The Scandal Expands: Harry Reid Apparently Called Blago About Senate Seat 6 Days Before His Arrest

• January 4, 2009

Deeper and deeper:

CHICAGO (AP) A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Reid called Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in early December to discuss the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
Reid spokesman Jim Manley says the Nevada Democrat made one call to Blagojevich on Dec. 3.
That was six days before federal authorities arrested Blagojevich for allegedly trying to sell Obama’s seat.
Manley couldn’t immediately provide other details.

Apparently Reid wanted either Illinois VA chief Tammy Duckworth or current Illinois AG Lisa Madigan appointed:

Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election.
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero confirmed that Reid (D-Nev.) and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) — the new chief of the Senate Democratic political operation — each called Blagojevich’s campaign office separately Dec. 3. Sources believe that at least portions of the phone conversations are on tape.

The question is, what did Reid and/or Menendez offer Blago in return for a favorable appointment?
Also, it’s interesting that Reid wanted two non-black women to fill Obama’s seat when it was clear that many Democrats wanted it to stay “black.” Also, Reid was obviously working contrary to Obama in filling this seat.
Is the honeymoon over for Obama in liberal land?
What’s sad is that I still think the Feds jumped the gun in making an arrest before Blago actually sold the seat. They should have waited for Obama or Reid or someone else to actually make a payment before jumping in.
As it is, I’m afraid this scandal – as indicative as it is of shady dealing on the left from Obama on down – may not actually result in any convictions.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Politics

http://Array robert108

Predictable denial of the obvious from a formulaic leftie. Sigh.
Lioncourt

You have absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing. Your desperation to tie Obama to this scandal is ridiculous.

Nice attempt at smear.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

It seems that Obama has already been exposed as the light weight that he is.
MikeAdamson

I would have thought that a Democratic Senate leader would confer with a Democratic governor about a required appointment. Unless there’s some evidence of impropriety on Reid’s part then I’m not sure what the scandal is…unless I’m missing something of course.
robert108

first, barry had nothing to do with any of this…

If Obama doesn’t know what’s going on in his own Party in his own State, that goes to stupidity.
MikeAdamson

How about this, the Democrat Slave Masters have decided they have enough racist seats on the Democrat Slave Plantation so the Slave Masters decided they needed a couple of sexists to balance their identity politics.

No, I don’t think that’s it.

You’re missing the fact that the Dems run on the race card, especially in this Presidential election, and yet Reid doesn’t choose a black man for the open seat, which he should, according to Dem racial dogma.

I don’t think that’s it either. You have to hand it to the Governor and his maximum mayhem strategy though…go big or go home.

If you deny that, you are not being honest.

It’s quite possible that a Republican would receive such calls but your partisan mischief is laughable as usual.
di butler

Yuck, if Harry Reid called you, for any reason, wouldn’t you just hang up the phone?? The way he sounds when he talks, I would assume he was some pervy weirdo making prank calls.
Neiman

You have absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing. Your desperation to tie Obama to this scandal is ridiculous.

Nice attempt at smear.

Other than the fact it was Obama’s Senate seat, where did Rob try tie Obama into the scandal/story? I read it twice and I don’t see any implications of any wrong doing by Obama.

Again, your intent isn’t to find wrong-doing, It is to tie up the incoming President with investigations and scandal

.

No, that is a Democrat tactic, not conservative.
jimmypop

first, barry had nothing to do with any of this and seemingly would only give Blag a hardy handshake if he chose the ‘right’ person. We must all be 100% sure his staff (per what Barrys staff said) did talk to Blag, Besides, if they didnt they are total retards and should be gotten rid of. Who wouldnt want their senate seat taken care of? summary; barry seems to have the same problem willie did…. he just cant tell the truth and THATS whats going to get him in trouble.

Second, i am guessing the feds have more powerful people on tape. hopefully we will hear every bit of them, but im betting we wont.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

The questions are did Blago ask for something inappropriate (since we know that he was doing that) and b. if so did Reid report that?

But right now as far as we know Reid did nothing inappropriate.
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/america_is_back/#c397018 DINO

Again, your intent isn’t to find wrong-doing, It is to tie up the incoming President with investigations and scandal. It’s intellectually dishonest to claim otherwise.

Won’t work this time. Obama is going to wipe the floor with conservatives.
robert108

His lack of leadership is obvious. He’s just a sycophantic follower, like the narcissist Clinton.
robert108

..unless I’m missing something of course.

You’re missing the fact that the Dems run on the race card, especially in this Presidential election, and yet Reid doesn’t choose a black man for the open seat, which he should, according to Dem racial dogma. The scandal here is that if a Republican had done exactly what Reid did, the bootlicking MSM would be crucifying him and demanding that a black person be assigned that Senate seat, until they had intimidated him into doing their racist bidding. If you deny that, you are not being honest.
Mickey

Obama is attracted to bad boys.
Kramer

Harriet Reed is a JOKE!
syn

unless I’m missing something of course.

How about this, the Democrat Slave Masters have decided they have enough racist seats on the Democrat Slave Plantation so the Slave Masters decided they needed a couple of sexists to balance their identity politics.

no group or entity is in control of things, or operating with an overarching plan, and that events unfold largely based on unconscious herding impulses, fear and the fight or flight instinct.

Hmm…. perhaps this philosophy would be true if not for those Serfs living in Serfdom.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Again, your intent isn’t to find wrong-doing, It is to tie up the incoming President with investigations and scandal. It’s intellectually dishonest to claim otherwise.

Hey, nobody put a gun to Obama’s head and made him be friends with Blago. Nobody forced Obama to keep what Blago was doing from the Feds.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

You have absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing. Your desperation to tie Obama to this scandal is ridiculous.

Nice attempt at smear.

Your complete inability to question Obama on anything is telling.

SayAnythingBlog.com

The Scandal Expands: Harry Reid Apparently Called Blago About Senate Seat 6 Days Before His Arrest

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