ABC News reports Chicago Democrat Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., is the anonymous “Senate Candidate #5″ whose emissaries Governor Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate:
Jackson Jr. said this morning he was contacted yesterday by federal prosecutors in Chicago who he said “asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process.”
Jackson Jr. said “I don’t know” when asked if he was Candidate #5, but said he was told “I am not a target of this investigation.”
Jackson Jr. said he agreed to talk with federal investigators “as quickly as possible” after he consults with a lawyer.
According to the FBI affidavit annexed to the criminal complaint against Governor Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris, “Senate Candidate #5″ played a key role in the Governor’s efforts to obtain something of value in exchange for the Senate appointment:
“If they feel like they can do this and not f***ing give me anything&then I’ll f***ing go [Senate Candidate 5].”
The FBI says in an October 31, 2008 conversation, Blagojevich described an approach from an associate of Senate Candidate 5: “We were approached ‘pay to play.’ That, you know, he’d raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.”
Last Thursday, December 4, the FBI says Blagojevich “was giving Senate Candidate 5 greater consideration for the Senate seat” because he might “get some (money) up front, maybe.”
The ABC report states Blagojevich and Jackson Jr. Met Monday Afternoon:
[. . .]
Jackson Jr. said yesterday that he met with Blagojevich Monday “for the first time in years” and voiced his desire to fill Obama’s empty Senate seat. He said he was “shocked” by Blagojevich’s arrest, adding “if these allegations are proved true, I am outraged by the appalling, pay-to-play schemes hatched at the highest levels of our state government.”
Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI early the following morning in order to “stop a crime spree,” according to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
Wow. Just... wow.
Moe Lane Wednesday, December 10th at 12:53PM EST (link)That’s just all kinds of awesome.
Check out my new blog at http://moelane.com/.
http://twitter.com/moelane
My (blogging-related) wish list.
The AP is a little confused whether or not
JPH Wednesday, December 10th at 12:56PM EST (link)this scandal will affect Obama.
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081210/pl_nm/us_blagojevich_conservatives_1;_ylt=Au8FPiro9VZpxmOhyT1JTzIGw_IE)
AP:
Obama should escape being tainted by the scandal since he has never been close to Blagojevich, ANALYSTS SAID, (emphasis mine)
AP Headline:
Analysis: Scandal threatens to dog Obama
(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_pr_wh/illinois_governor_analysis;_ylt=AlrS1qkGnE7d5Ux2y8l2iMkb.3QA)
Ha!
Do they have political parties in Illinois?
jeffreywturner Wednesday, December 10th at 1:08PM EST (link)I assume they do, just like any other state, but one could hardly tell from the coverage of the Governor’s current mess. You must dig really deep into the articles to find mention of the Governor’s political affiliation. Contrast that with the fact that everyone and their brother was constantly reminded in big bold headlines what party Mark Foley, Duke Cunningham and every other GOP politician ever involved in any scandal belonged to. Wow.
“Life is too short, can’t we all just eat pork and kill some terrorists?”
Absolutely true
E Pluribus Unum Wednesday, December 10th at 1:09PM EST (link)I hadn’t really noticed, because I’ve gotten so used to it.
Carthago delenda est
Do your conservative t-shirt Christmas shopping at EPU Gear. Save the conservative muse, save the world.
For all practical purposes, no.
bs Wednesday, December 10th at 1:20PM EST (link)The GOP is a burned out shell of what it once was in IL. It pretty much doesn’t exist any more. So if you’re referring to a pol from IL, you can assume they’re a Dem.
Decorum is fo’ suckas
Popcorn
E Pluribus Unum Wednesday, December 10th at 1:08PM EST (link)Cheeeeeeeeeeeesy popcorn.
With garlic sauce on it.
MAN, this is fun to watch!
Carthago delenda est
Do your conservative t-shirt Christmas shopping at EPU Gear. Save the conservative muse, save the world.
I'm thinking caramel popcorn...
JustLeaveMeAlone Wednesday, December 10th at 2:47PM EST (link)…. with cashews.
This just gets better and better.
And soon the “Change We Can Cash In With” Express will be rolling into DC. Chicago on the Potomac. Time to show those amateurs how corruption really works, huh?
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson
Ooopsies
bs Wednesday, December 10th at 1:19PM EST (link)Somebody’s in troooouuublllleeee…
Decorum is fo’ suckas
This should surprise no one
kat Wednesday, December 10th at 1:30PM EST (link)Considering he watched his father perfect the shakedown. Pay to play for the Jackson family isn’t something new - normally though, Sr. is demanding the pay.
“Democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” Thomas Jefferson
Join the RedState Strike Force
That's what I was thinking
bk Wednesday, December 10th at 2:19PM EST (link)Normally it’s Jesse the dad doing the shaking down. Kind of interesting turn of events for Jesse the son being the one getting shaken down.
Now which will we hear next:
- Jr had no knowledge of this and would never engage in that sort of activitiy, or
- Jr was going to go to the authorities once he pulled together enough info about what Blago was doing.
The answer to my question is a)
bk Wednesday, December 10th at 3:50PM EST (link)http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUnbecoming/Story?id=6431739&page=1
No way no how anyone working for him could have imagined JJ3 would have participated in anything like that. And Little-J agreed to fully cooperate with authorities … just as soon as he got lawyered up.
Mr. Shakedown Junior is appalled? Ha Ha Ha Ha
phred Wednesday, December 10th at 2:25PM EST (link)n/t
Liberalism: Equally shared misery.
"I'm shocked! Shocked to discover there is gambling going on here..."
GCBWI Wednesday, December 10th at 2:02PM EST (link)nt
For your viewing pleasure...
mbecker908 Wednesday, December 10th at 6:03PM EST (link)Gee...
mbecker908 Wednesday, December 10th at 3:59PM EST (link)According to the affidavit,
redneck_hippie Wednesday, December 10th at 5:42PM EST (link)…threatened to appoint Senate Candidate #5 if President-elect Barack Obama refused to…”
“We must not lose our faculty to dare, especially in dark days.” - Churchill in March, 1942.
Remember NY-23.
"According to the affidavit,
redneck_hippie Wednesday, December 10th at 5:46PM EST (link)Blagojevich threatened to appoint Senate Candidate #5 if President-elect Barack Obama refused to help get his wife on “paid corporate boards right now.”
Okay, so BigLieOvich was fighting with Obama about who gets to fill Empty Suit’s Empty Seat? Why would Obama be arguing with the Governor of Illinois about choosing the recipient of said Governor of Illinois’ graft? If Obama really did know the graft was being shopped around Why the Hell Wasn’t He calling the FBI?
Disgusting, and I smell a Skunk in the Kitchen.
“We must not lose our faculty to dare, especially in dark days.” - Churchill in March, 1942.
Remember NY-23.
Good point
ekevlar11 Wednesday, December 10th at 6:56PM EST (link)Why would Blag say something like that if he wasn’t in comm with Obama or his team? The tapes will be interesting…
Erik
Which sounds better.................
Kenny Solomon Wednesday, December 10th at 5:55PM EST (link)Senate Candidate Number 5 (Jackson) ?
or
Sex Client Number 9 (Spitzer) ?
————-
…………….and the soap opera continues. Problem with this running storyline being, “the truth” may not get out there before it’s too late.
The media will protect The One in this to their last breath.
Remember when it was said that Bill “I did Not Have Sex With That Woman” Clinton could burglarize a house on live TV and the media would excuse it?
I have the real feeling ‘ol Barry could literally kill somebody in cold blood on the front lawn of The White House and the media would still fawn all over him.
Of course you can have my guns……. Bullets first.
I didn’t say rounds, shells or magazines……
I said bullets first.
question
jarrod21 Thursday, December 11th at 2:04AM EST (link)So when do we get to declare it a “culture of corruption”?