While the media sure paid a lot of attention to Rod Blagojevich’s ridiculous stunts over the past year and a half – talk show appearances, reality television stints – they don’t seem to paying as much attention to his actual criminal trial, which is currently taking place in Illinois. Although Blagojevich himself is no longer politically viable as a candidate for any office, the implications of his trial are inching his scandal closer and closer to the most important political entity in the country – the White House.
It now appears that White House Chief of Staff and former Chicago-based Congressman Rahm Emanuel had a little more than just an idle role in this whole sordid affair. For those who don’t know, former Illinois Governor Blagojevich is facing several corruption charges for, among other things, attempting to exchange the former Senate seat of Barack Obama for something of value – such as a Cabinet appointment in Obama’s administration.
As governor, Blagojevich was well within his rights to appoint a replacement for Obama after he was elected president, but he was certainly not within his rights to attempt to barter the seat for money or any other lucrative prize. Revelations at the trial this week have shown that Emanuel negotiated with Blagojevich over who he (and presumably Obama) would have liked to have seen fill the seat.
To be clear, at this point, there is no evidence showing that Emanuel broke any law, but this administration’s appearance of impropriety is rearing its ugly head once again. We’ve already seen it in cases involving Democratic Senate candidates like Pennsylvania’s Joe Sestak and Colorado’s Andrew Romanoff, both of whom the Obama administration clearly didn’t want to mount respective challenges to the establishment’s favored incumbents for their Senate seats this year. With his own vacant Senate seat, it seems like this type of meddling began well before Obama even took the oath of office.
Apparently, Obama and Emanuel wanted Valerie Jarrett, who is now a senior White House adviser, to fill the seat. While there is certainly nothing wrong with them offering suggestions to Blagojevich, the former Governor thought he should be offered a little more in exchange for handing out a membership to the world’s most exclusive club. Once Jarrett decided to take a job in the White House, a few days following Obama’s election, Emanuel apparently provided Blagojevich with a list of preferred candidates for the Senate seat.
According to reports by the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, Blagojevich was not satisfied with the list and called it “B.S.” He was even further enraged that he wasn’t guaranteed anything in return for his cooperation with the new administration. The tapes of him discussing this matter clearly reflect his anger over Obama seemingly wanting him to turn the seat over to one of his candidates of choice in exchange for “nothing.”
But Blagojevich really isn’t this issue anymore. His fate has virtually been sealed for more than a year – although the justice system is finally getting around to it now. The interesting aspect of this case is how it will affect the sitting White House administration, which continues to hold office.
There has been fueling speculation that Emanuel is feeling the heat surrounding this scandal back in his home state and it is no coincidence that talks of him stepping down after two years (i.e., following the November elections) are beginning to circulate at this point in time. Some believe the real job that Emanuel seeks is being Mayor of Chicago, a position that has been held by the famous or infamous Richard M. Daley for more than two decades.
Whether or not any law was broken by any member of the Obama administration, their role in this scandal is indicative of the need for absolute control they crave along with elected power. It is clear that they want their people in charge, regardless of the will of the voters, in as many positions as possible. The Senate seat in question is currently being sought by the President’s basketball-playing buddy, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who is facing his own political baggage regarding his family’s bank.
While there is likely still more that the Blagojevich trial has to reveal in the coming weeks, it is clear that corruption is not just a practice, but a religion in Chicago politics. And these same familiar faces, Emanuel, Jarrett, and many others, who are now operating within the highest echelons of political power in our country remain at the center of the storm.
Blagojevich may undoubtedly be a crooked guy, but he is likely only the tip of the iceberg in these muddy political waters. The media has, once again, failed to do its job in investigating the backgrounds of the characters involved in this scheme, many of whom also simultaneously mandate federal policy. Hopefully the people can do their job for them by seeing through this mess and cast their votes accordingly when the time comes.
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