Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Selling of a Senate seat

Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I tipped off Jay at Hub Blog to the arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich this morning. My method of investigation? I saw Boston.com post it before he did.

He's got some experience covering Illinois politics, even wrote a book about it. Which means he should be plastering his mug all over local media comparing Illinois corruption to Massachusetts corruption. He should also be rolling in the dough when he updates his book.

Later today I emailed him opening the discussion about who tipped the FBI to look at the Governor for trying to negotiate personal gain for appointing someone to fill Obama's open Senate seat. I wondered if it were possible that Obama, having been approached to give Blago something for getting his choice the appointment, instead turned around and siced the feds on him.

For Obama and his supporters, that would seem the perfect way to ensure that he doesn't get tarnished the least bit by this. (Already the FBI and the criminal complaint seem to indicate that Blagojavich had no luck getting Obama or his people to play ball.)

Well we may have the next best thing. Someone in the Chicago press apparently got at tip that it was fellow Illinoisan(?) and Obama Cheif of Staff Rahm Emmanuel might have been approached by Blagojevich and turned to the FBI.

Sources close to Eammanuel are now saying that's not true. But wouldn't you deny it once it came out? It doesn't need to be proven and verified. Those that needed to know he did it, now know.

I hope and think it's true. It'd make me a big fan of Rahm Emmanuel. That's the kind of person you want as your Cheif of Staff.

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