On Obama And Blago, "No Contact Or Communication"
With Pres.-elect Barack Obama vacationing in Hawaii and WH Chief of Staff designee Rahm Emanuel bound for a family trip to Africa, the presidential transition team today released a five-page document specifying that Obama had "no contact or communication" with IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich or his staff about candidates to replace him in the U.S. Senate. Overall, the report suggests that Obama's representatives had limited and appropriate dialogue with the governor and his top aide.
The report, drafted by WH counsel-designee Greg Craig, says that Emanuel had one or two conversations with Blagojevich. Emanuel also spoke "about four" times with Blagojevich's chief of staff, John Harris, regarding possible successors. During those talks, Emanuel and Harris, who was arrested with Blagojevich earlier this month and has since resigned, discussed "the merits of potential candidates and the strategic benefit that each candidate" would bring to the job.
After Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett removed herself from consideration, Emanuel suggested that Harris consider: Dan Hynes, IL Veterans Affairs Chief Tammy Duckworth, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.. During a later conversation, Emanuel added IL AG Lisa Madigan and Cheryle Jackson to the list.
"Harris did not make any effort to extract a personal benefit for the Governor in any of these conversations," according to the report. "There was no discussion of a cabinet position, of 501c(4), of a private sector position or of any other personal benefit to the Governor in exchange for the Senate appointment."
The report takes care to note, too, that "the President-Elect had ruled out communicating a preference for any one candidate." Obama, it says, "believed it appropriate to provide the names of multiple candidates to be considered, along with others, who were qualified to hold the seat and able to retain it in a future election."
In discussing Senate candidates with Obama, adviser David Axelrod and Jarrett, Emanuel did not mention any efforts by Blagojevich or his staff to extract a personal benefit in exchange for an appointment, according to the report. The report does not say if Blagojevich made such an appeal to Obama's staff. Only that Emanuel didn't communicate as much. So the biggest question that remains unanswered by the report is if Blagojevich made a plea for some kind of quid pro quo, as U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald charges in his complaint.
We'll know more, of course, when the audio tapes are released. How Emanuel might've responded remains the biggest open practical question.
It's also worth noting that the Craig memorandum says for the first time at that the U.S. Attorney's Office did conduct interviews with Obama (12/18), Jarrett (12/19) and Emanuel (12/20).
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
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