Emanuel Had Contact With Governor’s Office on Senate Seat (Obama's firewall breaking down)

ny times ^ | 12/14/2008 | HELENE COOPER and JACKIE CALMES

[tobyhill]

President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, communicated with the office of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois about potential candidates for Mr. Obama’s Senate seat and provided a list of names, according to two Obama associates briefed on the matter.

The Obama associates said the interactions concerned several people who might fill the seat. Such contacts are common among party officials when a political vacancy is to be filled. It was not clear whether the communication was via direct telephone calls.

The Chicago Tribune reported that communications between Mr. Emanuel and the governor, both Democrats, had been captured on court-approved wiretaps, but Obama associates gave conflicting accounts of the interactions.

Obama aides have said privately that Mr. Emanuel did not engage in any deal-making with Mr. Blagojevich, whom federal prosecutors charged last week with conspiring to turn a profit from the appointment.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Guess BHO didn’t bother to ask Rahm before making his statement at the presser the other day. Disingenuous at best.

[chicagolady]

Illinois FReepers!

Mr. Emanuel’s list of possible candidates included a senior adviser to Mr. Obama, Valerie Jarrett; the Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan; Representative Jan Schakowsky; and Dan Hynes, the state comptroller.

Mr. Emanuel has not been accused of wrongdoing by federal prosecutors......................................YET

And the HITS just keep on coming!

[freebilly]

The Dem spin machine will defend this as standard operating procedure....

[chicagolady]

Liar at best,

Where is the dog gone BIRTH CERTIFICATE??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJc6uczdhE0

[a real Sheila]

He misspoke.
He was distracted by all the CHANGES he was busy making.
NO biggie.
Nothing to see or discuss.
Move along.

[tomnbeverly]

“Obama associates gave conflicting accounts”

Thats all we need to know. Obama is in way over his head but have no fear because no one will be held accountable. They are Democrats and their lies are not important because they Lie for the greater good...

[paudio]

Why did the 0bama’s team had to claim that they had nothing to do with the selection in the first place? I think there’s nothing wrong if they simply consulted with the guv regarding the candidates. Unless, of course, they were involved in the ‘auctions’...

[Condor51]

*** Mr. Emanuel’s list of possible candidates included a senior adviser to Mr. Obama, Valerie Jarrett; the Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan; Representative Jan Schakowsky; and Dan Hynes, the state comptroller. ****

Ah! Dan Hynes. The machine guy Barry beat in the primary. Betcha Hynes gets it.

Ooops is that legal? /s

[ChetNavVet]

You know things are bad when when the MSM, in this case the Chi Trib, shows lies. I think we should wiretap all politicians...

[tobyhill]

I guarantee Emanuel was willing to pay to play until the Governor double-crossed him and picked someone else then Emanuel went to his buddy Fitz and spilled the beans.

[DaiHuy]

And the standard Obama answer will be

“I didn’t know”

for a man who is about to be the POTUS, he sure doesn’t know much.

[malkee]

If that’s the case, then why did Fitz say at the news conference “I can’t speak for the president-elect, I have enough trouble speaking for myself,” etc.

Why not say the Obama team helped? Why isn’t the Obama team trumpeting its virtue? I don’t think so.

[Doug TX]

CBS news, “minor inconvenience”

[chicagolady]

Illinois AG LISA MADIGAN is a snake in the grass!!

From Billyboy, Illinois FReeper

The way little Lisa Madigan has piously sought to portray herself as a corruption fighter for the people during this whole debacle makes me sick. Lisa Madigan is JUST as corrupt as Blago, she just hasn’t been caught with her hand in the cookie jar yet! She looked the other way for YEARS while Chicago machine corruption ran rampant, but NOW that Blago’s been caught with the smoking gun, she demands his ouster immediately, so we can go back to “business as usual” — due process be damned.
The Chicago machine wants Blago out of the way ASAP now that he’s damaged goods. The need to have Crook County corruption swept under the rug and that’s not possible as long as he’s the face of the IL RATs.

Lisa Madigan is trying to bypass the legal procedures for removing a governor and invoke an obscure clause used in emergencies to remove elected officials who suffer from illness. If we allow this to go forward and let the A.G. and four judges remove a Governor on a whim, it will set a dangerous precedent for future governors. Basically, five people (A.G. + 4 judges) in a closed door meeting would be able to remove whoever they wanted for whatever reason! Little Lisa says we can’t wait for impeachment. Of course this all could have been prevented if we VOTERS had the power of RECALL like 35 other states, but oh yeah, the Chicago machine fought tooth and nail AGAINST giving voters that power when it was brought up in the last election cycle, remember Lisa? Looks like you reap what you sow.

I urge everyone to call the A.G.’s office and the IL SC on Monday, and give them hell about this. You want to remove the Governor, do it thur the proper process!! Let’s have an open, public, impeachment trial and make the case that Blago is unfit to serve.

NO BACKROOM DEALS!!!

ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
Chicago office (312) 814-3000
Springfield office (217) 782-1090

ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT
Chicago office (312) 793-1332
Springfield office (217) 782-2035

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Hillary never knew anything, either and it worked for her.

[tobyhill]

He won't say Obama’s team helped because that would be politics and Fitz won't get involved with the political aspects of it. I think Emanuel got double-crossed then double-crossed the Governor.

[tupac]

We need the Congress to start some hearings. Maybe hold up all of Hussein’s appointments until that happens. Crap. Don’t hold your breath. That would only happen to Republicans.

[Dahoser]

Maybe this is why Chairman Hussein has surrounded himself with Clintonistas. They can take the hit for him and he can get rid of them in favor of his own people. Very interesting.

[tobyhill]

They can do exactly what the Rats did for 6 years, get in front of the cameras, yell that they're hiding something and once the Rats give in to the investigation, move on to the next crime.