Rahm Emanuel Not Target Of Blagojevich Probe: Sources

WASHINGTON — People who have been briefed on the Illinois governor corruption investigation say Barack Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is not a target of the probe. Emanuel, a Chicago congressman who would have been a likely contact between the Obama transition office and Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been a focus of media attention since Obama said Thursday he has asked for an internal review of contacts between his staff and Blagojevich.

Emanuel has been refusing to answer questions about whether he's the "president-elect adviser" referred to in the criminal complaint that accuses Blagojevich of putting Obama's Senate seat up for sale. The complaint does not say that Blagojevich ever spoke to the unidentified Obama adviser about the Senate seat.

The two people who said Emanuel is not a target of the probe spoke on a condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way. One is a person close to Emanuel, who said he has been told by investigators that he's not a subject of their investigation.

Comments

[swiss-ski]

Rahm is no Rambo! Rahm does what he's told to period.

[kingmiller]

Don't you all know by now that Rahm can out F@*% Blago at his own F%@#!ng game? Rahm is the original Mr. MothaF&@#%! So Please, don't think that some two bit Chicago Governor is going to F5@#$ with Rahm Emanuel. F$&#@ Yeah! Go Rahm!

[Mahi Joe]

Daily Kos posted this leaked memo between Rahm and Blago.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/12/12/142929/59/901/672355

[Mahi Joe]

Nevermind. Traced it back to find out this is a joke. Sorry. Damn!

[swiss-ski]

I just read it and I was delighted. It shows how uneducated and moronic these liberals are. Happy BO administration. All you lawyers who want in on this fiasco had better get in now before it's too late!

[Fongenie]

Rahm looks yummy in this pic.

[blahdiblah]

Rahm looks yummy in every pic

[BSERIUS]

He will look yummy to those prison guys

[Sabreen60]

Read and learn.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/10illinois_complaint.pdf

[Readbetweentheelevens]

I wonder what kick you get out of being so wrong?

105. Later on November 11, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Advisor A.
Advisor A indicated that he will stay “on top” of getting the Senate Candidate 5 information
leaked to the particular Sun Times columnist. ROD BLAGOJEVICH again raised the idea
of the 501(c)(4) organization and asked whether “they” (believed [to] be the President-elect and
his associates) can get Warren Buffett and others to put $10, $12, or $15 million into the
organization.

In no way does that disagree with http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5337807.ece7.ece. That's the original quote in my post. Your comprehension skills are the ones at issue.

[Formeralaskangal]

I missed SNL tonight, but I can't help but imagine a skit of Rahm, Blog, and Mrs. Blog. That would be a bleeping great skit, full of bleeps, bleeps and more bleeps. Hilarious!

[Readbetweentheelevens]

"At one stage the governor told an aide that he wanted an unnamed “president-elect adviser”, thought to be Emanuel, to help “raise 10, 15m” for a charitable group, which the governor could head. Did Emanuel receive the news, and if so, how? Did he report his suspicion of illegal activity to the FBI or did he treat it just as a normal part of wheeler-dealing in the corrupt Windy City?"

Not a target my ask! We know two things about Emanuel's involvement, he didn't go to the police -- and he has been told to shut-up. Assuming the entire matter spins out of control, the country will be fine with Biden at the helm. Keep your eye on the prize. America for Americans. Turn back the policies of Bush (No Oil Company or Banker left behind).

[45245]

oh come on biden can be painted with something by then.....

[Sabreen60]

I suggest you read # 105 in the complaint. You either cannot comprehend what you read or you point blank /ie. It does NOT say "president-elect adviser". No where in the entire document does it say "President-Elect adviser". Read the whole 76 pages. If you think 'Adviser A' is on the 0ba-ma staff you're an idi0t. You're worst than F0X. You don't even have the smarts to tell an intelligent /ie - not they do either.

[Readbetweentheelevens]

Stick around, the story doesn't end today. Your comprehension skills will be put to good use when you can get past your emotions.

[ggmome]

Hang in there Rahm, we need you! Don't let the right hands, rile you, cause they are trying to do so! We know that you and Obama know the deal, be steadfast and cool! We are with you!

[Kartoffel]

Tommorrow will be the 6th day counting since Blago was charged on the morning of Dec. 9. and the Obama camp is still on lockdown. This BS about withholding info while "gathering facts" is getting more than a little hard to swallow. Time to start answering questions or come up with a new excuse for not doing so.

[ggmome]

Tommorrow will be the 6th day counting since Blago was charged on the morning of Dec. 9. and the Obama camp is still on lockdown. Quote from Kartoffel

++++++++++

...And you said that to say what! Just how long, did you not protest the lies and deceptions of the Bush Cartel? So take these statements and can them or jar these preserves and shelf them!

[45245]

it is called circling the wagons

[partyofone]

Hevean help the nation and Obama is Rahm Emaneul is not being completly honest.

[DontJustFollow]

I haven't plowed through all the ant litter, but know this. It is the extreme fringe of the conservative world that thinks this Blago deal is a lethal slam on Obama and Emanuel.

Few republicans voted for Obama, but a majority of us wish him success because most times as the President goes, the country goes. There are a lot of people on this site that claim republicans want the US to fail to make Obama look bad - in reality that is as moronic as when nutjob republicans say that liberals want the country to fail to spite Bush.

My opinion is that there is very little difference between the masters of the parties, and most of the broohaha is manufactured by the media to sell advertising and keep us all on edge.

Ant - grow up and get with the program. We all have a lot of work to do and it will be a lot easier to get it done if we don't have to keep stopping so we can shout at each other.

[dphilip]

Three weeks before the most historically elected president of the US is sworn in, and I'm reading a headline that his chief of staff "is not a target"of a federal probe........Yeah, you're the ones we've been waiting for.if you're a FBI agent that is..

[myangeldog1]

AdamAnt....you don't know me from Adam ; )....yet we have been discussing our thoughts all day long. I ask one thing from you.....please watch this video **through**....you probably won't like it but this is all that I ask of you. This young lady's father is a Vietnam Veteran Conservative who happened to disagree with his daughters point of view, up to a point. He is on record stating that he is very proud of her for standing up for what she believes and that ......yes she has a point. We NEED to come together as Americans for we are in a world of hurt this country NEEDS Cons and Libs....we do NOT need neo-cons.......America has handed Obama this h o r r i f i c mess because we believe in him. I ask that watch this and you will see where I am coming from for it speaks volumes....thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oegoI80t6WE

[BeasleysMom]

Myangeldog, I admire your tenacity in dealing with Adam, but I have decided it is better to just ignore her. She has been poll u ting Huffpo for far to long. Been thrown off and keeps coming back. She joves the attention. She is not ratio nal and will not look at your video or find facts because she is only here for the argument.

I agree that we need to come together as Americans but many are not able to discuss the issues in a rational manner and so must continue to resort to mudslinging and name calling. The American people sent a strong message in the last election that we are DONE with that kind of behavior. We want solutions to our many problems. So, let her rave. The more these people castigate Obama, the stronger our support for him will grow.

[postman606]

Wish I read your post before I wasted my time. The Ant almost never post anything based on fact, but on her limited, emotional, and biased opinion. The post election period has so embittered tr00ls they can't see straight.

[myangeldog1]

It's a SHE!! ROFLMAO!!

[reliant1]

oh crap - it's her and usually I recognize the madness...sigh

[SnapShots]

This is not a story. Any news story that cites anonymous sources has no credibility. Go back, sharpen your pencils and try again.

[harriscrl3]

Its such a NONSTORY and if they think that the AMerican people is going to care when they are losing their jobs pension healthcare having to shell out more money for food losing their homes that they are going to care about this NONISSUE they are really OUT OF TOUCH.

Carol

[partyofone]

the anoymous sources unfortunately are trying to protect Emanuel, the political wheeler dealer who is up to his neck in this mess. Emanuel holds the Congressional seat Blago used to hold in Congress. They are CLOSE.

Obama has integrity, but his judgment will be in question if Emaneul is implicated and must resign. A terrible cloud.

[Shadow08]

Well, conservatives and republicans are doing the only thing they know how, try to create a scandal, another smear campaign, another diversion to keep from talking about their own corruption and ineptitude.
One would think that after the many months John and Sarah smeared Barack Obama and the end result was a landslide and a clear mandate, they would get the picture; America is sick and tired of their smear mongering.
But, no, they still persist in making something out of nothing.
So, we see exactly what the next 4 years are going to be, the republicans, instead of repairing their own broken machine will try, once again to dest*oy the democrats.
I have news for them...It's not going to work. We're going to stand by our vote and the people we voted for with the same voracity they use to try and bring us down.

Hear this republicans, conservatives or whatever you losers call yourselves, Obama has mandate and a clear mission from We The People. You can try to derail it, but you will fail.

[myangeldog1]

He// hath no fury.........We are a force to be reckoned with..........YES WE CAN!

[AdamAnt12]

The conservatves and Republicans are NOT a part of this story. It is all dems. Now that this fact has been established, why NOT look at your POTUS-selct without the rose-colored glasses on that you have been wearing. He is a politician, and he comes out of the Chicago Political Machine, one of if not THE MOST corrupt political machines in the country. You can NOT tell people that Obama clawed and fought his way through that and came out on the other side without some dirt getting on him. That is Impossible for ANYONE, including Obama.

If the progressives continue to justify Obama's actions in this, the way HE is spinning and doing the CYA, it only shows how the Dems will stop at NOTHING for power. And that is what this is all about, right? I know that is what Obama is in it for. Wake up, progressives....Blago and Rezco are talking, it is just a matter of time....

[myangeldog1]

"he comes out of the Chicago political machine, one of the most corrupt political machines in the country"

1)...Illinois is 18th on the list of most corrupted states......Alaska being in the top 3. There is a Republican Governor from Illinois in jail as we speak.

2)...SO!

[Shadow08]

adamant12 said...
"bla, bla, bla", over and over again.

[postman606]

You don't know an Ant's thing about Chicago Dem. politics. There have been many politicians, especially from the Hyde Park community, who have had no more than a cordial relationship with the Machine. Hyde Park politicians maintain a streak of independence as required by their base. Most low information voters like yourself find it neccesary to paint people they don't agree with with broad strokes, I sense it's easier than trying to understand the nuances.

[reliant1]

Obama is indeed a politician and a sharp one. He has made mistakes as he learned the ropes and the rules of the game but learned from each of them and did not repeat them. He fought and clawed - that does not make him corrupt and of course he had to associate with the corrupt. He did get dirt on him - Rezko. A lesson he learned and did not repeat. His contacts with Blago tapered off to almost nil - as did everyone elses.

Of interest is the current media trend now speculating as to Blagos mental health - perhaps real and if not they have given him a plausible defense. You suggest he is singing - perhaps - or he may also be under recently acquired medical care.

Who would be surprised if rumors of drug use began to surface - a mental health issue and self medication and he's suddenly not the corrupt monster. Just sick. That gets him cushy rehab and a chance to make all that money he lusts after - self help books, speeches and a media darling on all the talk shows. And no singing involved. No singing to anyone about anything. Just a poor sick man whom no one helped, they just watched him disentegrate and stayed away. We'll have to watch and see...

[myangeldog1]

I've come to the conclusion that you an absolute i d i o t , incapable of absorbing logical, reasonable information.....C-ya...wouldn't want to be ya.......good night and good luck!