All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Incoming Senator Mark Begich says he is not in favor of prison time for the man he is replacing. Republican Senator Ted Stevens was found guilty in October on seven counts of lying on his financial disclosure forms to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts provided to him by oil company executives with business in the state.

“I think for an 85-year-old man to serve time in jail, that's not the appropriate thing to do," Begich said. "There are other utilizations for prison space.” Stevens remained a candidate for re-election even after being found guilty and ended up losing to Begich in one of the closest senate races of the 2008 cycle. Stevens continues to mount a legal battle against the charges but both Begich and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said they have not asked President Bush to consider pardoning the long-serving Stevens.

There’s an awful lot to chew on in the criminal complaing filed against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich this morning – a re-appearance by Tony Rezko in the “pay-for-play” scandal, attempts to fire members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board critical of his administration among other things. But no doubt the biggest news nugget will be that regarding his alleged attempts to sell the vacant Senate seat formerly held by President-elect Barack Obama.

The federal criminal complaint states: “Intercepted phone calls demonstrate that Rod Blagojevich, John Harris [his Chief of Staff, also named in the complaint], and others have engaged and are engaged in efforts to obtain personal gain, including financial gain, for the benefit of Rod Blagojevich and his family through the corrupt use of Rod Blagojevich’s authority as Governor of the State of Illinois to fill the vacant United States Senate Seat previously held by the President-elect.”

The complaint alleges that communications intercepted by investigators show the governor to have been “conspiring” to trade the appointment, which his office has the sole power to make, for a place in Obama’s cabinet or jobs for himself and his wife or funding for a private board for which he could work after leaving office.

As Politico notes, Blagojevich was caught on tape telling his Deputy Governor that unless he “received ‘something real good’ for the appointment of a top adviser to Barack Obama to fill the president-elect’s Senate seat he would appoint himself.” According to the complaint, he said, “Unless I get something real good [for Senate candidate 1], s***, I’ll just send myself, you know what I’m saying,” He added that a Senate seat: “is a f***ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

As Politico’s Jonathan Martin reports, “The complaint does not mention her name, but the description makes clear that Blagojevich is referring to Valerie Jarrett, a senior campaign adviser to Obama who has been tapped as a top White House aide.”

Lost in the drama over the deal to keep the U.S. auto industry afloat was yesterday’s Senate confirmation of a new inspector general to oversee the $700 billion bailout package passed by Congress earlier this year. President Bush appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Barofsky to the newly-created post within the Treasury Department last month but his nomination was being held up anonymously by a single senator, the AP reports.

Yesterday, that opposition was dropped and Barofsky was confirmed to a post from which he will watch how the bailout money is spent and report to Congress. Members of Congress have grown increasingly critical about the lack of accountability, especially after a recent GAO audit found there were no mechanisms in place to ensure that companies receiving financial help were complying with conditions placed on the assistance.

Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus said Barofsky "will have to play catch-up and work ferociously" on the nearly $350 billion already spent on the bailout and added, “I believe that he is up to the task."

CBS News has learned that former Vice President Al Gore will travel to Chicago tomorrow to meet with President-elect Barack Obama at his transition headquarters. Democratic sources tell CBS News this has nothing to do with a cabinet position, just the two continuing the dialogue they've had since Gore endorsed back in June. According to the transition office, the two men and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will discuss "energy and climate change and how policies in this area can stimulate the economy and create jobs."

CBS News Radio’s Dan Raviv reports there may be opportunity in the kind of economic stimulus plans of the incoming administration:

Traveling up and down the Northeast Corridor recently reminded me of yet another stark contrast between New York City and Washington DC (where I have the privilege of residing).

At New York cocktail parties, you hear what people -- including campaign donors, hopeful Obama fans, mollified Clintonites, and well read know-it-alls -- hope the new Administration will do about the economy. At holiday parties here in DC, you find out what Obama & Co. will do.

The emerging picture: FDR Redux. To prevent the "R" word now reluctantly acknowledged by almost former President Bush -- recession -- from becoming a terrifying "D" word, the Obama Administration will pull out all the stops and spend, spend, spend on public works projects.

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During his interview with NBC News’ Tom Brokaw over the weekend, President-elect Barack Obama acknowledged that he has had some trouble kicking his smoking habit but promised that the White House would remain a smoke-free zone.

"There are times where I've fallen off the wagon," Mr. Obama said when asked if he had stopped smoking. "I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier," he continued. "And I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House," he said of the ban.

The Associated Press notes that Obama told Men's Health magazine in an interview before the election that he had smoked a couple of times on the campaign trail. "But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack," he told the magazine.

The clock is already ticking on the next presidential campaign and at least one potential candidate appears not to be wasting any time. Former Massachusetts Governor (and 2008 candidate) Mitt Romney is using his political action committee to assemble a team of consultants and staffers, the Boston Globe reports. Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC, established to help other Republican candidates, has raised $2.1 million but has distributed just 12 percent of that to fellow GOPers, an analysis by the Globe found. From the Globe report:

According to the Globe analysis, he spent $244,000 on contributions to congressional and other candidates between April and the November elections. He has spent more than twice as much on staff salaries and contracts to hire professional fund-raisers, who are compiling contributor lists that will serve Romney well in a future presidential campaign.

In essence, Romney is financing a political enterprise that he can use to remain a national GOP leader and use as a springboard should he decide to launch another presidential bid for 2012.

Democrats in Congress are working on a bill that would provide the troubled U.S. automotive industry at least $15 billion in emergency loans and give the federal government power to “manage a massive restructuring” of the Big Three auto manufacturers, the Washington Post reports. The legislation under consideration would create a seven-member “auto board” that would consist of cabinet members with a chairperson appointed by the president.

And there could be some changes at the top of the auto companies as part of the deal. Appearing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” yesterday morning, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd said new leadership of the car companies might be needed, particularly at General Motors where he said the company’s chairman Rick Wagoner “has to move on.” “I think you have got to consider new leadership," Dodd said on the program. “If you're going to really restructure this, you have got to bring in a new team to do this, in my view.”

GM is reportedly in the most dire need of emergency aid and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm told the “Early Show” that “if General Motors doesn't get this loan by the end of this month, it is 'game over.'”

The urgency is increasing for New York Senator Hillary Clinton to retire her debt before confirmation hearings begin early next year for her nomination to become Secretary of State. Clinton still owed about $7.5 million to vendors from her campaign at the beginning of November. A fund-raising letter from Vive President-elect Joe Biden to all of Obama campaign’s fundraisers is reportedly being sent out and former President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton will headline a major fundraiser in New York later this month.

Leaving no stone unturned, Mrs. Clinton’s Mother, Dorothy Rodham is appealing to Clinton’s campaign contributors in an e-mail sent out today. The appeal offers a copy of a new children’s book, “Hillary Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight,” to donors who give $50 or more. For a contribution of $250 or more, donors will be given a personally signed copy. “I'm so proud of everything my daughter has accomplished and excited about what her future holds,” Mrs. Rodham writes. “As you know, Hillary is still working hard to pay down the debt from her campaign, and I hope you'll take this opportunity to help her out. … I know you're just as proud as I am of everything my daughter has achieved, and I want to thank you for everything you've done to support her!”