Shocker: Emanuel Talked To Blagojevich About Keeping His House Seat Warm For Him
In the midst of Obama declaring himself innocent in the Blagojevich scandal comes news of Rahm Emanuel doing a bit of deal-making with Blago himself. Apparently the two discussed Blago using his influence to keep Rahm Emanuel’s seat in the House warm for him so that he could return to it after serving in the Obama administration.
Emanuel has not yet resigned from his congressional post. When he does, his position will be filled by a special election. But there was discussion about whether Blagojevich could appoint an interim replacement, according to the criminal complaint in the governor’s case.
Days after Emanuel and Blagojevich spoke about Emanuel’s seat, the governor is overheard telling aides on secret wiretaps he wanted Emanuel “to get the word today,” about raising money for the governor and that when “[Emanuel] asks me for the Fifth CD thing, I want it to be in his head.” The “Fifth CD” was a reference to Emanuel’s 5th Congressional District seat.
Apparently there’s no indication of promises being made, but it’s hard to imagine that favors weren’t discussed. And if Rahm was talking to Blago about favors in regard to his seat in Congress, are we really supposed to beleive that he wasn’t having the same conversations on behalf of his boss Obama?
And while there’s no evidence of Emanuel making a deal either for his House seat or Obama’s Senate seat, I don’t think anyone can say that Emanuel didn’t know Blago was trying to cut deals. And if he knew that he should have gone to the feds.
Emanuel didn’t, and that may make it a good thing (for Emanuel) that he hasn’t resigned his seat in the House yet. It may be all he has left before this is done. This scandal may never reach as high as Obama himself (it probably should but it likely won’t), but I don’t see how Emanuel survives it.
