Reid Pressured Blago on Senate Pick

(NEWSER) - Rod Blagojevich announced today that former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris will fill Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, the Chicago Tribune reports. Blagojevich said Burris was a man of "unquestioned integrity" and asked that people not allow "the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man." Meanwhile, Senate Democrats released a statement reiterating Harry Reid’s warning that no Blagojevich pick would be seated. 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 end to antics for Governor Dead Meat

(NEWSER) - Covering Rod Blagojevich—aka “Gov. Dead Meat”—has been so much fun for Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass that in today’s mailbag column, a reader asks how much he’s paying Blago for the “gift that keeps on giving.” Kass’ reply: “As our esteemed governor famously said, this thing is ‘bleeping golden.’” But Blago isn’t just a gift for Kass, he’s a gift for America, which finally gets a look at the Illinois political machine. 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»