Top Items:
Chicago Breaking News:
Blagojevich arrested on federal charges — Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents for what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called a “staggering” level of corruption involving pay-to-play politics in Illinois' top office.
Discussion:
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Chicago Tribune:
Blagojevich's Senate selection process investigated — Federal probe widens to Obama's vacant seat — UPDATE: Source: Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody — A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning.
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MoJoBlog, Chicago Breaking News, TPMMuckraker, Clout St, The Moderate Voice, Firedoglake, The Swamp, Associated Press, TalkLeft, MSNBC, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, culturekitchen, Think Progress, The Raw Story, Silicon Alley Insider, MyDD, Needlenose, Washington Post, AlterNet.org, Atlas Shrugs, Flopping Aces and Right Wing News
Marc Ambinder:
Blago Indictment: Who Is Senate Candidate 5? — Gov. Blagojevich's own words make it clear that he did not believe that Barack Obama wanted a person called “Senate Candidate 5” to be appointed to the Senate. … In other words — if Blago doesn't get what he wanted, then he'd stiff the PEOTUS …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, The New Republic, The Capitol Fax Blog, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Plank, ArchPundit, Democracy in America, The American Scene, Eunomia and Gawker
New York Times:
Illinois Governor in Corruption Scandal — CHICAGO — Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois was arrested by federal authorities on Tuesday morning on corruption charges, including an allegation that he conspired to effectively sell President-elect Barack Obama's seat in the United States Senate to the highest bidder.
Faiz Shakir / Think Progress:
Chicago reporter suggests Rahm Emanuel may have ‘tipped’ off federal investigators about Blagojevich.» — Marcy Wheeler catches local Chicago press reporting that Rahm Emanuel may have tipped off federal investigators that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) was engaging in corrupt acts.
Discussion:
Emptywheel, Minnesota Independent, culturekitchen, Wonkette, Ben Smith's Blogs and The Strata-Sphere
WBBM-TV:
Details Of Complaint Against Blagojevich — CHICAGO (CBS) ― Full release from U.S. Attorney's Office: — Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging …
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Monthly, NewsBusters.org, Michelle Malkin, Shakesville, The New Republic, Wizbang, 24Ahead and Gawker
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Blago calls Obama “motherf—er” — The tapes reveal a two-term governor who no longer wants his job, badly wants cash and is determined to leverage a financial benefit out of his appointment powers. — He also appears to think little of the president-elect, whom he calls a “motherf***er” at one point.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
What the transition knew — The transition hasn't yet responded to questions about Rod Blagojevich's indictment, but the key question is whether the transition was talking to prosecutors, whether Obama and Valerie Jarrett knew that Blagojevich had offered her the Senate seat in exchange for a labor job …
Discussion:
The Crypt's Blogs, Marc Ambinder, Taegan Goddard's …, The New Republic and The Minority Report
Chicago Tribune:
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich arrested — Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges. — Tribune staff report — Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at the Tribune Tower for an interview with CNN in Chicago.
Associated Press:
Ill. governor arrested in corruption scandal — CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges he brazenly conspired to sell or trade President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder as part of what federal prosecutors called a “political corruption crime spree.”
Discussion:
Big Brass Blog
CNN:
Durbin wants special election to replace Obama — (CNN) — Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday he wants a special election called to fill President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat. — At a press conference with reporters on Capitol Hill, Durbin said he wants the Illinois legislature …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
AMAZING — Even setting aside the primordial level of corruption of trying to sell the senate seat of the President-elect of the United States, I never fail to be amazed at the brazenness and stupidity of some political crooks. I mean, I think everyone involved in politics or interested …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
‘Senate Candidate 5’ — Capitol Fax's Rich Miller updates the state of the speculation on the identity of “Senate Candidate 5,” the public official who — from the complaint — appears to be in the most jeopardy, aside from Blagojevich and Harris. “Senate Candidate 5.”
Discussion:
Reuters
Jonathan Martin / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Blago wanted to shake down Warren Buffett — Blagojevich and his inner circle were expansive in pondering just how they could leverage the Senate appointment for financial gain, and at one point the governor floated the notion that legendary financier and Obama supporter Warren Buffett could somehow be brought into the deal.
Discussion:
Donklephant
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Source: ‘SEIU official’ was Stern — A Democratic source confirms that SEIU President Andy Stern is the “SEIU official” referred to in the federal complaint against Rod Blagojevich. — There's no allegation that the SEIU official did anything wrong, and what appears to be a wiretap transcript …
Chicago Tribune:
Statement from Gerould Kern, editor of the Chicago Tribune
Statement from Gerould Kern, editor of the Chicago Tribune
Discussion:
On Deadline, Talking Points Memo, Donklephant, Michael Calderone's Blogs, The Raw Story, TIME.com and TPMMuckraker
David Kurtz / Talking Points Memo:
CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR — This is Gov. Blagojevich yesterday …
CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR — This is Gov. Blagojevich yesterday …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Feds arrest Illinois Gov. Blagojevich for trying to sell Obama's …
Feds arrest Illinois Gov. Blagojevich for trying to sell Obama's …
Discussion:
Chicago Business, Mere Rhetoric, Political Punch, The Volokh Conspiracy, Ben Smith's Blogs and CANNONFIRE
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Blago: A Senate seat is a ‘f***ing valuable thing’
Blago: A Senate seat is a ‘f***ing valuable thing’
Discussion:
Michael Calderone's Blogs, Wall Street Journal, Thoughts of a Regular Guy and Commentary
CNN:
Court: Craig can't withdraw sex-sting plea — (CNN) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected U.S. Sen. Larry Craig's effort to withdraw his guilty plea to a misdemeanor offense of disorderly conduct in connection with a sex-sting operation. — “Because we see no abuse …
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Jonathan Stein / MoJoBlog:
So. Who Will Appoint the Next Illinois Senator? — Looks like it is Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, the man on the right. He better have zero uncovered corruption scandals in his past, because the entire national media is going to turn its eyes to him as soon as it's done digesting Fitzgerald's complaint.
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Ross Douthat:
The Case For Caroline? — After allowing that her head tells her to “recoil from political dynasties,” Ruth Marcus lets her heart make the case for Senator Kennedy of New York: … I don't know about Jesse Ventura, but I find Schwarzenegger and Sonny Bono's pre-political careers as self …
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Matthew Lee / Associated Press:
Cracks appear in Obama foreign policy team … WASHINGTON (AP) - The first sign of cracks in President-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy team of rivals emerged on Monday as his choices for secretary of state and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations visited the State Department.
Discussion:
Hot Air