Harris: Obama Knew of Blagojevich Plot

Blago trial reveals price of Senate appointment for president-elect's friend

"Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power."

- George Bernard Shaw -

From The Chicago Sun-Times
By Natasha Korecki

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.

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Rahm Traded Favors with Blago: Report

When we heard yesterday that Rahm (Dead Fish) Emanuel will be leaving his position of White House Chief-of-Staff, we suspected that news probably had something to do with information flowing from the trial of fellow Chicago thug Rod Blagojevich. Indeed, before a 24 hour news cycle had past, "good reasons" had given way to "real reasons." The corruption of the man is about to be revealed, and we doubt very much that Emanuel will be the only White House thug exposed.

Revelations about the slime of Chicago politics and politicians will be flowing like the BP spill before this trial ends.

Truth is the daughter of time, and it will be good for America to learn once again that character matters and that it is best to know the backgrounds of those to whom we entrust the highest offices in the land.

While a congressman, Emanuel asked for trades with embattled gov.

Getty Images

From NBC Chicago
By John O'Conner

President Barack Obama's chief of staff, then a congressman in Illinois, apparently attempted to trade favors with embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich while he was in office, according to newly disclosed e-mails obtained by The Associated Press.

Emanuel agreed to sign a letter to the Chicago Tribune supporting Blagojevich in the face of a scathing editorial by the newspaper that ridiculed the governor for self-promotion. Within hours, Emanuel's own staff asked for a favor of its own: The release of a delayed $2 million grant to a school in his district.

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AUDIO: Chicago Affiliate Won’t Cover GOP Senate Candidate if He Continues to Hammer Dem Opponent on Bank Scandal

Media in the "City of Big Shoulders" and Even Bigger Thugs

From Big Journalism
By Larry O'Connor

The Illinois Senate race is shaping up to be a high-profile and influential campaign that will have national implications. Not only because Illinois is the most populated state in the mid-west, but also because the seat up for grabs is President Obama’s former seat. If Republican candidate Rep. Mark Kirk, were to win the seat it would be seen as an enormous PR loss for the White House.

The Democratic nominee, Alexi Giannoulias has been under fire because of the failiure of Broadway Bank and his direct connection to it. Believe it or not, there are suspicions of corruption, incompetence and graft with regard to a Democrat in Chicago. Go figure!

Obviously, this is such a damaging story for Giannoulias that Rep. Kirk has been able to gain some serious traction in the race by continuing to focus on the issue. That’s what a politician does when engaged in a tough campaign (Sen. John McCain’s Presidential campaign notwithstanding).

Now we have the spectacle of one of the major local stations in Chicago threatening not to cover the campaign if the Republican continues to discuss the most damaging aspect of his opponent’s record. Is this the role of an FCC licensed station, entrusted with the role of serving the public interest in relation to a free-flow of information for the citizenry? Maybe in Chicago it is.

REPORTER: Channel 2’s made a decision. We’re really not going to cover the Senate race, if it’s consistently only in your terms, is about Broadway Bank. The bank’s been taken over by the government, Alexi’s been pilloried. Tell me, what is your campaign going forward? What are the issues you are going to tell the voters why they should vote for you?

Hear the entire segment from Chicago’s WLS-AM 890 Don Wade and Roma Show.

FBI Raids Obama Friend's Office

Sen. Barack Obama hugs Will County executive Larry Walsh in a hotel in Springfield, Ill., in February 2008. (Associated Press)

From The Washington Times

The FBI on Wednesday raided the county offices of a former Illinois state senator who is a poker-playing buddy of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

According to Chicago authorities, the FBI visited the offices in Joliet, Ill., of Will County executive Larry Walsh, a longtime friend of Mr. Obama's, and his chief of staff Matt Ryan.

Mr. Walsh, who served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2005, was endorsed by Mr. Obama in his county executive election bid. With the support of some of Mr. Obama's U.S. Senate volunteers, he easily defeated incumbent Republican Joseph Mikan.

Will County auditor Steve Weber confirmed that his office had been asked by the FBI to assist in an investigation, but he did not elaborate on the specifics.

Two FBI agents out of Chicago reportedly spent more than an hour in the Will County offices on Wednesday morning.

According to sources, the Walsh investigation may be tied to lobbying firm Smith Dawson and Andrews, which was hired in 2006 for $10,000 per month to help Will County acquire federal grants.

The firm, which is registered with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, assists clients with communications and legislative strategies that better their public policy agendas, according to its Web site. Last month, Mr. Walsh announced that Will County was the recipient of a $750,000 federal government grant that would allow law enforcement and prosecutors to fight against domestic violence.

One of the firm's partners, James P. Smith, contributed $2,000 to help Mr. Walsh's county executive election bid.

A corn farmer from Joliet, Mr. Walsh has supported his friend's presidential bid, and campaigned for him in rural and farming areas of the state. They are seen hugging each other in photos before Mr. Obama's announcement that he was running for president.

The two men became tight friends during their tenure in the Illinois Senate and bonded over games of poker. According to a report in Time magazine, Mr. Walsh lost to Mr. Obama once with what he thought was a winning hand, and then slammed down his cards and said: "Doggone it, Barack, if you were more liberal in your card-playing and more conservative in your politics, you and I would get along much better."

Mr. Walsh denied any knowledge of any investigation.

"I don't have a clue what you are talking about," Mr. Walsh said in reports published Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times.