By DemocracyRules
In recent days Obama has issued several denials about any contact between him and any of his staff with Blago, or any of Blago’s staff.
Obama declared on Thursday Dec 11 he was "absolutely certain" his staff didn't engage in “deal-making” about the Senate seat.
But Fox News Chicago reports their sources say 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. The source had no clarification about deal making.
But providing a list of names would only require an email, a fax, or a brief telephone message. Why would multiple conversations be needed?
Obama said he was "absolutely certain" his staff didn't engage in deal-making about the Senate seat. Obama’s denial cannot be factually correct, because its not physically possible for Obama to know everything his staff discussed with everyone else. Given that the Blago-Emanuel conversations were recorded, they would indicate precisely what they were about.
At a news conference on Dec 11, a questioner asked Obama why Blago 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 what he discussed with Blago, and what Blago wanted.
“Advisor A”
Blagojevch spent along time in phone discussions with an unnamed “Advisor A”. Many of these discussions involved specific deal-making over the senate appointment. Blago asked “Advisor A” to clarify to Obama what Blagojevich wanted in exchange for the Jarrett Senate appointment.
Blagojevich also said, “He asks me for the fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” (Rahm Emanuel represents the 5th Congressional District in Illinois.)
So Blago was attempting to negotiate something with “Advisor A” and Obama about Rahm Emanuel’s seat.
Rahm Emanuel Doesn’t Want to Talk About It
Rahm Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama’s news conference on Dec 11. A Chicago Sun-Times reporter spotted him two hours later in the lobby of Chicago’s City Hall. He was there to listen to his two children performing in a concert with their school.
The reporter asked Rahm Emanuel if he was “Advisor A”. “You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Don’t do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.”
Pro Patria
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