h/t Today With President-Elect Barack Obama
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Blago-Gate is Keepin' On
Obama Crew floated an announcement today for Energy Secretary, get to it later, but he and staff was hunkered DOWN due to the Blago-Gate crap.
First off, Blagojevich went to work today!!! Not in Springfield, he does not work in the capital, but was driven from his Ravenswood Manor to his office in Chicago. Hope they got the all the hidden mics removed.
Next, it is sad to report that Blagojevich's Deputy Governor resigns. Since Blago got caught in the "talking shit" act, his Deputy removed himself from Blago's services.
In a brief telephone conversation with The Associated Press on Wednesday, former Deputy Gov. Bob Greenlee said he'd been instructed not to speak and referred questions to an attorney.
Greenlee's resignation comes a day after Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges.
Ummm, he has an attorney? Was he caught talking too? We will soon find out.
Next Senator Harry Reid, Leader of the Senate, on Blago, don't even try to appoint a senator.
A Senate leadership aide sends over the letter, which Reid has asked his fellow Dems to sign. Here's the key part:
Please understand that should you decide to ignore the request of the Senate Democratic Caucus and make an appointment we would be forced to exercise our Constitutional authority under Article I, Section 5, to determine whether such a person should be seated.
We do not prejudge the outcome of the criminal charges against you or question your constitutional right to contest those charges. But for the good of the Senate and our nation, we implore you refrain from making an appointment to the Senate.
Mayor Richard Daley, from Chicago, the Chi-Town biggest cheese of all, says basically, "Blago do the right thing." But knowing that he has been under investigation, himself, he is walking a line.
"He has to figure out what is best for the state of Illinois," Daley said. "He has to make that decision personally ... You can figure out what would be the best for the state because this is gonna be quite a trying experience for him and his family ... These are very serious, serious allegations. These are not light-hearted, windbag conversations."
Wow, windbag conversations. Only in Chicago.
All 50 Democratic Senators want Blago OUT!!
All fifty members of the Democratic Senate caucus have signed Majority Leader Harry Reid's letter calling on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to step down from his post and refrain from appointing anyone to the vacated Illinois Senate seat, a source confirms.
IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan just wants Blago to go away and denies wanting Obama's Senate Seat
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says she is "candidate No. 2" named in Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's arrest.
She denies having sought Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat, however.
Madigan, who has called on Blagojevich to resign and for the Illinois attorney general to take over, says: " Nobody in their right mind in the state of Illinois is going to accept a Senate seat from the governor considering the taint of what has gone on."
Listen to Madigan, here.
Then we have the King Cheese of All, President-Elect Barack Obama who released a statement via future Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
President-elect Barack Obama believes that Gov. Rod Blagojevich should resign, his advisers said on Wednesday. "The President-elect agrees with Lt. Gov. Quinn and many others that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois," Robert Gibbs, the incoming White House press secretary, said.
The infamous Candidate #5 from the US Attorney Office, Criminal Complaint which reads like a Hollywood Script, has finally been uncovered.
None other than Jesse Jackson, Jr. Jackson, Jr. had a press conference today to vehemently deny any dealings, offers, exchange of monies, or releasing anyone on his behalf in regards to Obama's Senate Seat.
And the biggest S.O.B. of all is attempting to cling to what little power he has left.
His career in shreds, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clung defiantly to power Wednesday, ignoring a call to step down from President-elect Barack Obama and a warning that Senate Democrats will not let him appoint a new senator from the state.
"Everyone is calling for his head," said Barbara Flynn Currie, a leader in the Illinois Senate and, like the governor, a Democrat.
Calling for his head? That is being nice.
This is what the Governor Rod Blagojevich corruption story has reduced all of this too. The Obama Team is hunkered down, as they should be, probably grilling every single person who even said the word, "Blagojevich", well maybe. Remember we don't know who is who, with the exception of Jackson Jr., on those tapes. We don't know who said what to Blagojevich on those tapes. So, they need to be assured that their ducks are in a very straight row going forward with this scandal swirling around them.
Yep, welcome to politics, Chicago Style.
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Word Out: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Steven Chu is pegged for Energy Secretary
Obama will name Steven Chu his choice for Energy secretary, Lisa Jackson for EPA administrator and Carol Browner as energy "czar" reporting to the president.
It is unclear whether the Browner position is cabinet level.
This will not be officially announced this week.
There will be a news conference tomorrow to announce the Health and Human Services secretary -- expected to be Tom Daschle.
*** UPDATE *** Msnbc.com's Alan Boyle wrote last year about how biology might help fill fuel tanks, and the story included some of Chu’s thinking on energy policy.
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Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL-10) looks to jump in for Obama seat, IF a special election
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Wednesday he is considering running for Senate if there is a special election to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s seat. The Illinois Republican also did not mince words about some of the potential Senate appointees mentioned in the federal complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).
Federal investigators arrested Blagojevich on Tuesday morning and accused him of selling Obama’s now-vacant seat to the highest bidder, in addition to other corruption charges. Illinois leaders are now pushing to change state law for a pricey special election to fill the seat instead of a gubernatorial appointment.
In an interview Wednesday morning, Kirk said he was looking at running but thought state legislators’ first priority should be getting Blagojevich out of office.
“I will look at it,” Kirk said. “As far as the people of Illinois, the first job is not to decide how we pick a Senator. The first job is getting rid of the governor.”
Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) said on MSNBC today, pretty much how I feel about a special election, "if there is one it will not service the African-American commmunity."
What this means is that special elections are low voting elections. What it means is that you must have money and big organization to get your voters to the polls. It means, as we saw in Georgia, folks are tuned out, not on for special elections.
Finally, what it means is that the GOP will have a very good chance picking this "once safe" Democratic seat up and flipping it Republican.
This scandal is fresh meat for the GOP, no doubt about it. This is about corruption of the worst kind. As long as Blagojevich is sitting up in his Chicago mansion or visiting his Springfield mansion, this story will continue. The Democrats need to get this joke out of the governor seat and off the television. If you think the MSM is bad, live here in Chicago, this story is really bad.
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and......
Blacks in the White House: Slavery and service
Obama Using Full Name When He Takes Oath of Office
Blago shaking down the Cubs and Wrigley Field
Freak, Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), the one who like to play "footsies" in a Minneapolis Airport Bathroom, Change of Sentence: DENIED
Democrats, Time to Clean House
Obama’s Change.Gov Allows Open Questions Based On Google Moderator
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Illinois Corruption Continues....
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