Source: Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Believe me I am not living in any fantasy world where I think Obama is not going to be President.. But we need to dig into this.. This is a lot more serious than if some representative was having sex with a page.

The problem in those scandals usually isn't the sex. The real problems start with lying to cover it up. :Q

Fitzgerald has proven himself to be a good investigator, and in his investigation of Libby, he hasn't show all of his cards in his first announcements. He was pretty explicit that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Obama.

I also think Obama's people are smart enough to know that open cooperation is their best way through the mud that's being tossed their way. The only limit on that would be if Fitzgerald's office has asked them to remain quiet while they're conducting their investigation.

We don't know what Fitzgerald has regarding Jackson, but so far, there's no public evidence he did anything wrong. We shall see.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Believe me I am not living in any fantasy world where I think Obama is not going to be President.. But we need to dig into this.. This is a lot more serious than if some representative was having sex with a page.

The problem in those scandals usually isn't the sex. The real problems start with lying to cover it up. :Q

Fitzpatrick has proven himself to be a good investigator, and in his investigation of Libby, he hasn't show all of his cards in his first announcements. He was pretty explicit that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Obama.

I also think Obama's people are smart enough to know that open cooperation is their best way through the mud that's being tossed their way. The only limit on that would be if Fitzpatrick's office has asked them to remain quiet while they're conducting their investigation.

We don't know what Fitzpatrick has regarding Jackson, but so far, there's no public evidence he did anything wrong. We shall see.

Bolded is a lie. He stated no such thing as I've stated before.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Bahahahahaha Candidate #5 is Jesse Jackson

Guess he'll be doing that $500k fundraiser from PMITA Federal Prision

12-20-2008 ABC: Jackson is 'Candidate 5'

ABC News has a law enforcement source telling them that Jesse Jackson, Jr. is "Senate Candidate Five," the one who was -- according to Blagojevich -- willing to supply campaign cash in exchange for the Senate seat.

Jackson Jr. said he agreed to talk with federal investigators "as quickly as possible" after he consults with a lawyer.

Blago said that he might be able to get money from him IIRC. I don't think he promised Blago anything...

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: Fear No Evil

Believe me I am not living in any fantasy world where I think Obama is not going to be President.. But we need to dig into this.. This is a lot more serious than if some representative was having sex with a page.

The problem in those scandals usually isn't the sex. The real problems start with lying to cover it up. :Q

Unless we're talking about Clinton. Then it's just about the sex, right?

 

[fleshconsumed]

There is a new piece on CNN.com, this time with a slate for Blagojevich wife. I found two things interesting. One is apparently the whole family is corrupt, not really surprising, but interestingly amusing, and two, apparently democrats really refused to pay for the seat.

The affidavit says the governor had harsh words for the president-elect should he not help the Blagojeviches. Calling Obama a "motherf---er," the governor scoffs incredulously at the idea of appointing his preferred candidate without a kickback, the affidavit says.

"For nothing? F--- him," he said, according to the affidavit.

The next day, the affidavit says, Rod Blagojevich firmly ruled out appointing Obama's preferred successor.

"They're not willing to give me anything except appreciation. F--- them," the affidavit quotes him as saying.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI...blagojevich/index.html

Although what makes it even more interesting is the timing. Certainly adds fuel to the theories that someone up the democratic party pushed for Blagojevich arrest now before he could appoint his "choice".

 

[winnar111]

http://thehill.com/leading-the...e-seat-2008-12-13.html

Emanuel on tape about Obama?s Senate seat

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the incoming White House chief of staff, spoke with members of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration about potential replacements for President-elect Obama?s vacant Senate seat, according to the Chicago Tribune, which cites wiretaps of the conversations.

Emanuel is not and has not been accused of wrongdoing, but unlike the president-elect, he has refused to discuss whether he talked with the administration about the appointment. Obama said on Thursday he had not spoken with members of the Blagojevich administration about his replacement in the Senate.

The wiretaps show Emanuel called John Harris, Blagojevich's chief of staff, the Saturday before the election to give him a list of Obama-approved nominees, the Chicago Tribune reported this morning. Harris, like Blagojevich, was arrested Tuesday morning on fraud and conspiracy charges and has since resigned from his post.

Those Emanuel characterized as having Obama?s backing included top adviser Valerie Jarrett, former congressional candidate and state Veterans Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, Dan Hynes, the state Comptroller, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). Later, Emanuel called Harris again to include Lisa Madigan, the Illinois Attorney General.

Jarrett appears in the 76-page criminal complaint filed against Blagojevich and Harris as ?Senate Candidate 1,? referred to several times as a close adviser to the president-elect. In the complaint, Blagojevich appears to be actively trying to cut deals in exchange for naming Senate Candidate 1 to the post.

Schakowsky has said she believes she is either ?Senate Candidate 3? -- whose name is mentioned in an off-hand fashion only once -- or that she is not contained within the complaint at all.

Hynes and Madigan, both of whom have won multiple terms statewide, are seen as potential candidates for governor in 2010. Had Blagojevich decided to seek a third term, both would have considered primary challenges, a factor Blagojevich no doubt considered as he thought about the pick. Madigan is likely ?Senate Candidate 2? in the complaint.

Duckworth, who lost a bid for an open congressional seat in 2006 to Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), is an Iraq war veteran who serves in Blagojevich's administration. The 40-year-old Duckworth was one of Emanuel?s favorite candidates when he headed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and she spoke this summer at the Democratic National Convention.

Many believe Emanuel makes his own appearance in the criminal complaint, showing up as an unnamed adviser to Obama. Blagojevich curses the unnamed adviser in conversations with aides because, he says, the adviser seems unwilling to meet the governor's demands.

?He asks me for the Fifth CD thing. I want to be in his head,? Blagojevich is heard saying with regard to the unnamed adviser. Emanuel succeeded Blagojevich in representing Illinois' Fifth Congressional District. It is not clear to what Blagojevich is referring.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: winnar111
http://thehill.com/leading-the...e-seat-2008-12-13.html

Emanuel on tape about Obama?s Senate seat

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the incoming White House chief of staff, spoke with members of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration about potential replacements for President-elect Obama?s vacant Senate seat, according to the Chicago Tribune, which cites wiretaps of the conversations.

Emanuel is not and has not been accused of wrongdoing, but unlike the president-elect, he has refused to discuss whether he talked with the administration about the appointment. Obama said on Thursday he had not spoken with members of the Blagojevich administration about his replacement in the Senate.

The wiretaps show Emanuel called John Harris, Blagojevich's chief of staff, the Saturday before the election to give him a list of Obama-approved nominees, the Chicago Tribune reported this morning. Harris, like Blagojevich, was arrested Tuesday morning on fraud and conspiracy charges and has since resigned from his post.

Those Emanuel characterized as having Obama?s backing included top adviser Valerie Jarrett, former congressional candidate and state Veterans Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, Dan Hynes, the state Comptroller, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). Later, Emanuel called Harris again to include Lisa Madigan, the Illinois Attorney General.

Jarrett appears in the 76-page criminal complaint filed against Blagojevich and Harris as ?Senate Candidate 1,? referred to several times as a close adviser to the president-elect. In the complaint, Blagojevich appears to be actively trying to cut deals in exchange for naming Senate Candidate 1 to the post.

Schakowsky has said she believes she is either ?Senate Candidate 3? -- whose name is mentioned in an off-hand fashion only once -- or that she is not contained within the complaint at all.

Hynes and Madigan, both of whom have won multiple terms statewide, are seen as potential candidates for governor in 2010. Had Blagojevich decided to seek a third term, both would have considered primary challenges, a factor Blagojevich no doubt considered as he thought about the pick. Madigan is likely ?Senate Candidate 2? in the complaint.

Duckworth, who lost a bid for an open congressional seat in 2006 to Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), is an Iraq war veteran who serves in Blagojevich's administration. The 40-year-old Duckworth was one of Emanuel?s favorite candidates when he headed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and she spoke this summer at the Democratic National Convention.

Many believe Emanuel makes his own appearance in the criminal complaint, showing up as an unnamed adviser to Obama. Blagojevich curses the unnamed adviser in conversations with aides because, he says, the adviser seems unwilling to meet the governor's demands.

?He asks me for the Fifth CD thing. I want to be in his head,? Blagojevich is heard saying with regard to the unnamed adviser. Emanuel succeeded Blagojevich in representing Illinois' Fifth Congressional District. It is not clear to what Blagojevich is referring.

Not a lot in there to implicate Obama, which is undoubtedly what you're going for, but the sentence I bolded is pretty interesting, if it's true that Emanuel is the "unnamed adviser". If the Obama team isn't involved at all with the illegal aspects of this story, which seems to me like the most likely scenario, that's great. But if they were approached and turned down participating in this bullshit...that would take this story in a direction I don't think Republicans would be very happy with.

 

[daveymark]

rofl, Durbin is backpedaling now about holding a special election. Of course dems would prefer democratic Lt. Gov pat quinn to make the nominee as a republican senator is looking better every day to voters. Now THAT's change you can believe in. too bad for durbin and Harry Reid, as a pat quinn nom ain't gonna happen, anyone nominated by anyone from the current administration is going to be tainted, a special election is the only way.

 

[dawp]

Lossar, there's nothing in that story other than Emanuel telling Blagojevich who Obama would prefer in the seat. Saying Emanuel did anything illegal is a real streach with the info from that story.