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A GUIDE TO THE CANDIDATES.
There are six candidates named in the criminal complaint against Rod Blagojevich. This is my attempt to parse who is who:
Candidate 1: The complaint describes Candidate 1 as an "adviser to the president-elect" and that "media reports indicated" she was interested in the seat. Blagojevich also refers to Candidate 1 as a "her" in the complain transcripts. All in all, this suggests that candidate 1 is Valerie Jarret.
Candidate 2: The complaint says that Candidate 2 was deliberately leaked by Blagojevich to a columnist in the Chicago Sun-Times, and discussed in a column on November 7. On November 7, Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed weighed the possibility that Illinois AG Lisa Madigan could be appointed to the seat. Blagojevich apparently wanted her name leaked to "send a message" to Obama without Obama knowing it was from Blagojevich himself.
Candidate 3: Only mentioned once, so difficult to speculate.
Candidate 4: This is someone close to Blagojevich, in the complaint transcript Blagojevich refers to Candidate 4 as someone who would give up the Senate seat for him if need be. Blagojevich allegedly said that he could “count on [Senate Candidate 4], if things got hot, to give [the Senate seat] up and let me parachute over there” in case Blagojevich was indicted. Candidate 4 is also identified as "a deputy governor of Illinois." Current Deputy governors include Dean Martinez, Bob Greenlee and Louanner Peters.
Candidate 5: Marc Ambinder has made a convincing case that Candidate 5 is Jesse Jackson Jr. Candidate 5 allegedly offered Blagojevich half a million dollars for Obama's former senate seat, and judging by the complaint, one of Obama's less favored picks. Blagojevich, according to the complaint, said he would pick Candidate 5 if Obama "didnt' give him anything".
Candidate 6: Candidate 6 is described in the complaint as a "wealthy person from Illinois." I have my suspicions about who this is based on previous speculation in Chicago newspapers about possible Senate replacements for Obama, but they're pretty much uneducated guesses so I'll keep silent for now.
All of this is pretty nuts. Blagojevich was already under investigation when he undertook an effort to sell the former senate seat of the president elect, which, as an act of ballsy self-suicide is up there with the end of Scarface. Reading through the indictment though, it looks at first glance like the Obama team had very little to do with Blagojevich's efforts, and in fact frustrated him with their unwillingness to negotiate for the seat. According to the complaint, Obama wasn't offering Blagojevich anything other than "appreciation" for picking his preferred candidate.
UPDATE: Ben Smith points out that another possibility for candidate 5 is House Rep. Art Turner, who was most recently named in Michael Sneed's column as a possible appointment. The complaint suggests that Blagojevich had recently "leaked" information about Candidate 5 to a "Sun-Times columnist" who, as I explain above, was most likely Sneed.
UPDATE 2: Candidate 5 may also be Illinois State Legislator Emil Jones Jr.
--A. Serwer
COMMENTS (22)
But don't think Obama isn't implicated in the Rezko-Blago-Auchi Syrian mafia machine. Obama will go over just like the rest of them, under 18 USC 1346, especially for his criminal activities in connection with the 2003 board legislation.
Obama is simply another scummy Combine hood. Just read Evelyn Pringle's online "Curtain Time" articles.
Is Fitzgerald REALY going to let the scum Obama take the oath? He barely prevented Blago from making himself Senator. Is he going to be flatfooted again?
Posted by: John Ryskamp | December 9, 2008 12:34 PM
Whether or not Noba is directly tainted by this particular bit of Illinois Dem insanity, he is a product of the cesspool and is bound to have a lot of turds sticking to his expensive suit when he climbs out of it and heads off to DC.
Posted by: Da Chicago Way | December 9, 2008 1:08 PM
Wow. Doesn't take the crazy long to show up.
What "message" was Blago trying to send by leaking Lisa Madigan?
Posted by: Jim | December 9, 2008 1:19 PM
act of ballsy self-suicide
Is there any other kind of suicide?
Posted by: C.L. | December 9, 2008 1:46 PM
I was very unhappy to see that Jan Schakowsky is apparently not a serious enough contender to merit the attention of the money-grubbing governor.
That's a good a sign as any that she has no chance. Too bad. It would be nice to have a real liberal in there.
Posted by: Marshall | December 9, 2008 2:13 PM
Everything is for sale in this country. I didn't know it was illegal to sell a senate seat. People seem to be buying them all the time.
Posted by: Dr Wu, I'm just an ordinary guy | December 9, 2008 2:18 PM
guess oprah really is too busy.
Posted by: red | December 9, 2008 4:21 PM
Forget about candidates. Who was the unnamed deputy governor in on many of the the conspiracy's conversation?
Posted by: LS | December 9, 2008 5:05 PM
I don't think it would be JJ, jr. According to the descriptions, his selection wouldn't please Obama, and as far as I know, he is on friendly footing with Obama, and was even one of the heads of his campaign. And he made quite a stink when his father had his open mike-moment.
Posted by: Candia | December 9, 2008 6:43 PM
Valerie Jarrett has been implicated in other corrupt practices. She also is an arrogant idiot, as shown in her statement to Brokaw"....when Obama begins to rule America...." She needed to be unloaded by Obama some time ago, since she is one of the larger Chicago cowpies on his shoes, as referenced by a previous commenter.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 9, 2008 10:21 PM
My fear is that Blago "knows too much" about Democrat crimes and that someone will attempt to silence him very permanently. I hope he's still got his state police protection, and a big life insurance policy too.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 9, 2008 11:18 PM
Wow, it looks like the tin-foil hat crowd is out in force.
Posted by: Jake | December 10, 2008 12:14 AM
Oprah has to be disqualified for the job due to a recent scandal that got hushed up quick. Rumor has it that she was arrested in some kind of sting and when the cops did a strip search, they found she had 200 lbs. of crack on her. Oh, wait....
Posted by: the very big O | December 10, 2008 3:16 AM
If you read the complaint you would know that the name leaked to the Sun Times Columnist was not done so till November tenth. The Column you mention was written on November seventh.
Posted by: anonymous | December 10, 2008 3:25 AM
A vulgar abuse of the power of the press to suggest a name, any name, as Candidate 5, without offering evidence. Passing the blame to Ambinder is a cheap trick. He associates 3 names with an ugly crime, without evidence. Shameful journalism.
Posted by: Edith | December 10, 2008 7:31 AM
You might want to be careful about speculating on who candidate 5 is, as whoever that person is just had their chances of getting the Senate seat shot to hell. They will be lucky to avoid jail actually.
Posted by: am | December 10, 2008 8:38 AM
We've got Blogojevich. No it's time to get Sarah Palin for her stonewalling, criminal contempt in the Troopergate investigation, kickbacks for the construction of her home, and unlawful use of Alaska taxpayer money for personal expenses and maintaining her lavish lifestyle. One crooked Governor is no better than the other.
Posted by: Sean | December 10, 2008 11:51 AM
Candidate 6 is most likely Blair Hull.
Posted by: P | December 10, 2008 12:05 PM
What about Tammy Duckworth as Candidate 3?
Posted by: Ed | December 10, 2008 12:28 PM
We'll probably never know who these people are or how much the Obama people were involved, or what they knew. Fitzgerald is too much of a wienie to pursue anyone in the democratic party other than Blogo, whom he already had in the crosshairs on other matters.
Posted by: jr | December 10, 2008 12:42 PM
It's probably not Art Turner. Turner is allied with House Speaker Madigan, who has been batteling Blagojevich's crooked ways for years. Given Blago's vindictive nature, he wouldn't give an enemy such an appointment.
Given the description as a whole, Emil Jones is the best guess.
Posted by: ls | December 10, 2008 1:13 PM
Chicago Sun-Times confirms JJ Jr. is # 5.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1323698,jesse-jackson-jr-blagojevich-rod-arrest-121008.stng
Posted by: Anonymous | December 10, 2008 2:01 PM