primaries in 2012 letting leftist myths of racist America and a progressive society die choking on their own vomit because we gave them their shot and they blew-it.

But that's just a dream.

[Schadenfreude]

That is a great dream. I can totally see Hillary doing something like that especially if she thinks has a shot at a 2012 run.

Say what you will about the Clintons, but they are nothing if not shrewd politicians. It was odd that they seemingly and willingly took the back seat to Obama this cycle. I think they have something up their sleeve, but then again..... I love a good conspiracy.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

I am sure to get a lot of heat for this but,
I would trade 8 years of Obama just to have Hillary totally and completely gone at the end of it.

[Schadenfreude]

I am sure to get a lot of heat for this but,
I would trade 8 years of Obama just to have Hillary totally and completely gone at the end of it.

Not your favorite person? 

I don't know what to think about Obama at this point, but he (or anyone in his position) has the potential to do a lot of damage in 8 years.

[jinxmchue]

This is so close to Obama that it's nigh-impossible to believe he's not involved in some way.

If he didn't know about it, he's an idiot.

If he did know about it, he's a liar.

If he was involved in it, he's a criminal.

[Baruch Menachem]

This is so close to Obama that it's nigh-impossible to believe he's not involved in some way.

If he didn't know about it, he's an idiot.

well, he is that

If he did know about it, he's a liar.

well, he is that too

If he was involved in it, he's a criminal.

  Yep, that too

As for the damage Obama can do, well Bush is pretty much of a disaster these last four months.   I am glad to be shot of him too.  I would be starteld if Obama could do much worse

[Wretched Excess]

and the embers continue to smolder.

Sneed hears rumbles President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is reportedly on 21 different taped conversations by the feds -- dealing with his boss' vacant Senate seat!

Link

[bijou]

and the embers continue to smolder.

How can that be? Obama has investigated and found nothing inappropriate. 

[Wretched Excess]

How can that be? Obama has investigated and found nothing inappropriate. 

the ongoing obama investigation has found nothing inappropriate in past contacts in a report that he will release next week . . . when you that many verb tenses to describe a single thing, it's trouble.

[Eupher]

Neither Hillary nor The Anointed One is an idiot -- they are intelligent, dangerous people who are driven by their insatiable quest for Power.

The only difference is, Hillary's legs are bigger and she's been at the political game longer than The Anointed One.

But he's catching up fast.

And I totally agree -- Hillary is not interested in playing second fiddle to Obama. If there is half a weakness found, she'll pounch on it like a cat on a June bug.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Neither Hillary nor The Anointed One is an idiot -- they are intelligent, dangerous people who are driven by their insatiable quest for Power.

The only difference is, Hillary's legs are bigger and she's been at the political game longer than The Anointed One.

But he's catching up fast.

And I totally agree -- Hillary is not interested in playing second fiddle to Obama. If there is half a weakness found, she'll pounch on it like a cat on a June bug.

But not until she thinks she has a lethal shot.  She knows if she does she will get one chance, and won't move against him unless she thinks she can close it.

[Eupher]

But not until she thinks she has a lethal shot.  She knows if she does she will get one chance, and won't move against him unless she thinks she can close it.

Agreed. After all, she has her legacy to maintain.