Rahm Emanuel Gave Blagojevich List Of 'Acceptable' Senate Candidates: Report

President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had direct conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich about Obama's replacement in the US Senate, FOX News Chicago reports.

Citing "a source familiar with the investigation," Fox says that Emanuel had "multiple conversations" with Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris, who was also arrested Tuesday on federal corruption charges, about the seat and that they we're "likely recorded and in FBI possession."

Fox's source said that Emanuel gave the governor's office a list of "candidates that would be acceptable to President-elect Barack Obama" but no "quid pro quo" or "dealmaking" is suspected.

Meanwhile, an angry Emanuel says he won't go to work because of the media stakeout. He told an ABC News cameraman that has received death threats:

The President-elect's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said today he won't go to the Chicago Presidential transition offices in order to avoid reporters seeking to ask him whether he had contact with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich about the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama's election.

Emanuel appeared "beet-red," according to an ABC News cameraman who was invited inside by Emmanuel to use his bathroom this morning.

"I'm getting regular death threats. You've put my home address on national television. I'm pissed at the networks. You've intruded too much, " Emanuel said, according to the cameraman.

Emanuel has refused to comment as to whether he is the un-named Presidential advisor cited in the FBI affidavit filed in the Blagojevich case. "You're wasting your time," Emanuel told a Chicago Sun-Times reporter yesterday. "I'm not going to say a word to you. I'm going to do this with my children. Don't do that. I'm a father. I have two kids. I'm not going to do it."

Comments

[Crankshaft]

Barack Obama is a sitting Senator until he assumes the office of the President. Then the Gov. appoints the interim Senator, no special election. Obama directing his chief of staff to give input to the Gov. who will make the temporary appointment is not unusual. I would assume anyone in his place would give those suggestions.
What is telling is that those suggestions were met with anger, profanity and invective towards Obama. Obviously Gov what's his name was pissed that Obama's team thought they could make a straight up suggestion when he stood to profit by selling the seat. Why else would he be on tape ranting about Obama being a Motherf*****?

[jstowe100]

Love how Rahm "worked" the cameraman he invited in to use the bathroom (out of the goodness of his heart).

Rahm won't go to work because of a too agressive media? That's just plain funny.

What a hot, craven mess this guy is. Hopefully, he will be wiped off the bottom of Obama's shoe, and tossed into the gutter where he belongs.

[chancho24]

According to Keith Olbermann, Obama and his staff were absolved of any wrongdoing by the Feds and Fitzgerald today. No wonder Rahm Emanuel was smiling like a cheshire cat in the background while Obama was taking questions.

[Vazzman]

Instead of giving names for suitable Candidates for the Senate seat he should give his seat up already he is getting paid and not doing his Job for the 5th District Congressional we need a Special Election to fill his seat.Resign,Resign Resign, if he is not fulfilling his Re-Election let someone else do what he isn't doing. Like Israel2Congress has a good ring to it why hasn't
any newspapers mention the latest Candidate Israel Chicago Northsider in the running.

[benman]

What, so Blago can appoint his successor?

[AdamAnt12]

Keep listening to Keith Oberman...he tends to pander to liberals and will say ANYTHING to get his 13 viewers to keep watching~~

[minty68]

Why is this "piss on Rahm Emanual day"? Blago is the one who holds the blame for all this mess. Is everyone who had a conversation with him held suspect?

[shelobo]

A good point,because being Politicans almost every onee 'speaks' to the others sooner or later.IF Rahm spoke about CERTIAN jubjects and was trying to influence Rod Blagojevichs decisions in any way ,Rahm should be REMOVED from the list of potential cabinet members of Obamas oppointments /nominations .HONESTY HAS to take first place in Obamas cabinet ,period !

[Bricks]

That Blago's phone lines were tapped for months was a secret to no one except the Governor himself. Do you think Rahm Emanuel would have talked freely over the phone if he knew his every word was being recorded by he Feds ?

Their is a story here, but not the one that the Wingnuts are hoping for.

[TJB100]

Interesting! I thought it was the people of Illinois who were supposed to decide! Oh, I see: Rahm Emanuel knows who is the best person for the people of Illinois.

[minty68]

The governor of the state in which the seat is vacated is responsible for filling the seat. Rahm Emanual is only speaking on behalf of the individual vacating that seat to express his point of view on potential candidates.

I agree that it is a crazy system. They should hold a special election and let the people decide.

[rsk825]

Death threats....doesn't take much to piss the GOP off. I suggest , at worst throwing a shoe at him.

[LinuxDude]

Those "death Threats" are only claims and excuses. Not documented at all.

Why on earth do you believe every excuse out of a Democrat mouth?

Oh yes, the dog ate his homework as well.

[kylie]

And the sources at FOX and ABC are top journalists?
I just wait for every word that comes from either of these sources-Su­uuuurrrrre­eeee!

[mollyjackson]

"candidates that would be acceptable to President-elect Barack Obama" but no "quid pro quo" or "dealmaking" is suspected.
I bet he gave him a price list.

[minty68]

Why would you bet that? Blago is the only one who has been arrested.

[Firenze]

Anyone who has ever held and then vacated political office, or even a judicial seat is OF COURSE interested in who his or her replacement should be. Get a grip, people. That is not a crime.

[amcg50]

I really dispise the partisan Right!

[mollyjackson]

Grow up! Jeeeeeeeezz.... Stop taking yourself so seriously..... It is funny and Obama even thinks its funny... Perhaps you need a sense of humor transplant or perhaps a personality!

[DJ23]

Which part is the funny part?

[Ohsnap]

I don't see any evidence of wrongdoing by Rahm. Sure, he's talked to Blago about Senate replacements. Seems only normal that if someone resigns a seat, you would talk to the person responsible of appointing his successor of whom you would want to replace. It seems to me the GOP is suggesting that Rahm shouldn't have talked to Blago since he knew he was corrupt, before the U.S. attorney Fitz broke the story. Politicians were never known for their amazing foresight (hence the great economic mess we find ourselves in now).

If Obama, Rahm and Blago all were pissing into a urinal at the same time and were talking about Senate replacements--would this be considered a crime? Or just the normal course of business? The GOP isn't interested in "transparency", they're looking for generalized statements to twist into their version of reality.

[sconehead]

Only with FOX would it be news for Rahm to talk about an appointment, to the person making the appointments....

It's good we're vigilant about this...remember what the GOP did to Clinton in 93...

[TexasAggie05]

You're missing the point. Of course it doesn't matter that he gave him a list of candidates. The newsworthy aspect is that the Obama camp originally said they had "no contact" with the Blago. Fox or not, that's a failure to disclose (or lying depending on how you want to "spin it"), and that my friend is news regardless of your network affiliation.

[themainpoint]

If Rahm was having talks with a governor who he knew was illegally selling a senate seat, that is downright unAmerican and wrong. Instead, Rahm should have turned tin the Governor who was trying to sell Obama's seat.

After hearing that Rahm was in charge of doling out Democrat money to candidates running for office and that he told those candidates they would receive any money if they spoke out against the Iraq war, I'm inclined not to trust this guy or his motives. On that alone, I think Obama should lose him.

[themainpoint]

Make that "he told those candidates they would receive NO money if they spoke out against the Iraq war."

[themainpoint]

If Rahm was having talks with a governor who he knew was illegally selling a senate seat, that is downright unAmerican and wrong. Instead, Rahm should have turned tin the Governor who was trying to sell Obama's seat.

After hearing that Rahm was in charge of doling out Democrat money to candidates running for office and that he told those candidates they would receive any money if they spoke out against the Iraq war, I'm inclined not to trust this guy or his motives. On that alone, I think Obama should lose him.

Sorry if this posts twice, but the first time I posted it, even though it showed up as posted, when I went back, it was not there.

[mec57]

Emanuel has received death threats? Don't try to play the victim here, Rahm...we know you are NO victim.

[nogimmicks]

Rahm represents the financial sector, the very reason this country is going doing the drain. And, yes, he operates just like Blagoevich, in the same style and the same content. And, yes, Obama is not going to change much, a few cosmetic changes here and there, and a charming smile.

[mec57]

Rahm is and always will be a hard knuckles, take no prisoners politician...he is, as some have joked a modern day Al Capone, without all the gore...except when it comes to goring his opponents and people he wants to bring down...I have ZERO sympathy for this man...

[sconehead]

There's a difference between tactics and beliefs... Rahm is the a hard knuckles kind of guy but he is on the RIGHT side. It's much different when people use those tactics to undermine working families, children, other countries and religions, like the GOP does.

[ccampbell101]

Does it matter that he gave him a list of OKs? As long as no "deal-making" was going on, I would think that Obama should have a say in who it is that will take his position. It was Blogojevich, not Obama, that was trying to "sell" the seat.

[45245]

we will still paint bo with this scandal just for kicks and giggles

[bodhibabe]

Indeed. And I suspect that Rahm turned Gov B into the feds.

[mybelovedcountry]

gave him a list of possibles ok...did say he would pay for them...all they were willing to do is show gratitude...

[mec57]

That's what Blago said...clearly a lot more is going on here than just Blago's words...

[sconehead]

That's totally dishonest of you, Mec57. If you're basing your charges on Blago's private recorded words, as Fitzgerald and the responsible media are, then you have to account for everything he says.

Otherwise you are not bound by anything except your little troll brain.. Isn't he going to appoint a Republican? After all he didn't say he was going to appoint a Republican. Sheesh.

[dc2nm]

Nothing is "clear" in this case except Blago's words and the fact he spoke to people. Obama and Rahm are not being targeted by the investigation because there is nothing there.

[minty68]

No, what he said is he got nothing but their gratitude, a clear indication that no financial tradeoff was on the table.

[apoliticalchick]

Since when is the president-elect's chief of staff prohibited from discussing potential appointments to the now vacant senate seat. If Blago wasn't a creep would it be an issue at all?
http://democralypsenow.blogspot.com/

[mec57]

Naive...

[pjones006]

Intelligent response since you can't answer the question.

[Cassie129]

It isn't news. This gets a big SO WHAT from me.