Who’s going to get caught up in the Blago scandal?
Whether criminally or just enough to have their political careers significantly damaged?
JJ Jr?
Rahm … Looks like he already has the “spend more time with the family” excuse figured out.
Axelrod?
Chicago dopers… any local pols worthy of discussion.
Why would they go down if not directly involved you might ask? How about knowing that Blago was up to no good and not doing anything about it?
It’s been public knowledge for three years that Blagojevich was being investigated by the government. So I’m not clear what “not doing anything about it” means in this context. The authorities were already alerted and on the case, and everyone knew that - including Blagojevich, of course, not that he had the sense to stop digging his own grave with his mouth.
This is very bad for Jackson Jr., and it’s worse if any evidence shows he himself was okay with the idea of accepting the Senate seat in exchange for the fundraising work. Other than Mrs. Blagojevich, I think the people in the most trouble are his lieutenant governors, particularly whichever one he suggested he could appoint to the Senate and then ask to quit if things got bad in Illinois.
You’ll have to explain why this would take down Emmanuel or David Axelrod. While Blagojevich had thought up schemes that would involve them, there’s no evidence they ever actually talked to him about the issue in the first place, much less evidence that they said they’d consider doing something wrong.
Jesse Jackson the Younger isn’t looking like he’ll fare too well through this, but I wonder if Obama’s whole team will make it through totally clean. He is the president elect, might not someone at the Justice Department maybe have let him know that G-Rod was in a heap of shit and to stay a country mile away from him if at all possible?
Blago’s best defense is that nothing ever went down and there seems to be little on tape other than plans over how to shake people down - with the exception of some statements that some of JJ’s supporters would come through. But no one knows exactly what was really said vs what was assumed was understood. (Even the Children’s Memorial and Trib shake downs never resulted in payoffs.) It may turn out that his henchman’s wink wink nudge nudges were so obtuse as to never be really completely understood by most, or at least to have various folks at least play dumb.
There were very few who didn’t know that Blago was going to go down at some point. Anyone who wasn’t saying no exclusively by not hearing or understanding the hinted requests was an idiot. Obviously these idiots exist, but I do not think too many big names are that stupid.
Rahm is a boy of the mean streets and brass knuckle politics and would not have been shocked by a solicitation. His answer in the negative would likely have made Blago’s expletives seem prim and proper. But yeah I doubt he would have went to the Feds with the solicitation. If that comes out he may end up leaving … or not. Asking for an appointment in return for “a favor” is unseemly but less clearly over the line than asking for money.
His Lt Governor is in the clean.
If Blagojevich wanted a cabinet post in return for appointing Jarrett - and he seems to have had the sense that’s what Obama’s people might have initially preferred - that’s stupid but not necessarily illegal; I expect many politicians during this past campaign asked to be considered for cabinet jobs in response to delivering public endorsements. Asking for money and phony jobs is another issue, however. Whatever Blagojevich wanted from Obama’s people, he understood he wasn’t going to get it and he makes that clear. If What the … !!! is suggesting Emanuel or other Obama supporters helped cover up what the governor was doing, I have to say that doesn’t make a lot of sense, given that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing on their part. As far as that goes, it’s time for somebody to come up with some evidence.
Could anybody local have covered for him, beyond his staff? That’s more believable.
Deputy governors. The lieutenant governor hasn’t actually had a conversation with Blago since mid-2007.
Right. My bad.
I wouldn’t think anyone like that would be so stuped as to actively cover anything up … but if it can be shown that they knew Blago wanted something unethical in return fo the seat … and then pulled out of the running but let Blago continue on his merry way… well, that could be enough to hurt some politicians.
Keep blind hope alive, brother.
Do note my “some politicians” qualifier.
I realize it’s alot to hope that Obama and those he surrounds himself with would be held to a standard that others are held to.
It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that someone in the Jackson camp is being prepped to fall on their sword. Or possibly thrown under the bus.
At this point we’re just waiting to see what information there is
I’m capable of understanding euphemisms. 
I’ve got no problem holding him to the same standard everyone else is held to. In this case, there is no evidence of wrongdoing by any of Obama’s people at this point- but your post singles out Rahm Emanuel in particular for suspiciously seeing his daughters, and David Axelrod, 'cause, I don’t know, he has a funny mustache. Governor-for-now Blagojevich was hoping he could wrangle or extort something from Obama’s team but realized it wasn’t happening. You’re hanging your hat on the hope they covered for him, when in actually he got busted barely a month after Obama won the election, at which point they would’ve have had even the time to cover for him- and that’s even if they had the inclination to do help him somehow. There’s no evidence they did and no reason to believe it.
The people who go down in this story will be Blagojevich (obviously) and some of his people. It’s not impossible some minor Illinois politicians were involved, but so far, Fitzgerald hasn’t named anybody.
Neither has Obama. Blago’s been tainted goods for a long time and nobody wanted any of the stank wiping off on them.
It is actually funny how everyone in Illinois is running away from Blago at this point. I think AG Lisa Madigan also said that she hasn’t spoken to Blago since 2007. This guy is the governor of the state and important people hate him so much that they go out of their way to avoid him.
I’m really hanging my hat on two things (and I’m not focusing on Obama himself)…
Anyone who was a part of multiple, lengthy conversations with Blago and his people wasn’t just saying “No!” over and over again. It indicates to me that they were willing to listen and play along… with the possibility that the price might come down to something they could get away with.
Some politicians and their associates would blow the whistle on Blago’s activity. Others would look the other way. The latter might be called out and suffer for it. (I guess in my fantasy world anyway.)
The linked article went just a bit further than that. Reporter asks Emanuel if he’s the Obama “advisor” mentioned in the criminal complaint. It would be easy and natural to say “No” but he somewhat conspicuously fails to.
:dubious: :rolleyes: I think we all know what you’re getting at. Give it up. It ain’t gonna fly.
Rahm’s clean. Don’t get your hopes up.
Which means nothing.
There is no evidence or accusation that anyone had such phone calls with Blagojevich – not just nobody from Obma’s staff, but nobody at all.