My first reaction is...so what? I would expect they had conversations about it. Did he do anything wrong? This whole thing is really weird.
I see nothing at all abnormal about him having conversations
The true question is was he involved in negotiating a price?
I am becoming very suspicious that someone has misspoken again...
This seems like everyday, normal work for an incoming COS under these circumstances.
The gov should ask, and the POTUS-elect should answer.
Probably nothing to see here.
I hate to admit it but FR is more fun when the Dems are "in control". Bad for the country, bad for our future and our children's future but you cannot deny that the Dems provide first class political entertainment.
Hussein could’ve come right out and said that Rahmadingdong talked to Blago...Instead he acts secretive. Dear Leader knows what’s coming down...
PING
That’s not the Rahm Emmanuel that I knew!..............
It will be interesting to find out what if any promises were made to Gov. Bloy for appointing an Obama choice to the senate.
What I don’t understand is why Obama didn’t come out and say, “yes I talked with the governor as I have a vested interest in who takes my Senate seat. I didn’t tell him who but made several suggestions.” That would have cut him out of the picture, no problem but he, like Clinton, would lie when the truth would serve him better.
There is nothing wrong with Obama and/or his staff meeting with this guy about Obama's replacement. That's expected. Someone has to show that a quid pro quo existed or was requested before he has a problem. And for him to say that the governor requested an illegal favor and he turned him down wouldn't be enough to satisfy me as I'd want to know why he didn't turn the governor in to the justice department for acting illegally.Note: Rahm’s taped conversations are AFTER he was NAMED chief of staff.
(The timeline has been edited as the correct date Rahm was “named” was 11/06/08.)
Some key dates (all can be sourced) ...
9/17/08 0 calls Emil Jones about ethics bill
9/19/08 Blago calls the move a Republican trap, and brings up Rezko’s name in a presser. “I have a theory on what happened in the Rezko situation was a system, you know, sucked him in and then some lines were crossed and then that person found himself actually violating some of the rules,” Blagojevich said.
10/07/08 Blago tells Rezko to tell the truth, the day after federal prosecutors indicated that the convicted fund-raiser might be cooperating with them. Rezko sentencing subsequently delayed.
10/12/08 Rezko starts talking.
10/17/08 Blago sends 0 message via Sun-Times’ Sneed, “Who will it be?”
10/21/08 Order was signed authorizing a 30-day interception of oral communications at Friends of Blago, Blago’s personal office and the conference room and that it was begun on Oct. 22.
??? Feds ask Trib to hold the presses due to wire taps.
10/28/08 “Goodbye gov? Sneed hears a plan is afoot to impeach Gov. Blagojevich following the presidential election next month. Word is the votes are there. Stay tuned.”
10/31/08 “I just don’t want to jinx him and I don’t like the karma of me thinking that far ahead,” Blagojevich said of Obama ‘s prospects in Tuesday’s election. The governor added, “We have had some discussions about a process which we’ll share ... if all goes well.”
11/05/08 Blago meets with 0 regarding senate appointment process. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2146114/posts (Follow up 11/08, both reports pulled 12/10/08.)
11/06/07 Rahn named chief of staff.
??? AFTER being name chief of staff, Rahm has multiple conversations with Blago, giving him a list of names acceptable to 0.
11/07/08 Blago sends second message to team 0 via Sneed, “Sen. Madigan?”
11/10/08 Marathon conference call, more than two hours, between “various Washington, D.C., based advisers,” Blago, his wife, his general counsel, an unnamed adviser, and John Harris, regarding “what (Blago) can get from the President-elect for the Senate seat.” Blago believed the candidate was Jarrett.
7:56 PM ET, CNN reported that “two Democratic sources close to President-elect Barack Obama tell CNN that top adviser Valerie Jarrett will not be appointed to replace him in the U.S. Senate.”
11/12/08 Durbin announces his intent to speak about his senate candidates with Blago.
11/13/08 Durbin asks Blago for a meeting, voices Duckworth as a favorite.
Jarrett accepts cabinet post.
“After several pages of detailing those machinations, the criminal complaint takes an abrupt turn, describing NO WIRETAPS for a period of THREE WEEKS. The complaint says Blagojevich had “numerous conversations” about the Senate seat during that period, but it doesn’t detail any.”
11/14/08 0 announces senate seat resignation, and distances himself from Blago, (courtesy of the WaPo). Resignation meant to ratchet up the pressure on Gov. Rod Blagojevich “to name a successor more quickly than planned.”
11/23/08 Axelrod said, “I know he’s talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them.” (youtube video pulled 12/10/08)
11/26/08 Durbin weighs asking Bush to commute ex-Gov. Ryan
11/27/08 Blagojevich: Bush should let Ryan out of Prison
12/05/08 “Chicago Tribune ran a story on its front page reporting that law enforcement had secretly recorded Blagojevich’s conversations as part of a criminal investigation. Blagojevich immediately instructed Fundraiser A to “undo” the plan to meet personally with the associate of Candidate Five, (JJJ).”
12/09/08 Blago arrested, is accused of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as well as soliciting bribes.
12/10/08 0 and Durbin call for Blago’s resignation.
Conversation 13 is interesting. A window into how Michelle Obama got onto corporate boards, perhaps?