Shocking Accusation From Blago Trial: Obama Knew Of Senate Seat Plot Involving Valerie Jarrett

Maybe that's why Pelosi got caught yesterday begging constituents for campaign cash to fend off potential GOP investigations.  New details describe Rahm Emanuel delivering a list of acceptable Senate replacement candidates from Obama to Blago.  Story keeps getting stranger.

(Updates are at the bottom.)

And just to be clear about the headline, that would be Blago's plot to offer Obama's vacated Senate seat to Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, in exchange for a cushy cabinet post for himself (Blago) to be provided by Obama. 

Illinois politics -- more corrupt than New York and Massachusetts combined.

Witness this from the Associated Press:

• Blago's attorneys demand to see Obama's FBI Interviews

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Separately, the Chicago Sun Times is reporting today:

A top aide to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he believed Barack Obama knew of Blagojevich's plot to win himself a presidential Cabinet post in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate.

John Harris, Blagojevich's former chief of staff, testified Wednesday in the former governor's corruption trial that three days after the Nov. 4, 2008, presidential election, the ex-governor told Harris he felt confident Obama knew he wanted to swap perks.

"The president understands that the governor would be willing to make the appointment of Valerie Jarrett as long as he gets what he's asked for. . . . The governor gets the Cabinet appointment he's asked for," Harris said, explaining a recorded call.

Harris said Blagojevich came away believing Obama knew what he wanted after having a conversation with a local union representative, who in turn spoke with labor leader Tom Balanoff, with whom Blagojevich met to discuss a Jarrett appointment. Jarrett, now a White House adviser, was seeking the appointment to Obama's Senate seat.

Defense lawyers say Harris' testimony contradicts the government's previous public statements that Obama knew nothing about deal-making involving the Senate seat appointment.

The defense on Wednesday moved to force the prosecution to turn over FBI reports of Obama's interview with federal agents in December of 2008. Obama is not accused of wrongdoing.

"Testimony elicited by the government from John Harris and wiretaps played in court raise the issue of President Obama's direct knowledge and communication with emissaries and others regarding the appointment to his Senate seat," lawyers wrote in the filing.

The filing came on the trial's third day of the extensive playback of recordings in which Blagojevich is heard repeatedly discussing ways to personally capitalize on his Senate seat appointment power. Blagojevich could be heard plotting to try to head up a charity; swearing and snapping at his wife, Patti, and dismissing the possibility of a federal position that pays $190,000 a year.

"I make $170 . . . So Fred, that has no appeal to me . . . I want to make money," Blagojevich tells national Democratic consultant Fred Yang. "I might as well go out and find a way to make money."

Obama's 2008 internal report about his staff's contacts with Blagojevich at the time indicates that Balanoff relayed to Jarrett that Blagojevich was interested in a Health and Human Services Cabinet post.

Recordings also revealed that Blagojevich had tried to get the Chicago Tribune's editorial board fired after it ran a series of disparaging write-ups about the then-governor.

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Continue reading at the Sun Times  >>

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UPDATES:

• Testimony -- Obama sent Rahm to deliver a list to Blago

• Blago on tape:  Get Obama to raise $15 million from Buffett, Bill Gates for my retirement and I'll give Valerie Jarrett the seat
  

• Emanuel pal delivered message from Obama

Update on Jun 24, 2010 at 5:55 PM by DailyBail

New links added.

Comments

[DailyBail]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100624/D9GHB1UO0.html

CHICAGO (AP) - Days after the November 2008 election, Rod Blagojevich sent word to Barack Obama that he would name one of the president-elect's close friends to the Senate in exchange for a position in the Cabinet, the ousted governor's former chief of staff testified Wednesday.

After court adjourned Wednesday, Blagojevich's attorneys filed a motion asking to see the FBI's summaries of interviews agents conducted with Obama.

[DailyBail]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/2427402,CST-NWS-BLAGO24.article

Harris: Obama knew of Blagojevich plot

[DailyBail]

Testimony: Obama Had 4 Senate Successors In Mind

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Blago.Obama.Senate.2.1770821.html

[DailyBail]

In the next tape, Blagojevich is heard floating another idea -- to ask the president-elect to ask Warren Buffett or Bill Gates to throw $15 million into a health-care related charity account that Blago could manage and live off. In exchange, of course, he'd appoint Valerie Jarrett to Obama's Senate seat.

Blago had just seen on the news that Obama didn't want Jarrett in the Senate anymore; instead, he was considering her for a cabinet post. But Blago's not convinced, and he floats this new fund-raising idea.

Rod: This is one of those things where you're the president-elect of the United States. His people, they go get the money.
Harris: I think that's a lot easier for them than an appointment, sure...
Rod: You go to these big Democratic multi-billionaires ... and you ask them all to give 2, ... a couple million each ... That's all they got to do for Valerie Jarrett... that's not hard for them.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blago/2010/06/blagojevich_on_tape_get_obama.html

[DailyBail]

Emanuel pal delivered message from Obama

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/blagojevich-on-trial/2010/06/emanuel-pal-delivered-message-from-obama.html

[DailyBail]

Blago calls Obama ‘hen-pecked’ by Michelle

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/blagojevich-on-trial/2010/06/blago-calls-obama-henpecked-by-michelle.html

[DailyBail]

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is asking supporters for contributions to help prevent the "subpoenas and investigations" that would result from a GOP majority.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/105013-pelosi-asks-for-donations-to-fend-off-gop-investigations

[DailyBail]

New Orleans--While many Americans undoubtedly agree with the decision of U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman to overturn the Obama administration’s moratorium on deep water drilling, not everyone is happy. In fact, the Judge is now receiving death threats in the aftermath of his bold ruling.

Last night, Feldman served as a celebrity judge at a cooking contest at a school gymnasium in Uptown New Orleans. Due to the threats, Feldman was accompanied by a federal marshal security team.

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/buzz/latest-buzz/10729-gulf-oil-moratorium-judge-threatened

[RecoverylessRecovery]

Obama's covered in more SHIT than a Louisiana Gulf Coast pelican.

[john]

The Jarrett Connection. Proof That Obama’s Hawaii and Chicago Communist Networks Were Linked?


http://romanticpoet.wordpress.com/tag/obamafrank-marshall-davisvernon-jarrett-connection/