Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jackson Jr. to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat

[IndianaGreen]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jackson Jr. to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat

January 2, 2009

BY NATASHA KORECKI, CHRIS FUSCO AND LYNN SWEET

Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones.

Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election.

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero confirmed that Reid (D-Nev.) and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) — the new chief of the Senate Democratic political operation — each called Blagojevich’s campaign office separately Dec. 3. Sources believe that at least portions of the phone conversations are on tape.

Before their contacts, Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel called Blagojevich to tell him to expect to hear from Senate leadership because they were pushing against Jackson and others, according to statements the governor made to others.

The Reid-Menendez calls came a day before a Dec. 4 conversation overheard on government wiretaps where Blagojevich says he “was getting ‘a lot of pressure’ not to appoint Candidate 5.” Candidate 5 is Jackson.


Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1360191,harry-reid-blagojevich-jesse-jackson-010209.article

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The plot thickens!

[JDPriestly]

1. The word "pressure" can mean a lot of different things.

I wonder if some of the politicians (boh Republican and Democratic) who land soft jobs in law firms that represent big corporations or on boards of corporations not that long after serving one or the other administration have friends who put "pressure" on other friends for the jobs. This is quite a common practice. I believe Clinton tried to stop it, but the practice is as ancient as humankind. There isn't a lot to be done about the pressure that is just a recommendation or a kind word. On the other hand, there some kinds of pressure are clearly illegal.

Wonder what really happened?

[IndianaGreen]

3. I don't think it is up to a Congressional leader to tell a governor who to appoint

Our representatives are supposed to represent their constituents, not the Beltway hacks!

[Luminous Animal]

4. One could look at this as advocating to keep

Dems in their current seats, i.e., not risking those seats while promoting another Dem to the Senate.

Unless Reid was making a payola deal, there is nothing there to this story than the usual corporate media's desire to make Dems look bad.

[cyclezealot]

11. Well said.

Plus one. Unless, Blogo asked for a stipend and Reid did not quickly hang up..

[Ken Burch]

22. Neither Jackson Jr. nor Davis was in a vulnerable seat.

BTW, if Lisa Madigan had been given the appointment, couldn't we have assumed that she'd be just as much a useless invisible mushburger as Dixon was? Is there any value in having a Senator that would never have been noticed? The bland quiet noncontroversial ones almost never achieve anything.

[tsuki]

2. The three he was pushing against had won elections, and Tammy

Duckworth had lost an election.

[cyclezealot]

12. yes,

but was it not in a hugely Republican district . &...Still, it was close.?

[MessiahRp]

5. Sounds like what the DSCC and DCCC scum do every election

Weed out everyone except mindless, spineless DLCers who are more than willing to go along with the Beltway boys on everything. Anyone else should be railroaded out before they ever get a chance to speak to the public.

It's fucking disgusting. More and more I am starting to wonder if the Democratic Party is really the Democratic Party or just another branch of the Republican Party.

So much for the big tent and all the different voices of our party.

Rp

[IndianaGreen]

19. The two party system has failed the republic

They both failed to defend the Constitution against Bush's assault on our freedoms and institutions. Not only they failed, but on occasion they were willing accomplices.

[bbgrunt]

21. I'll second that emotion, Messiah.

[Ken Burch]

6. He wanted Tammy Duckworth, who blew what should have been an easy gain

In the Illinois 6th?

(a gain we WOULD have made if the hacks hadn't ganged up to stop Christine Cegelis?)

Is there a REASON Reid's still Majority Leader?

[Dr.Phool]

13. No there's not!

Resign Harry! You useless, spineless worm. And take Shoomer with ya.

[Ken Burch]

7. I wonder if this had anything to do with the smear stories that came out

and implied that Jesse Jr. was somehow in league with Blago.

[Demeter]

8. Oh, Goody! If Blagojevich Takes Down Reid, His Name Shall Be Blessed

Now, if he could implicate Nancy P. we might have a chance of getting our Constitutional Republic back in working order.

[OKNancy]

9. So what? It's an interesting tidbit, but that is Reid's job.

He can voice his opinions or even "pressure" someone. Blogo could have listened to his opinions or not.

[TankLV]

23. Right - I'd be surprised if a powerful political leader did NOT pressure someone for something...

to be surprised or shocked at this is really NAIVE at best...

It's Reid's JOB to make sure he gets what HE wants. Not you. Not me. Reid is in the position - HE gets to decide.

That's the way the world works.

[JDPriestly]

29. Actually, until removed from office or convicted, it's Blagojevich's decision.

Reid can say what he wants, but it's Blagojevich's decision in the end.

Amendment 17, U.S. Constitution

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am17.html

[TomClash]

10. That's funny if true

Now it looks like that refusal to accept any Blagojevich appointment was payback.

[shadowknows69]

14. Can we please wrap Reid up in this scandal? Please please please?

Resign now Harry, it's for the best of the nation.

[BulletproofLandshark]

15. Reid should've kept his powder dry on this one.

That's what he does best, after all.

[Fumesucker]

25. Moderate centrists will expend any amount of powder. ... On their own left wing..

Otherwise they need a mountain of powder higher than Everest and dryer than the Sahara.

[Doctor_J]

27. Yes, when the Repukes are shredding the Constitution Harry's invisible

but when the Dem governor of Illinois wants to replace his state's senator in accordance with the state constitution, he's a pit bull.

[dbackjon]

16. Who the fuck is Reid to tell a govenor that

Reid needs to go. He is an albatross to the party.

[IndianaGreen]

18. It is up to the people in Illinois, and New York, who they want to represent them

Not some incompetent member of the homophobic LDS whose leadership of the Senate has made me long for the days of Tom Daschle.

[TankLV]

24. Sorry to burst your bubble, even tho I agree in principle (principal?) with your POV...

but it IS Reid's "job" as well as his perrogerotive to pressure and push for what HE wants. It comes with the "job".

I'd be surprised if he DIDN'T do this.

Just as every other person in the political pecking order has that right to do the same.

In this case, "we" are all not "equal", nor should we be...

[MasonJar]

17. Reid needs to go. He is worse than useless and ineffectual; he is actually damaging.

[AZ Criminal JD]

20. Classic. Reid is from the racist Morman church

And he did not want any elected African-Americans in his all white Senate. He wanted a white woman. No wonder he is fighting another African-American, Roland Burris, so much.

[totodeinhere]

26. I think that's unfair.

I'm not a big fan of Reid, but there is no indication that race has anything to do with this.

[liskddksil]

28. Sounds like a few primary challenges are in order for 2010

so we can get some real Democrats in.