Rahm Emanuel Implicated in Senate Seat Deal [UPDATE2]

By DemocracyRules

It seems pretty clear by now that Rahm Emanuel is mixed up in the Blago scandal.

Fox News Chicago has two reports that Rahm Emanuel  had multiple conversations with Blago about who should be appointed to the senate seat.  Rahm Emanuel  provided Blago with a list of candidates who would be acceptable to Obama.  Those multiple discussions are probably on tape with the FBI.  The source had no clarification about “deal-making” versus “deal-discussing”.

Report One

Report Two

Chicago Tribune confirms the story

If Rahm Emanuel simply provided Blago with a list of Obama’s acceptable candidates, that would only require an emial, a fax, or a brief telephone message.  Why would multiple conversations be needed?  There may not have been “deal-making” going on, but there clearly there was “deal-discussing” going on.  Many many hours of conversations were recorded.

The criminal complaint mentions a [“President-elect Advisor”] several times.  That person seems to be Rahm Emanuel.

Blagojevch was recorded saying that he wanted the “President-elect Advisor” to know what  Blagojevich wanted in exchange for the Jarrett appointment.  Blagojevich said, “He asks me for the fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” Emanuel represents the 5th Congressional District in Illinois.

So Blago was attempting to negotiate something about Rahm Emanuel’s seat, which will be vacant when Rahm Emanuel resigns the seat.

In recent days Obama has issued several denials about any contact between him or any of his staff with Blago, or any of Blago’s staff.  On Thursday Dec 11, Obama made a carefully-worded statement he was "absolutely certain" his staff didn't engage in “deal-making” about the Senate seat.

This denial seems strange, because it’s not logically possible.   It’s not physically possible for Obama to know absolutely everything his staff discussed with everyone else.  But Obama’s statement is technically true if you twist it a certain way.

We know that no deal was actually made on the Senate seat, because Blago said so, and the Senate seat is still open.  Therefore, Obama could truly be certain that no “deal-making” occurred, because no deal was made.  But he was never suspected of “deal-making.”  He and his team are suspected of discussing a deal, which later fell through.  So Obama denied something irrelevant, and most people didn’t notice the twist.  Nixon would be proud of him!

At the news conference on Dec 11, a questioner asked Obama why the governor thought he could even make a deal with Obama in the first place.  "I can't presume to know what was in the mind of the governor during this process," Obama said. "All I can do is read what's in the transcripts like the rest of you . . . read it and shake my head."

But that statement seems incorrect.  Obama could find quite a bit about what was in Blago’s mind.  He just had to ask Rahm Emanuel  about what he discussed with Blago, and what Blago wanted.

The Players So Far

h/t Atlas Shrugs Data on file, Newsmax

Governor – Blagojevich  –  indicted – still serving as governor
Governor’s wife – Patti Blagojevich – implicated

Fundraiser A - Rob Blagojevich, the governor's brother - implicated

Advisor A – implicated, unidentified
Advisor B  – implicated, unidentified

Governor General Counsel - William R. Quinlan - implicated

Chief of Staff – John Harris – indicted, resigned

Deputy Governor A – Illinois Deputy Gov. Bob Greenlee – implicated, resigned

President-elect Advisor - Rahm Emanuel – implicated

Hospital Executive 1 - Patrick M. Magoon, CEO of Children's Memorial

Tribune Financial Advisor - Nils Larsen, Tribune Co. Exec VP - implicated

Senate candidate 1 - Obama Associate Valerie Jarrett – implicated
Senate candidate 2 - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan
Senate candidate 3 - U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (probable)
Senate candidate 4 - Deputy Governor Louanner Peters,
Senate candidate 5 - U.S. Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. – implicated
Senate candidate 6: - U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez
Senate candidate 7: - U.S. Rep. Danny Davis

Pro Patria

Comments

[comsense08]

Don't you just love it when all the folks who were questioning Obama's character and associations during the primary have been proven correct? The Main Street Media must really be stressed out now. They spent so much time covering and protecting Barack, to no avail! What goes around, comes around. Barack is going to have to pay for his choice of doing politics the Chicago way. It's not the American way! There is no way possible Barack is clean. Those folks don't let you run with them if you're clean. You have to have dirt on you so they can control you. Otherwise, you're out.
During the primary, Baracks associations were constantly questioned by talk radio. They were right!

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{From DR -- Yes, commonsense, and you were right too. I'm glad for everyone who won't keep quiet about Obama's past. As you say, the worst problem about a history of dishonesty is that it contaminates the future. Even if Obama changed his personality immediately, his regime will be filled with corruption scandals, because there is so much in his past, many of those things will come forward to impact him.

The key question is, by what legal method can we get rid of him?

-- Pro Patria}

[john]

I agree that they were talking, but from what was released of the transcripts it seems like there was no favorite, just people the the Obama administration would be okay with, which happens to be everyone who was considered electable. Also its worth noting that the Associated press fails to check facts before they run stories because the general counsel to the governor is not William R Quinlan, that is the father of the general counsel

_________________________________
[From DR -- John. Thanks for this, I will check out the Quinlan name. If there is an error, blame me, not AP!

As for Obama's favorite, numerous other sources cite Valerie Jarrett.

I disagree about the list, I don't think a list of any kind was appropriate. By submitting a list, Obama was attempting to influence the decision-making process, in a way that would have a favorable outcome for Obama. That seems to be deal-making. Furthermore, when the list became public, it would create an appearance of favoritism or deal-making, which is improper in itself.

Pro Patria}