Rod Blagojevich was the governor of Illinois in 2008 when Barack Huessain Obama was an Illinois senator. Obama resigned two years early in 2012 when he became president of the United States. The governor has the responsibility to appoint someone to replace a Senator, Obama, who leaves office. Blagojevich tried to profit from his power of appointment. He spoke to president Obama about it. The record is clear that the two Illinois residents met after Obama resigned and before a replacement was named. It would be an incredibly non-human activity to avoid talking about the appointment. Blagojevich is the seventh Illinois Governor to have been arrested or indicted.
Wiki reports: Blagojevich was aware Barack Obama would have preferred “Senate Candidate #1” (Valerie Jarrett), and he allegedly made efforts to obtain favors in exchange for appointing Jarrett for the U.S. Senate seat. Blagojevich said in a conversation with his chief of staff, in reference to what Obama would give him in exchange for Jarrett’s appointment, “All they’re going to give me in return is gratitude. The Senate seat’s a fucking valuable thing. Fuck them.” There was public speculation as to whether Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, had a role in any discussions with the governor’s office. An internal investigation by the Obama team stated Emanuel had communicated with the Governor’s office about who might be appointed to the Obama seat, but nothing unethical or inappropriate had transpired. As though they would have admitted that it had.
On December 10, Obama stabbed Blago in the back. He called for Blagojevich’s resignation.
In a December 11 press conference, Obama stated he and his staff and transition team were not involved in any corrupt activity, and that his staff had been exonerated, there’s that Trump word) by the 76-page FBI affidavit. He stated not only had he never engaged the governor on the topic of his Senate seat, but he was “confident that no representative of mine would have any part in any deals related to this seat”. His administration compiled a summary of who might have known what at various times. Obama stated that he did not think Blagojevich could “effectively serve the people of Illinois” and that his former Senate seat “belongs to the people”. He also stated that to his knowledge, no representatives of his had engaged in any dealmaking with the governor. You are probably lying on the floor in hysterical laughter.
“They’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation….. Fuck them.”
—Rod Blagojevich
On December 15, the Obama team confirmed that its internal review found no inappropriate contact between Obama’s staff and Blagojevich or his staff, stating “that review affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. president-elect’s staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. Senator”, as if they were going to admit they talked about the obvious benefits of appointing Obama’s successor as a U.S. Senator. HAHAHAHA…
In April 2010, Blagojevich moved to subpoena Obama. Fat chance Obama would respond.
Negotiations like these happen all of the time. Benefits accrue to politicians one way or another. Blago’s problem was his, … well, who knows what was going through his head when he was talking about his power to appoint a U.S. Senator. Blago was given 14 years. 2024 is five years away. He’ll be 66 when he’s released. Maybe he’ll run for the senate. Maybe the system will continue to go after him. There’s plenty of guilt here, more than enough to go around. Two results are certain. Blago was convicted. Obama wasn’t.
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