Jarrett out of Senate race - Obama friend takes name off eligible list
Chicago Tribune (IL) - Thursday, November 13, 2008
Author: Rick Pearson and John McCormick, TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Gov. Rod Blagojevich had been giving Valerie Jarrett serious consideration to become Illinois’ next senator, but the close friend and adviser to President-elect Barack Obama took herself out of the running on Wednesday.
Although Jarrett is potentially poised to play an important role in an Obama White House, her withdrawal complicates the political calculations Blagojevich faces in replacing the lone African-American member of the Senate.
Jarrett gave the Democratic governor the option of appointing a prominent African-American woman from Chicago to Obama ‘s seat while also having Illinois represented by a long-standing friend of the next occupant of the Oval Office. Now, Blagojevich finds himself trying to measure the political benefits and pitfalls of choosing from a raft of candidates who lack her White House clout but are far more eager to be his pick.
“The list is now shorter,” said one surprised Blagojevich confidant, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the selection process.
Sources close to the governor said representatives for Obama had floated Jarrett's name on a regular basis. But after days of speculation, including recent reports that Obama personally favored her as his replacement, she sent an e-mail to the Tribune Wednesday (November 12, 2008) afternoon declaring, “I am not interested in the Senate seat.”
(snip)
So on or around November the 12th was the day the O team got the tip off from the Tribune or someone else involved in the investigation in time to pull their gal from the running. Yet Axelrod ‘mispoke’ on November 23.
Hmmmmmm....no time to get their stories straight? Or maybe they and the Tribune had no idea that Fitz was actually tapping phones....lol
One quote in the indictment names November 3rd as the date of a phone conversation regarding the Senate seat and conversations regarding Senate candidate #5. Then Jarrett backs out on November 13th. On November 23rd, Axelrod admits on Fox News Sunday that Obama has been in contact with Blagojevich regarding candidates for his seat. Now, today, Obama claims he’s not been in touch with the governor or his office.
What a tangled web we weave...