Emanuel Pushed Jarrett For Senate: Report

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was pushing for Obama's successor just days after the Nov. 4 election, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Emanuel privately urged Gov. Blagojevich's administration to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, and the Sun-Times learned Tuesday that he also pressed that it be done by a certain deadline

Jarrett was initially interested in the U.S. Senate post before Obama tapped her to be a White House senior adviser, sources say.

Read the entire article.

Comments

[trisha08]

But hey, did you read the other story here on HuffPO about rasist jokes circulating on Alaskan state email system? By GOP standards, that would mean that Palin is guilty of being a racist and passing along jokes on government email. Guilt by association, right?

BTW, what ever happened to that probe into Palin using private emails to conduct State business? Oh right.....­they decided to give her a raise instead of looking deeper into her conduct. Understood.

[SPQR1775]

As an officer in the US Army, if an officer get a promotion and cannot finish his 36 months term in his current position, he will be asked and expected as a leader to have a few options as to how should replace him/her. O team did what every leader is expected to do, obviously with a Democratic Governor, Senator and a future Democratic administration you should be expected to say hey, these are the names I would prefer you choose from. Here is my names, you have yours conduct the interview and make a decision!! There is nothing wrong there. If the feds said that O and Emanuel or anyone in his camp approach the Governor with a pay to play, that is a whole different ball game and is YES would be unethical, below the belt politics and a huge judgemental gaff on O's path. Yet, I don't forsee that happening. Obviously, the FEDs and O's team along with JJJ was working a sting Ops for the Governor and obviously that is what happened. The feds moved when they had enough information to get some kind of conviction!

[SPQR1775]

I am an officer in the US Army and it is well known and expected that when you depart your assignment prior to the normally schedule 36 months, then you have a say in choosing your successor. As is the case in O senate seat, there is not issue with anyone from O's team talking about who he favors to replace him. The issue of an integrity check will be if anyone approach the governor on a quid pro quo basic. Any pay to play whether monetary or otherwise would be detremental to good, lack of judgement in what O campaign is all about etc. Jarrett is more than qualified so even if they wanted her for the seat, that is not any issue. The MSM is acting like O owes them a story, quite frankly he owes the likes of Dobbs, Hannity, Brown (CNN) any thing. I would start to give PBS and 60 minutes the scoops and sideline the MSM if I were the O team. MSM is corrupt, over price talking heads that are irrelevant. O new way of doing things have the MSM up in arms. No leaks unless we want you too know, so refreshing!

[SouthernBlueBelle]

OMG the press is SOOOO out of control. If they don't have an actual story, they make one or two up! I haven't had a good opinion of the MSM for some time now, but this whole deal has dropped it even lower. There must be a special place in h*ll for these guys, at least I hope so.

[rasit]

It's all about SCOOPS and RATINGS and SAKES, any real and worthwhile news at the BOTTOM of the list.

[StillIRise]

I was just watching the coverage on MSNBC about Caroline Kennedy vying for Hillary's senate seat. Included in the coverage was the fact that both Hillary and top leaders in the Democratic Party have been talking to Governor Patterson to encourage him to select Kennedy. And even the Mayor has been talking to the governor. But amazingly, no one has suggested that these talks are unusual or unethical or suspicious or any of the things that have been attributed to those in Obama's camp who talked with Governor Blagojevich about Obama's seat. It's standard procedure, and everyone understands that.

I recognize that there's no "scandal" in New York to make any of these conversations suspect, but they shouldn't be suspect even with a scandal! What Blagojevich did was to go beyond the standard procedure himself, but those within Obama's camp who initially talked with him before the scandal was exposed and who were not engaged in the bribery, did nothing wrong ... even if their conversations were taped.

[MarieFara]

UGH! I'm so sick of these "reports"! It's always "Blago is supposedly caught on tape: report" and "Jackson Jr is #5: Report" or "Valerie Jarrett is candidate #2: Report". NO ONE KNOWS JACK and yet everyone's talking as if they have insight. It's getting on my last nerves. It's the worst rumor mill. What would be the big deal with the media actually WAITING before they try to ruin people's reputation on B.S.

They reported Jesse Jackson as if he was trying to bribe Blagojevich for the seat and this week we find out that he was actually an informant for the prosecution.

They're ruining everyone's reputation just for some juicy gossip. The media should apologize. People should demand accountability on the media's part.

[eden4barack08]

Do these two "writers" at the Sun Times hold a real job there, or are they just for joke? What the heck kinda non-story is this? Even anonymous commenters on blogs provide more facts and coherence than these fools. Sheeesh. And that's a major newspaper? No wonder they're all going down!

[BSERIUS]

You are right ,,, The ObamaTimes is and has been so in the tank , imagine what if real reporters hadsaid

[postman606]

New overused term "in the tank".

[TallGrrl]

Emanuel pushed Jarrett for Senate.
To quote Bush: "Yeah, SO WHAT?"
Of COURSE he talked to them about appointing Jarrett. There's nothing unusual about that.
The crazy part came when Blago was expecting to get PAID for an appointment.

[kay]

Fitzgerald should probably find out how the writer found out there are 21 taped conversations, and this is the second leak in as many days.

I think he's lost control of his investigation.

[StillIRise]

I think Fitzgerald provided this information himself during his press conference.

[LeftLeanWing]

No..... some Sun-Times reporter name Sneed 'heard some rumblings' about 21 tapes conversations.

[Beka13]

Is the media getting the impression that average americans are standing outside Rahm's office with pitchforks or something? Why do they keep pushing on this? Do they want us to stop paying attention to them?

[bwilder]

Looking back at how quickly Jarrett's name was withdrawn, I can't help but
think that Obama and Emanuel had something to do with Blago's indictment.

It looks like early discussions with Blago or his people tipped
Rahm off to the game that Blago was going to play with his newfound power
in appointing the new Senator for IL.

Ongoing calls from Emanuel will prove to be Blago's undoing and as
smart as he is, I think Emanuel was doing his part to help Blago hang himself.
Just my thoughts..­.......hop­e I'm right on this one.

[SurrealPumpkin]

So do I. The timing was interesting on Jarrett's appointment to White House Adviser.

[rockerdelight]

I still am not sure what the point of this non-story is.

Hardly any surprise here that RE spoke with Harris etc. Fitz has put a gag order on everyone it appears- Obama team, IL impeachment committee etc. Obviously we are going to have to wait and see exactly who did what .. but in the interim.. I guess the MSM will play lets make up a variaton of a story

[kay]

I think the release of the taped Emanuel conversations will be problematic for Obama, politically.

He has a foul mouth, and he talks a lot, and brags a lot. It's not going to be GOOD for Obama, certainly.

[StillIRise]

Why? What does Emanuel's foul mouth and tendency to talk and brag a lot have to do with this case, or with Obama? I imagine that 99% of our elected officials would fall into this category from time to time, and if we wiretapped them all, we'd hear much of the same.

[MESGAIN26]

WHAT PART OF THE SUPPOSELY TAPE DID YOU MISS FROM THE PROSECUTORS MOUTH AND BLAGO, QUOTE : Blagojevich said it all: the Obama people were "not willing to give me anything except appreciati­on." UNQUOTE , He also appears to think little of the president-elect, whom he calls a "motherf***er" at one point.

[IMissAmerica]

In the popular parlance of the current leadership, So what?

[hotstuff]

So, do you really believe this writter on here? I don't believe one word of this!

[theone718]

Seriously they say "Rahm had 21 conversations with Blago about Obama seat" Well DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH who else would be talking to him about OBAMA'S senate seat. Incredible.

[steamboat]

I'm not a Rahm fan. Ever since he pushed NAFTA, GATT, and those Chinese trade treaties when he worked for Clinton...­....Howeve­r, I'll defend him on this: He did nothing wrong. He has a right to be for somebody (Jarrett) just like you and I do.

[BBackSoon]

I agree with you. Isn’t this one of the legal things that politicians in positions of power do?

[sposton]

And isn't what Blagojevich has done just a crass version what politicians do all the time? How do you think all those politicians get all that money for their non-profit foundations?

[steamboat]

Of course-------and regardless of party.