Obama’s Big Illinois Headache Called Rod Blagojevich

Mr. Obama was certainly more assertive in his condemnation of the Illinois scandal than he had been a couple of days ago, and he stated flatly that he had no involvement with the selling of his Senate seat.

The U.S. attorney had also said there was no indication that Mr. Obama was in any way involved. But Mr. Obama did note that his staff was still gathering facts about whether anyone on his team might have been involved, leaving the door open that some inconvenient news could emerge. It seems unlikely that Mr. Obama’s statements today will put these questions to rest.

And poor Mr. Daschle! Like Al Gore on Monday, Mr. Obama’s co-stars were overlooked as reporters questioned Mr. Obama about the scandal. Still, in the health-care question, Mr. Obama indicated quite clearly that the Bush tax cuts may not be rolled back as fast as he had promised, if at all. In the end, of course, dealing with health care and the rest of the economic emergency in this country will have a more lasting effect on his presidency than the current scandal in his home state. – from NYT

President-elect Barack Obama said Thursday morning that he is “confident” no one representing him took part in any pay-to-play dealings with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich over filling Obama’s U.S. Senate seat, and pledged to release details of contacts between his team and the governor’s office in the next few days.

“I have never spoken to the governor on this subject. I am confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat. I think the materials released by the U.S. Attorney reflect that fact,” Obama said at a Chicago news conference. “I’ve asked my team to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor’s office about this vacancy so that we can share them with you over the next few days.”

Obama said he personally wasn’t interviewed by the federal prosecutors and suggested no one on his transition team was either – but did not answer a specific question about what role, if any, his transition team played in the investigation.

“I have not been contacted by any federal officials, and we have not been interviewed by them,” Obama said. “As is reflected by them, we were not perceived by the governor’s office as amenable to any deal-making.” – from Politico

President-elect Barack Obama attempted Thursday to clear himself and his staff of any taint connected with charges the Illinois governor put Obama’s Senate seat up for sale, saying Thursday he was “absolutely certain” there was no involvement with the alleged dealmaking.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday, accused of trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat for campaign cash or a lucrative job inside or outside government. The governor has ignored calls for his resignation and retains the power to appoint Obama’s replacement.

Obama said he was “as appalled and disappointed as anybody” by the allegations. And he said that neither he nor his transition team have been a part of the continuing federal investigation.

- from Yahoo

Smoking Gun – Obama DID talk to Blagojevich about the Senate seat on November 5th

Barack Obama claims he never spoke to Governor Rod Blagojevich about filling his vacant Senate seat. On November 5th, the state of Illinois issued a press release saying Obama and Blagojevich did indeed talk about filling Obama’s vacant Senate seat.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2008

Governor Blagojevich Congratulates President-elect Obama and Discusses U.S. Senate Seat
To fill President-Elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat, Governor will use deliberate process to select suitable replacement
CHICAGO – After congratulating President-Elect Barack Obama on his decisive victory, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced today that he will take his time and use a diverse senior staff made up of key members of his administration who will assist him in selecting a suitable replacement for Obama.

“Last night’s victory was bittersweet for Illinois – as we gain a great President, we lose a great Senator. And it goes without saying that our next Senator has big shoes to fill. Because it’s important that the best person for Illinois is selected, I want to be clear that the calendar won’t dictate our search. Instead, I want to ensure that Obama’s successor will understand and fight for the needs of average Illinoisans,” Governor Blagojevich said.

Governor Blagojevich will be looking for candidates that will:

Support the President-Elect’s agenda for the people;
Effectively represent the interests of the state of Illinois in the U.S. Congress;
Work with my administration to achieve our shared goals of ensuring access to affordable healthcare, rebuilding Illinois’ infrastructure, improving the economic security and livelihoods of Illinois workers, and caring for our most vulnerable; and,
Prioritize the average Illinoisan who is too burdened by taxes and economic hardship.

The U.S. Constitution, 17th Amendment, provides that a state legislature may empower the executive of the state to make the appointment.

Amendment XVII to the United States Constitution gives the Governor the authority to fill a vacancy in a Senate seat. See text below:

United States Constitution: Amendment XVII
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

- from Ill.gov

Obama and IL Gov. Rob Blagojevich Clashed over Demand for Bribe

President-elect Barack Obama and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clashed over whether to appoint a senior Obama adviser to replace him in the Senate, according to a criminal complaint filed with a federal district court.

The adviser at the center of the dispute appears to have been Valerie Jarrett, whom Obama has tapped to serve as White House senior adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison.

When contacted Tuesday, Obama’s transition team said they were not prepared to comment on the complaint just yet.
Obama’s advisers declined to give in to Blagojevich’s demands, prompting angry outbursts from the Illinois governor behind the scenes.

Blagojevich in a conversation intercepted by federal agents calls Obama a “motherf—-r” and dismisses Obama’s unwillingness to strike a deal: “F—k him.” – from the Hill