Top Items:
Huma Khan / Political Punch:
Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship — “Obviously like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney's office today,” said President-elect Obama this afternoon in Chicago, speaking of the criminal complaint …
Discussion:
Power Line, The Jawa Report, Reuters, Commentary, JammieWearingFool, Hot Air, Hullabaloo, Ben Smith's Blogs, Political Machine, I Don't Like You Either, Sister Toldjah, Right Wing Nut House, Marc Ambinder, RedState, TigerHawk, CANNONFIRE, NewsBusters.org, Brian Beutler, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, Blue Crab Boulevard, Minnesota Independent and Flopping Aces
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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, TPM Election Central, CNN, Gawker, Wizbang, Wonkette, Minnesota Independent and Don Surber
Carol E. Lee / The Politico:
Attorney: Blagojevich has no plans of resigning — CHICAGO— The attorney for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said the governor will be vindicated and he has no plans to resign. — “He didn't do anything wrong,” attorney Sheldon Sorosky told reporters after Blagojevich was arraigned.
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.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Aide: Ax ‘misspoke’ — An Obama aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity, took back David Axelrod's remark last month that Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich had spoken recently. — “What the president-elect said today is correct, David Axelrod misspoke,” the aide said.
Marc Ambinder:
Blago Complaint: 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:
The Capitol Fax Blog, Gawker, ArchPundit, Daily Kos, TPMMuckraker, TalkLeft, Chicago Sun Times, The New Republic, Eunomia, DownWithTyranny! and Emptywheel
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.
Greg Hinz / Chicago Business:
Illinois' top lawmakers to strip Blago of senate pick power — (Crain's) — The state's top two legislative leaders Tuesday said they will move fast to seize control of the process of selecting a replacement for Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, taking that power away from Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
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 …
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:
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
MSNBC, A1 WBBM Local Stories, TPM Election Central, The Fix, BuzzFlash.org and Taylor Marsh
Ron Kampeas / JTA:
Blagojevich arrest could send Jewish rep to Senate
Blagojevich arrest could send Jewish rep to Senate
Discussion:
Sunlight Foundation
Joe Weisenthal / Silicon Alley Insider:
Alleged: Blago Hoped To Shake Down Warren Buffett!
Alleged: Blago Hoped To Shake Down Warren Buffett!
Discussion:
DealBook
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
A tip from Rahm? — Jack Connaty, of Chicago's Fox affiliate, reported this morning:
A tip from Rahm? — Jack Connaty, of Chicago's Fox affiliate, reported this morning:
Katie Allison Granju:
Note to President-Elect Obama: just tell the truth
Note to President-Elect Obama: just tell the truth
Discussion:
Political Punch
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
‘Senate Candidate 5’ — Capitol Fax's Rich Miller updates …
‘Senate Candidate 5’ — Capitol Fax's Rich Miller updates …
Discussion:
The Capitol Fax Blog
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
What the transition knew
What the transition knew
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, The New Republic, The Politico, Marc Ambinder and JustOneMinute
Adam Serwer / American Prospect:
A GUIDE TO THE CANDIDATES. — There are six candidates named …
A GUIDE TO THE CANDIDATES. — There are six candidates named …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times, ATTACKERMAN, The Volokh Conspiracy, NO QUARTER and The Capitol Fax Blog
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo: AMAZING — Even setting aside the primordial level of corruption …
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Joe the Plumber: McCain ‘appalled me’ — Joe Wurzelbacher lashed out at former GOP presidential nominee John McCain Tuesday, the man who made Wurzelbacher famous as “Joe the Plumber.” — Wurzelbacher told conservative radio host Glenn Beck that he felt “dirty” after “being on the campaign trail …
Dee Dee Myers / Vanity Fair:
Favreau's Sexist Photo Is No Laughing Matter — Oh, what to do. An incredibly talented young aide, to an impossibly idealistic new president, gets caught doing something indefensibly stupid and undeniably sexist. Everyone is uncomfortable. But should anyone be held accountable? Apparently not.
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
O'Reilly And Rove Agree: Reports On The Bad Economy Are Part Of A Media Cabal To Help Obama — Yesterday on Fox News, Bill O'Reilly and Karl Rove went on a tirade against the media for hyping the struggling state of the economy. They claimed that it's not as bad as reports are making it out to be …
Discussion:
danieldrezner.com
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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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 …
Discussion:
DownWithTyranny!
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Michael Tarm / Associated Press:
Workers win a big round in Chicago factory sit-in — CHICAGO - The creditor of a Chicago plant where laid-off employees are conducting a sit-in to demand severance pay said Tuesday it would extend limited loans to the factory so it could resolve the dispute, but the workers declared their protest unfinished.
Discussion:
MyDD
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Scarecrow / Firedoglake:
Who Needs Republic's Window Manufacturing Workers? The Whole Country.
Who Needs Republic's Window Manufacturing Workers? The Whole Country.
Discussion:
Chicago Breaking News