So the Tribune appears to have been protecting Jackson Jr. from completing the quid pro quo by releasing the story rather than waiting a few days. The Tribune was also the source that pushed for the unsealing of the divorce records of Jack Ryan, the Republican who was running against Obama for the Senate and was forced to withdraw.
“So the Tribune appears to have been protecting Jackson Jr. from completing the quid pro quo by releasing the story rather than waiting a few days. The Tribune was also the source that pushed for the unsealing of the divorce records of Jack Ryan, the Republican who was running against Obama for the Senate and was forced to withdraw.”
Could very well be.
From Durbin’s comments we do know that for 12 of those three weeks Blago wasn’t returning Durbin’s calls.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/durbin-calls-for-special-senate-election-2008-12-09.html
Durbin said he and Blagojevich were not friends, and had a cordial but cold relationship with a lot of communication gaps. When Durbin was first elected to the Senate, he said Blagojevich never returned his call. Last month, when Durbin called Blagojevich to discuss filling the vacancy, he said the governor took 12 days to return the call.
“We certainly don’t enjoy a close relationship,” Durbin said. “I found him to be a difficult man to communicate with.”
Durbin said he recalled nothing unusual in his conversation with Blagojevich about filling Obama’s seat, and that the governor never raised the idea of a position in the incoming administration. Instead, Durbin said he and the governor discussed 20 names.
“I asked him to do two things. First, don’t appoint a caretaker. Send a senator who will serve and run for election. Second, do it as quickly as possible so we could have a seniority advantage,” Durbin said.
..
I’ll say it again ...Team 0 wanted Blago OUT, and IMO fired the warning shot back in October ...
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.”
Obama's rise in politics is a result of the following:1) Obama challenged qualifying signatures on all his Illinois State Senate Democrat primary opponents' applications (see Alice Palmer), running unopposed,
2) Obama had sealed divorce records of his Democrat primary opponent Blair Hull exposed, revealing accusations of wife-beating and forcing Hull out of the primary,
3) Obama had sealed divorce records of his Republican opponent Jack Ryan exposed, revealing accusations of wanting to perform public sex acts and forcing Ryan out of the general election.
4) Obama claims his legislative records in Illinois were not archived, and presumably destroyed, leaving no paper trail of his past government experience. (See last paragraph of article)
It seems that Obama can't win without legal technicalities or by destroying his opponent by exposing sealed private records.
-PJ