President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder.
Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however.
Time writes the following about her:
Chicago businesswoman Valerie Jarrett has earned all sorts of nicknames as an aide to President-elect Barack Obama — from "First Friend" to "big sister" to "the other half of Obama's brain." As co-chair of his transition team, Jarrett has spent the past week denying rumors, parsing policy changes and insisting that she doesn't know where she'll end up in the new administration (although Beltway gossip suggests she may be appointed to Obama's seat in the Senate). Of her relationship with the 44th commander-in-chief, Jarrett says simply: "He is my dear friend. I would do anything the President of the United States asked me to do."
I wonder. Some people seemed to have one idea, others had another. Is this how the bidding war for Obama's Senate seat began? I wonder if NY Governor Paterson is taking bids for Hillary's seat?
Just something to think about.
4 comments:
LAS: I wonder. Some people seemed to have one idea, others had another.
I'm not clear on what you mean here. It could be b/c I am miserably hungover right now and not thinking clearly.
In any case, the 0bama silence on this issue is very telling. I'm sure they are trying to lay low while this blows over them. I think it's probably a good strategy. No one in the media wants to hurt The One. The Republicans are too weak to do anything. 0bamatons won't criticize him even when 0bama spits in their face (cf, appointment of Gates to Defense).
If this were Bush's scandal, the Congress would already be negotiating who the special prosecutor should be and when the impeachment hearings should start.
I warned 0bamabots about 0bama's track record of corruption, but they had already had too much koolaid.
//I'm not clear on what you mean here. It could be b/c I am miserably hungover right now and not thinking clearly.//
Relax, it's not that esoteric.
Some thought JJJ should get the appointment, others thought it should be Jarrett. Hence the bidding war to the Gov., who they knew could be bought.
Oh, duh. And Jarett dropped out when the bidding got too high? Gotcha. I can't wait until we get the full transcripts of the wire taps.
//I can't wait until we get the full transcripts of the wire taps.//
What will you bet that any or all of the parties involved have a team of lawyers that will work at every twist and turn, to suppress these transcripts?
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