Obama Report On Blago Contacts Out Tomorrow
A week ago, the Obama team prepared a report on contacts between Obama aides and the office of embattled governor Illinois Rod Blagojevich, according to Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter. But the U.S. attorney asked the transition team not to make the report public, Cutter told the Associated Press, and so they have not done so.
Blagojevich, of course, has been accused to trying to effectively sell Obama's Senate seat. Obama has said the report will show there was no "inappropriate" contact about the seat between his office and Blagojevich's.
Even if the report suggests as much, however, it could focus a spotlight on incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, whom "a source close to the governor" told the AP contacted Blagojevich's office to talk about the seat.
Blagojevich reportedly believed Emanuel was pushing Obama friend Valerie Jarrett for the seat, though it is not known if Blagojevich and Emanuel actually spoke to each other; Jarrett took herself out of the running for the appointment before the scandal broke.
Emanuel has not commented on his interactions with Blagojevich's office, and aides say Obama will not comment on the report when it's made public tomorrow. In the U.S. attorney's affidavit accusing Blagojevich of wrongdoing, the Illinois governor is quoted complaining that the Obama team wasn't willing to give him anything in exchange for the seat "except appreciation."
"(Expletive) them," Blagojevich added, according to the affidavit.