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On an FBI wiretap played this morning in his federal corruption trial, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is heard lamenting the fact that he's been eclipsed by the state's junior senator, Barack Obama.
"He's a demigod now," Blagojevich complains in a recorded telephone conversation with advisor Doug Scofield the day after Election Day 2008. "With my upward mobility, it doesn't look so good."
He said he felt "like I've failed." Then Scofield reminded him he had something "both important and valuable" -- the power to appoint President Obama's successor in the Senate.
During the call, Blagojevich plays "what-if" -- what if he had gotten into the presidential race himself? "I could've worked my ass off," he says. He could have hired David Axelrod. "That would've scared him," he says.
Axelrod helped Blagojevich win a House seat in 1996. The two fell out when Axelrod passed up working on Blagojevich's 2002 gubernatorial race.
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While you're citing the Blago trial...
Tom Balanoff: Obama called day before election about Jarrett appointment
Top union leader Thomas Balanoff said he was at dinner the night before the November Presidential election when he got a call that was blocked.
So he didn't take it.
Later he listened to his messages: "I walked outside, listened to it and it was from President Obama," Balanoff said.
"Tom, this is Barack, give me a call," the soon-to-be President-Elect said on the message.
After Balanoff sent word through an Obama aide to call him back, Obama returned his call later that night.
"Tom, i want to talk to you with regard to the Senate seat," Obama told him.
Balanoff said Obama said he had two criteria: someone who was good for the citizens of Illinois and could be elected in 2010.
Obama said he wasn't publicly coming out in support of anyone but he believed Valerie Jarrett would fit the bill.
"I would much prefer she (remain in the White House) but she does want to be Senator and she does meet those two criteria," Balanoff said Obama told him. "I said: 'thank you, I'm going to reach out to Gov. Blagojevich."
Balanoff then described a Nov. 6, 2008 meeting he had with Rod Blagojevich to recommend Valerie Jarrett for Barack Obama's Senate seat.
Blagojevich responded that he was in "active discussions" with the Madigans about appointing Lisa Madigan and was holding out for a legislative package with the House speaker."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/blago/2010/06/tom_balanoff_obama_called_day.html
Looking forward to you guys covering this extensively...and to the many comments...
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Um.
Scandalous?
Not sure what exactly I am supposed to find so repulsive about this. The outgoing senator said that he wanted the one who replaced to be good for the citizenry and electable in the next election?
There is nothing here of any interest. What would one expect them to do? This scenario is probably something that has happened many times with many people in many states over the centuries this great nation has existed.
"move along...nothing to see here..." Famous last words...
The tape did not state a "quid pro quo". If you want to hear that try FOX NOISE .
Uh, the entry is from your hometown paper...it is also available on NPR...Oh, that's National Public Radio in case you think the only stations in the world are msnbc and fox...That dodge is getting pretty old, even here...
Is there any recorded conversation of Obama strongarming anyone? How about him offering some kind of bribe? Is there any evidence that Obama committed any kind of crime? Is there any evidence at all that Obama has said anything other than what we have heard so far?
I know you are desperately hoping for some kind of evidence of something shady but so far I've heard nothing that leads me to believe this is anything other than politics. Obviously at this point there has been no crime committed and if there were evidence to even suggest there was, you can bet it would be all over the news. And don't resort to that liberal press crap, this President is getting nowhere close to the free ride of the past few POTUS. He certainly has the right to suggest someone to replace him or do you hold Democrats Senator to a higher level than Republucan Senators?
"...this President is getting nowhere close to the free ride of the past few POTUS..." and you are how old? Yes, everyone knows what a free ride the previous two occupants of the WH were gifted with...lol
Sort of makes everything you said, or will ever state here less than credible.
There are actual places with real statistics on this topic that would be so embarrassing to you that I, out of the kindness one should show to those less fortunate (and because I listed the link to one on another thread) will allow you to Google and maybe revise your assessment, unlikely as that may be.
Dangerfield,
The left refuses to use facts and when you do they instantly revert back to age old name calling. I enjoy reading your posts in between WORKING. Something they don't do. Take care
Blagojevich seems to have become delirious in his last days as a governor. He is heard on a tape saying that even "becoming ambassador to Macedonia [he is a Serb by nationality] will be fine. I suspect that he wanted to get out of Chicago as soon as possible, hoping that the FBI hounds will just stop tracking him.
He is still probably in delusion, and his attorney, whose antics float between comedy and self-indulgent fallacy while he tries to built fame for himself, has probably not awaken Blagojevich or urged him to take a guilty plea which might reduce his misery. His trial may end up as a historic event which will be remembered as how a buffoon with plenty of clout can become a governor in Illinois, and how a public official in Illinois can use the highest ladder of political corruption in any state in the U.S., to try to built a rich and prominent future for himself. The previous governor, George Ryan, who did the same is sitting in a federal prison in Terra Haute, Indiana.
I believe Blagojevich is still "in denial" that the facts in the trial are already looking like a high wall with barbed wire being built around him, while he stills seems to believe in miracles!
Nikos Rertsos, retired professor, Chicago
Republicans are obstructing every good thing that the Democrats are doing to bring the economy back to normal. Their strategy is to make the Democrats fail so that they may win votes in November. What they are forgetting is that Americans have been watching them and their tactics of voting as a block against every agenda the Democrats bring forward.
Republicans are now calling millions of Americans who got laid off due to republicans poor economic policies Hobos and animals. These millions of laid off workers must never be disrespected by these republican leaders to an extent that they refer to them as Hobos. The unemployment insurance paid to the laid off workers is only to enable them stay on their feet while they are still looking for employment. It can not even be enough to enable these laid off workers pay their basic bills.
Republicans are still going to lose heavily in November unless they use tricks such as the one they recently used in the South Carolina primaries that gave victory to some one who never even campaigned.
Damn son, what rock are you under? Wake up to reallity. What university do you attend? This is the only way you can be so far in left field.
dangerfield
All you 5th graders on the right wing; each one being dumber than the next, are on your jihadist mission have falsely claimed there is a correlation to Blago. The only correlation there is each of you are visually and developmentally impaired morons who listen to FOX Noise’s echo chamber. NPR is no better either. The Chicago Sun-Times reported… Balanoff sent word through an Obama aide to call him back, Obama returned his call later that night.
"Tom, [Balanoff] I want to talk to you with regard to the Senate seat," Obama told him.
Balanoff said Obama said he had two criteria: someone who was good for the citizens of Illinois and could be elected in 2010.
Obama said he wasn't publicly coming out in support of anyone but he believed Valerie Jarrett would fit the bill.
"I would much prefer she (remain in the White House) but she does want to be Senator and she does meet those two criteria," Balanoff said Obama told him. "I said: 'thank you, I'm going to reach out to Gov. Blagojevich.
The Craig report acknowledges that in various conversations with transition staff and others, the President-Elect expressed his preference that Valerie Jarrett work with him in the White House. He also stated that he would neither stand in her way if she wanted to pursue the Senate seat nor actively seek to have her or any other particular candidate appointed to the vacancy." Balanoff himself testified that Obama "would much prefer" Jarrett work with him at the White House, but said that she met his qualifications for the post. Read it. If you can’t read you can Google the Chicago Tribune and listen to the tapes. Too bad you morons are so intent upon implicating the President when there is none.
http://www.c-span.org/pdf/blagojevichreport.pdf