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Blagojevich: Who Is Advisor B?
NationalReview ^ | 12/11/2008 | Byron York

Posted on 12/11/2008 7:08:34 AM PST by JRochelle

Barack Obama has flatly said that he has “not discussed the Senate seat with [Rod Blagojevich] at any time.” If that is true — and Obama will undoubtedly be asked the broader question of whether he communicated in any way with Blagojevich on the subject — then the big story in the Blagojevich scandal is the role of intermediaries. Throughout the criminal complaint filed against Blagojevich, there are references to unnamed individuals who play important roles in the scandal — and who know a lot about what went on and who was involved. None of those intermediaries is more intriguing than the person referred to as “Advisor B.”

We first learn about Advisor B in the complaint’s description of a November 7 three-way telephone call between Blagojevich, his chief of staff John Harris, and “Advisor B, a Washington D.C.-based consultant.” It was during this call that the participants talked about a “three-way deal for the open Senate seat,” involving the Service Employees International Union and its affiliated group “Change to Win.” The idea was that Blagojevich would appoint Obama favorite Valerie Jarrett to the seat, and in return, SEIU would make Blagojevich head of “Change to Win,” and then Obama would perform some unspecified act to help “Change to Win.” Harris said such a deal would give Obama a “buffer so there is no obvious quid pro quo for [Senate Candidate One],” according to the complaint. (“Senate Candidate One,” we now know, refers to Jarrett.) “Advisor B said that he liked the idea of the three-way deal,” the complaint says. “Advisor B said they should leverage the president-elect’s desire to have [Jarrett] appointed to the Senate seat in order to get a head position with Change to Win and a salary.”

The next time we meet Advisor B is on November 10, during a two-hour conference call involving Blagojevich, Blagojevich’s wife, Harris, Blagojevich’s general counsel, “and various Washington-D.C. based advisors, including Advisor B,” according to the complaint. Prosecutors have not said how many “various” advisors there were on the call — some apparently came and went during the two-hour session. On the call, Blagojevich conceded that it was unlikely that Obama would appoint him secretary of Health and Human Services or make him an ambassador. Given that, Blagojevich, according to the complaint, “asked what he can get from the president-elect for the Senate seat.” The group discussed a number of options — remember, this call went on for a very long time. It was a laundry list of corrupt possibilities, and, apparently, several people, including some Washington-based politicos, were in on it.

Advisor B pops up again on November 12, in another conversation with Blagojevich. The two discussed forming a non-profit organization to be headed by Blagojevich and funded by some rich Obama supporter. According to the complaint, “Advisor B stated that he likes the idea, but liked the Change to Win option better because, according to Advisor B, from the president-elect’s perspective, there would be fewer ‘fingerprints’ on the president-elect’s involvement with Change to Win, because Change to Win already has an existing stream of revenue and, therefore, ‘you won’t have stories in four years that they bought you off.’”

As I wrote yesterday, the complaint contains a three-week gap — a period in which prosecutors don’t discuss any conversations among the participants. Of that period, the complaint says, “Throughout the past month, ROD BLAGOJEVICH has continued to engage in numerous conversations relating to filling the open Senate seat,” but gives no details. The details do not resume until December 4, the last big day in the Senate-seat plot. On that day, according to the complaint, Blagojevich “spoke to Advisor B and informed Advisor B that he was giving Senate Candidate Five [now known to be Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.] greater consideration for the Senate seat because, among other reasons, if ROD BLAGOJEVICH ran for re-election, Senate Candidate Five would ‘raise money’ for ROD BLAGOJEVICH, although ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he might ‘get some (money) up front, maybe,’ from Senate Candidate Five to insure Senate Candidate Five kept his promise about raising money for ROD BLAGOJEVICH.” The complaint goes on to say that in a phone call recorded on October 31, Blagojevich said he was approached by an associate of Senate Candidate Five — that is, Jackson — for “pay to play” in which Jackson would raise $500,000 for Blagojevich and an emissary would raise $1 million for Blagojevich, if Blagojevich made Jackson a senator. Jackson has strongly denied all of the allegations.

The next day, December 5, the Chicago Tribune published an article reporting that Blagojevich was under surveillance. Blagojevich immediately stopped his efforts to sell the Senate seat and began to work on his legal defense. But from the actions described in the criminal complaint, there are some key players who remain unknown and, so far, uncharged. Anyone who wants to understand the Blagojevich scandal will have to learn more about Advisor B.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: advisorb; blagojevich; bleepgate; blogo; obama; obamatransitionfile; rahm
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To: Zevonismymuse

Oops...I think it’s Carvelle???


81 posted on 12/11/2008 7:58:51 AM PST by Sacajaweau (I'm planting corn...Have to feed my car...)
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To: roses of sharon
What is this about 3 wks of taping missing from the transcripts....why would Fitz not include that CRITICAL time?

Blago will demand this part.

82 posted on 12/11/2008 7:59:50 AM PST by Orange1998
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To: Oldexpat

have only 40 days for Fitzgerald to indict and arrest the POTUS elect

____________________________-

Is this the motivation for the O designation “Office of the P E”?
If such an office can be construed to exist then Congress, not the AG’s office takes precedence.


83 posted on 12/11/2008 7:59:51 AM PST by Louis Foxwell (He is the son of soulless slavers, not the son of soulful slaves.)
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To: Tallguy
From a Novak article:

“Actually, in my first interview with Fitzgerald after he was named special prosecutor, he indicated that he knew Armitage was my leaker. I assumed that was the product of detective work by the FBI. In fact, Armitage had turned himself in to the Justice Department three months before Fitzgerald entered the case, without notifying the White House or releasing me from my requirement of confidentiality.”

After reading Fitz's closing argument in the Libby railroading, I know he was working against VP Cheney...Fitz saw himself as a knight in shining armor...saving us from an evil war.

He simply did not like the political pushback by VP Cheney's office, against Wilson's lies about Iraq.

This essentially shut up, and shut down, Bush, Cheney, Rove, all Republican spokesmen and officeholders, for 3 years.

Fitz will protect a pol he likes, no doubt about it.

84 posted on 12/11/2008 8:02:14 AM PST by roses of sharon ("No socialist system can be established without a political police.", Churchill -1945)
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To: Sacajaweau
Oops...I think it’s Carvelle???

Ah! James Carville....or Ol' Serpent Head as his wife fondly refers to him.


85 posted on 12/11/2008 8:02:20 AM PST by Zevonismymuse
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To: Sacajaweau

Mrs. Blag. Do your stuff to cover some of this up, ho, ho, ho, ho!


86 posted on 12/11/2008 8:03:43 AM PST by yorkie01
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To: Orange1998
Maybe...but he would not give up the first black President, the messiah, the “Lamb of Chicago”.

We all know nothing of substance will happen to Hussein, EVER. No bad press...nothing. Just as it was with Clinton, until he sexually harassed an intern.

And that narrative by the MSM became “just about sex” and “he is a brilliant bad boy”, no big deal.

It is up to us to defy the MSM/Hollywood/DNC/Academia narratives about Hussein.

WE ARE ON OUR OWN NOW.

87 posted on 12/11/2008 8:13:16 AM PST by roses of sharon ("No socialist system can be established without a political police.", Churchill -1945)
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To: mnehrling
"Let’s see if Blagojevich is more loyal to the Democrat party machine or his own tail."

There is no honor among thieves today. Blago will sing like a bird to save his own sorry a$$.

88 posted on 12/11/2008 8:18:13 AM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: JRochelle

bttt


89 posted on 12/11/2008 8:21:38 AM PST by Guenevere
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To: JRochelle
This has just begun! How exciting!

Throughout the past month, ROD BLAGOJEVICH has continued to engage in numerous conversations relating to filling the open Senate seat,” but gives no details.

They hopefully left that out because they are still working on other investigations.
90 posted on 12/11/2008 8:29:34 AM PST by Delphinium
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To: Lurking in Kansas
Anyone else heard or seen this??

I have heard it, I think its a fact.
91 posted on 12/11/2008 8:33:57 AM PST by Delphinium
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To: cvq3842

” Why did Obama say he never spoke to him”

A clinton response , similar to I was never alone . It’s so open to when he spoke, and on what , that he can issue repetitive denials , unless someone ( unlikely ) asks him:

What do you, or did you persoanly, or through any of your team, know about the filling of your prior senate seat?

You could easily followup with multiple pinning questions.


92 posted on 12/11/2008 8:34:39 AM PST by patriotspride
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To: Obadiah
Personally? I have absolutely ZERO confidence in Fitzgerald.

Isn't that what always happens, even with Ken Star.

I am hoping the truth gets out some other way, like some reporter , (there might be a few) to keep digging.
93 posted on 12/11/2008 8:37:40 AM PST by Delphinium
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To: Red Badger

They have more to worry about with Rezko than Blago.......”

I keep thinking that this is a long daisy chain:
Ryan to Rezko to Blago to Nobama to both the Jacksons to ........

Any bets on how fast NObama fires Fitz after Jan 20???


94 posted on 12/11/2008 8:39:55 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: patriotspride

Yes, he should be asked. Will he? that’s a different question.


95 posted on 12/11/2008 8:40:25 AM PST by cvq3842
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To: Delphinium

That’s my thought too, they did not want to expose the 3 weeks now. If Fitz has the balls, this could get really interesting. And I think he does.

I cannot believe the whole federal government is rolling over to let this guy into office. I just don’t believe the conspiracy theories about we’ve been blackmailed, nuclear bombs, etc. GWB would say bring it on we’ll bomb the crap out of you. BHO is going down.


96 posted on 12/11/2008 8:41:04 AM PST by Free America52 (I just want it to be the way it always has been.)
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To: ridesthemiles

12:01 pm?..............


97 posted on 12/11/2008 8:42:44 AM PST by Red Badger (Never has a man risen so far, so fast and is expected to do so much, for so many, with so little...)
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To: seekthetruth

IMO it just might be Bill Clinton.


98 posted on 12/11/2008 9:14:04 AM PST by AIC
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To: JRochelle

We should probably ask Rezko before he cannot speak again. Maybe he already spilled the beans


99 posted on 12/11/2008 9:38:00 AM PST by egannacht
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To: mass55th

He has no love for Obama, who beat him out of being the Chicago machine’s nominee for Prez, after Blago had been the front-runner.


100 posted on 12/11/2008 9:44:12 AM PST by expatpat
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