Welcome back, Blago. It’s been a while.
What took you so long to shed light on the intrigue among Obama, Rahm Emanuel and SEIU regarding the Senate appointment to replace Obama:
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers asked a federal judge Thursday to force President Obama to testify at Blagojevich’s upcoming trial, as new information surfaced — accidentally — that Obama personally called a mutual supporter to discuss his replacement in the U.S. Senate.
On the day before he was elected president, then-Sen. Obama called a union official about the possibility that adviser Valerie Jarrett replace him in the Senate, according to Blagojevich’s defense filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago and sources close to the investigation.
The filing also claims that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had many contacts with Blagojevich’s staff pushing for various candidates, purportedly on the president’s behalf.
At one point after Jarrett dropped out of contention, Emanuel called Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris with an urgent message — recommending against the appointment of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., according to the filing, which also said Emanuel did push for Urban League President Cheryle Jackson.
The court filing cites statements made by Service Employees International Union official Tom Balanoff to the FBI as part of its criminal investigation of the since-ousted governor.
The statements, as well as Obama’s personal phone call, had not previously been made public and were filed by defense lawyers in the case under seal.
It’s unclear from the limited information released (accidentally, for sure) exactly what role Obama played, and who is telling the truth.
Put Obama on the witness stand, so we can hear his version ourselves, rather than second-hand. If he has nothing to hide, then he has nothing to hide. (I doubt the judge will do it, but you can’t take my hope away.)
Regardless, there are enough juicy details (including Tony Rezko’s apparent claim that he knowingly made illegal cash campaign contributions to Obama) to get me refocused on l’affaire Blagojevich.
So Blago’s back, and so am I.
Update: Jill just couldn’t resist:
[Video no longer available]
And neither could Bill Dyszel:
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Comments
You have always brought the divergent threads of this Blago fiasco together in a way that has made sense out of theater of the absurd. I hope you will sell the literary rights YOU have for your words to recoup the thankless job you have done in bringing important details to light and into an acceptable context for discussion. After all, truth is handed down from generation to generation more effectively to the masses in art rather than in history.
Speaking of art, last night on CSI, a felon wrote a note to his interrogator at police headquarters: "I want a LAYER." "You want a LAYER replied the incredulous officer." Later the officer reported to his fellows that the suspect was "all LAYERED up." All of you LAYERS need to know that reform of the educational system will help your profession immensely recoup its proper place in the lexicon.
Can't resist: The Angels, 1965
Here's my modest contribution to the Blago discussion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMhLnIjprBU
Please excuse the tasteless but authentic polka costume. And feel free to sing along.
But just don't make fun of Blotto Blago's hair. He's sensitive…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dyl0j3WU6Y]
I love Blago. I've been waiting too. Get out the popcorn, the show is finally on.
I rather think the prosecution would want to follow every single lead, no matter where it might lead. So I'm not inclined to rule out seeing President Obama on the witness stand.
And given what I believe about Patrick Fitzgerald – see here if you have a few minutes – I think there's a heckuva good chance we'll see Obama called to testify.
He's playing to the fact that the feds will cave on prosecution lest Rahm gets caught up in perjury. BO won't testify. But thanks to Cheney and Scooter and the libs demanding they testify, Rahm is exposed.
Like I said over at P&P;, this is when I miss being in the game. If I got to interview Rahm I'd make him cry into his ballerina slippers.
Can't we figure out a way to involve Monica Conyers too? That would be great TV!
Love the Blago Polka! As someone who is from Chicago, I'll be sure to keep a close eye on this story as it progresses too.
I disagree. Somehow, perhaps through executive privilege, Obama was stay clean and not be forced to testify. The press will stay mum about it and nothing will touch Teh Won.
hi Prof. Jacobson, dug the polka vid…
you and your readers might enjoy an odd, but enjoyable take on Blago's case over at LameCherry. A tidbit:
"The tangled wed, and fly killer Bearick Obama has gotten caught in his own Chicago cronyism spider's lair. This is how Obama was brought up in Hawaii. How Obama ran the quid pro quo in Indonesia. How Obama was educated in Hawaii when he was abandoned. This is Obama's fraudulent college years and this is communist organizer Obama playing in Chicago smarmy politics in kickbacks, graft, bribes and payoffs.
This is how the Obama's made their millions dollar livings for years as tan people representing the poor black folks they were using.
Now Rod Blagojevich is playing dirty Slavic mafia dirty and Obama who was used to the road being paved by Mummy, Grams, Bill Ayers, Zbigniew Brzezinski is running into the real deal in Rod Blagojevich fighting for his life and Obama is the lightweight in the room."
see: http://lamecherry.blogspot.com/2010/04/blagojevich-gambit.html