Busted! Emanuel ‘Spoke Directly’ to Rod Blagojevich

Here’s the buzz….

President-elect Barack Obama’s incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder. Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however. – from Suntimes

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is going to make a statement to the media in downtown Chicago. His office says the statement is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at the James R. Thompson Center. It would be the embattled governor’s first substantial public comments since his arrest last week on federal corruption charges. – from Suntimes

Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Obama’s chief of staff, had direct discussions with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about Obama’s vacant Senate seat, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun- Times Emanuel spoke with the governor and pushed for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett in the days after the presidential election and asked that it be done by a certain date. The sources said Blagojevich told aides about conversations with Emanuel and sometimes gave them directions afterward. Some conversations between Blagojevich and Emanuel were likely caught on tape, the sources said. – from Foxnews