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Chicago Sun-Times: Rahm Wanted Blago To Appoint County Commish As Seat-Warmer

Rachel Slajda | September 25, 2009, 1:40PM

Fmr. Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) and WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

Corruption, Rahm Emanuel, Rod Blagojevich

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The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel asked then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich to appoint a Cook County commissioner to Emanuel's House seat. Blagojevich claims in a new book that Emanuel wanted to be able to run again in 2010 or 2012.

But House members, unlike senators, can never be appointed. Instead, they must be elected -- it's written into the Constitution.

So how could it be that Emanuel -- who served in the House for six years and was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee -- didn't know that?

MSNBC's Chris Matthews posed the same question to Blago himself last week, to which Blago replied, "I think you're giving me and Rahm too much credit. It's not like we know the Constitution backwards and forwards without talking to lawyers."

For what it's worth, the county commissioner in question, Forrest Claypool, denied it. "Knowing Rahm, I can't believe that because that's silly," he said. "That is insanity. Never happened. Never would. Never discussed. Insanity. False."

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CT Voter

September 25, 2009 2:01 PM

I didn't realize that The Hair had morphed into a credible source.

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Schmed

September 25, 2009 2:11 PM in reply to CT Voter

Does the Sun-Times deal in credible sources?

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markg8

September 25, 2009 2:10 PM

Blago needs to sell some books and ya can't do that with a boring tell all, or in his case "make some shit up" tome.

Those defense lawyers don't come cheap and no one is going to comp him $20 million worth of pro bono defense like former guv Jim Thompson's law firm did for Ryan. Rod was on Stewart last night and I guess we can expect to see him all over the tube for the next few weeks. Change the channel.

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JustAChicagoVoter

September 25, 2009 2:19 PM

It is and in my lifetime always has been a shitty paper.

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markg8

September 26, 2009 10:51 AM in reply to JustAChicagoVoter

Back in the 1980s it was actually a pretty decent alternative to the Trib. Mike Royko worked there and the publisher was liberal. Then he took off for the NY Daily News and it's been downhill ever since. Chicago doesn't need two conservative papers. Somebody ought to get that and buy the Sun Times and make it what it once was. It'd make both papers better.

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Jesse Lava

September 26, 2009 3:01 PM in reply to markg8

The Sun-Times did become liberal again. There was a switch about a year ago, if I recall correctly.

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markg8

September 27, 2009 12:41 AM in reply to Jesse Lava

Well Conrad Black and friends had to sell when he went to prison. But I wouldn't call the Sun Times liberal these days, not by a long shot.

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TheLoweDown

September 25, 2009 2:42 PM

The S-T is full of crap and is literally slipping farther into the toilet everyday.

Blagojevich was a lawyer, so he should know the Constitution.

Plus, Forrest Claypool is a good man and wouldn't partake in scheme like this.

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Ann Arbor

September 25, 2009 2:51 PM

I wonder how many special elections Rahm was involved in strategizing for while he was in the House. If he didn't know previously, chances are he realized after one or two of those why no vacant seats were ever filled by appointment.

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ched

September 25, 2009 5:10 PM

The sooner a recording emerges of Rahm saying something illegal or at least stupid, the sooner he'll be gone and, with him, the main impediment to progressive policies coming out of the WH.

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FreeRider

September 25, 2009 6:15 PM in reply to ched

Get over yourself. Rahm is chief of staff because Obama wants him to be. If you think he can push Obama around, then you obviously haven't been paying attention.

Obama is governing the way he thinks is best which wouldn't be a surprise if you'd followed his political career. Not progressive enough for you? Too bad. That's not going to change if Rahm leaves.

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