Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Candidate 5"Comments (10) More on the Blago arrest, from the Times:

"Candidate 5"Comments (10) More on the Blago arrest, from the Times:

According to the statement from prosecutors, Mr. Blagojevich told an adviser last week that he might "get some (money) upfront, maybe" from one of the candidates hoping to replace Mr. Obama. That person was identified only as "Candidate 5."

In an earlier recorded conversation, prosecutors say, Mr. Blagojevich said he was approached by an associate of "Candidate 5" with an offer of $500,000 in exchange for the Senate seat.

Wowzers. Here's a list from a week ago of the leading candidates:

Among the potential black candidates who could replace Obama are Rep. Danny Davis, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones. Among the other potential candidates are Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Tammy Duckworth, who is Asian-American, also is in the mix. However, speculation is growing that Duckworth, head of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, will get the nod to lead the national department under Obama.

Well, I can't imagine it's Schakowsky. She's an Evanston liberal-reformer type, and I really doubt she'd traffic in that sort of thing. Beyond that I haven't a guess (especially on a Web site covered by British libel laws!). I also think Valerie Jarrett, the Obama advisor, was or is a possible candidate, but she apparently is known to be Candidate 1 in the indictment, not 5.

Another interesting question: Who will appoint the new senator now? Will Blago, still? After all, he's still the governor and is innocent until presumed guilty, so under law he should be able to carry out all the normal duties of his office until convicted.

On the other hand, there is probably some way, buried in Senate rules, for the Senate to refuse to seat anyone he names, or something like that.

And finally, by the way: The US attorney who brought these charges against this Democratic governor? Patrick Fitzgerald. The man who indicted Scooter Libby back when in the Valerie Plame case. You know, the one who was said by some Bush defenders at the time to be a cat's paw of the Democratic Party. It just goes to show how actual prosecutors, not Karl Rove's notion of prosecutors, do their jobs

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