Judiciary Report - Rahm Emanuel On The Hot Seat

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Rahm Emanuel On The Hot Seat

Press Makes Rahmen Noodles Out Of Chief Of Staff

December 12. 2008

President-elect Barack Obama’s chief-of-staff, Rahm Emanuel, is still in the hot seat over the Rod Blagojevich Senate seat for sale scandal.

Rod Blagojevich

The press has been stalking him relentlessly for an interview. During a run-in with ABC News, Rahm’s face turned “beet-red.” He has been avoiding all public appearances, in attempts at dodging questions regarding the criminal case.

Rahm Emanuel

If this continues, he cannot properly do his job as chief-of-staff. He cannot dodge the press and in this angry, frustrated manner for the next four years.

Just yesterday, he became very flustered to the point he issued a press quote that didn’t make any sense in response to the question at hand.

President-elect Barack Obama

According to a press photographer that spoke to him today, albeit briefly, Rahm reportedly received death threats due to the intense coverage of the scandal. Rahm has now denied those statements, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that did actually happen.

People want Obama’s transition into office to be perfect and this is upsetting to them, while Republicans are seizing on it as a weak spot.

Jesse Jackson jr. and Obama

Another man feeling the heat is Jesse Jackson jr, with revelations he is not in the clear yet with the FBI.

My take on all this – either this is an FBI conspiracy to drive up Maalox shares in collectively giving these Chicago political dudes diarrhea and indigestion at the same time or this case really is as bad as it looks.

Emanuel: I'm Getting Death Threats Over Blagojevich Scandal

The president-elect's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said today he wouldn't go to the Chicago presidential transition offices in order to avoid reporters trying to ask him whether he had contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama's election….

A spokesman for Emanuel said he later showed up at the office, apparently able to sneak out of the house without being seen by reporters waiting to ask him questions.

Back at his home, Emanuel appeared "beet-red," according to an ABC News cameraman who was invited inside by Emanuel to use his bathroom this morning.

"I'm getting regular death threats. You've put my home address on national television. I'm pissed at the networks. You've intruded too much, " Emanuel said, according to the cameraman.

An aide for Emanuel said late Friday afternoon that Emanuel did not make any remarks about receiving death threats. "While we appreciate this camera man's active imagination, this report is inaccurate," said Sarah Feinberg. Responding to Emanuel's comments, ABC News went back and double-checked with the camera man and we stand by the story…

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald says there is "nothing in the complaint" that implicates President-elect Obama but the affidavit suggests someone from the Obama camp was in touch with Blagojevich or his aides, if only to tell the Governor that Obama would not offer anything but "appreciation" in exchange for the Senate appointment.

http://www.abcnews.go.com

What's next for Jesse Jackson Jr.?

SENATE SEAT | Rep. Jackson not yet in clear with feds in probe of gov: sources

Even though U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says he has gotten a clean bill of health from federal prosecutors, sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times he's not yet in the clear.

Investigators want to know what Jackson knew about allegations that a Jackson "emissary" offered to raise at least $1 million in campaign contributions for Gov. Blagojevich in exchange for appointing the Democratic congressman to a U.S. Senate seat, sources say.

http://www.suntimes.com