Barack Obama aide demanded Senate seat for President-elect's friend

Daily Telegraph ^ | 21 December, 2008 | Toby Harnden

[ScaniaBoy]

Barack Obama's chief of staff pushed the Governor of Illinois to appoint one of the President-elect's closest friends to his vacant Senate seat, it has emerged.

The leaked details of an internal transition team review of contacts with Gov Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to "sell" the seat, will open Mr Obama up to accusations of hypocrisy and cronyism because he had indicated he would not intervene in filling the vacancy.

According to ABC News, the internal review shows that the President-elect's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had one phone conversation with the governor and several more with his aides.

The report, said to clear Mr Obama's staff from any wrongdoing in the case, which is also being investigated by federal prosecutors, was leaked as the President-elect and his family arrived in Hawaii for a 12-day holiday.

Mr Obama gave a string of press conferences last week in which he repeatedly refused to answer any questions even tangentially linked to the Blagojevich case, stating that the US attorney's office had asked him to delay revealing details of any contacts.

[Parmenio]

tick...tick...tick...

[anniegetyourgun]

And Obama is going to report back to the media the results of his “internal investigation?” Uh huh....sure....

[Paladin2]

"...was leaked...."

What does this mean exactly?

[BenLurkin]

This is a tad reminiscent of the Clinton years where American papers reported little about the wrongdoing of the Sink Emperor and the English papers were almost the only source of information.

[rod1]

So Obama rto comment as per supposed request of the prosecutor and then, had his staff deliberately leak infomation he wanted out.

Actions, not in keeping with his pay grade, I think.

[Paladin2]

"Another priority for Mr Obama will be to tackle climate change."

That won't be hard, it's not going anywhere at the moment, it's too cold to move.

[what's up]

His holiday began as his staff unveiled a new task force charged with helping struggling working families

Meanwhile they wll be staying in a $9 million ocean Hawaiian "bungalow". Right.

[antiRepublicrat]

So either Obama has to admit complicity, or that he has no control over his staff. Not good either way.

[bergmeid]

A 12-day vacation in Hawaii probably also helps to obscure the fact that the royal family doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Islam and all, you know. That, and getting away from the Blago Rahma drama, plus taking care of Granny’s ashes..... perfect. Just perfect.

[ScaniaBoy]

Rahn will be the next one who finds himself under the bus.

[Phoenix11]

In other news, continuing on his platform of change, newly-elected Obama gave us a glimpse of his Presidential motorcade today.

[zkbeta51]

I just returned from France and was impressed with BBC coverage of their recession and Blagogate. They definately put blame where it belongs when it comes to the problems in England.

[Mark was here]

How about having Senators resign, when they make a Presidential bid? This way their replacements can be selected in the same election cycle.

[kcvl]

was leaked

to George Stephenopulous at ABC (former colleague of Rahm Emmanuel).

[Philo1962]

One of the many, many things I find interesting about this is that Valerie Jarrett is about as well-qualified for a Senate seat as Caroline Kennedy, but without the famous name.

[randita]

By the end of his term, BO's going to need this many buses:

[dandiegirl]

A 12-day vacation in Hawaii probably also helps to obscure the fact that the royal family doesn’t celebrate Christmas

That’s exactly what I was thinking. No one will know that they won’t get anywhere near a church.

[mtnwmn]

I was on a cruise and I agree. I, too, was impressed with their news coverage vs. the coverage we get in the states.

[DrC]

“By the end of his term, BO’s going to need this many buses”

Exactly, and by having all the buses half-immersed in water, Obama can ensure we’ll lose count of just how many bodies have gotten thrown under each one.