Blago's Book Bad News for Emanuel

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid called Rod Blagojevich after the election, but before the governor’s arrest, to discourage him from appointing unelectable candidates to Barack Obama’s Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The Senate majority leader sought to put the kibosh on Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Danny Davis, along with State Senate President Emil Jones. Reid suggested state AG Lisa Madigan or Illinois' veterans affairs chief Tammy Duckworth. More»

Reflexively distancing himself from Illinois mess has made him look needlessly sketchy

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama looks to have done nothing wrong in his (however limited) dealings with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but the president-elect seemed bent on proving otherwise, Joe Conason writes on Salon. Obama’s “unnecessary mistakes” in handling the scandal “risked creating public suspicion where there need be none,” since federal authorities—and even Blagojevich himself—back Obama’s story. More»

Guv unlikely to quit, but would give up naming Obama successor

(NEWSER) - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, under indictment for trying to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat, would likely now approve a bill authorizing a special election to fill the post, sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times. Blagojevich—who insiders now say has decided not to resign—wants the measure to apply to future such vacancies, taking the power out of the governor’s hands. More»

No sign Chief of Staff pick tried to wheel and/or deal

(NEWSER) - Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama’s pick for White House chief of staff, had multiple conversations with Rod Blagojevich's chief of staff about Obama’s Senate seat, the Chicago Tribune is reporting. There’s no evidence that Emanuel engaged in any dealmaking for the seat, or that he knew of Blagojevich’s pay-to-play scheme. But before the election, Emanuel made a call to Blagojevich’s chief of staff to deliver a list of successors Obama would smile on. More»

(NEWSER) - Fuming over rumors he was the Obama adviser who spoke with Rod Blagojevich about the president-elect’s Senate seat, Rahm Emanuel told ABC News today he's received death threats and the media have "intruded too much." Emanuel is not a target of prosecutors, sources told the AP late today, but reporters have been camped outside his Chicago home. He managed to elude them on his way to work today. More»