Blago: Rahm Wanted My Help Holding House Seat
Consider the source, as they say. And as we see in the case of Tom Ridge, anyone promoting a new book needs to toss out a few attention-grabbing claims.
But former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) claims in his forthcoming book that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel sought his help in potentially orchestrating a return to the House of Representatives.
AP reports:
Blagojevich says Emanuel was interested in his own career because he had to give up his congressional seat to work in Obama's White House. Blagojevich writes that Emanuel dreamed of being speaker of the U.S. House and wanted to know if Blagojevich would work with him to name a successor to "hold" his seat until he wanted it back.Blagojevich says he told Emanuel he didn't think he could do that and the House vacancy would have to be filled by special election. But Emanuel reportedly told him "his lawyers thought there was a way."
"As we have done for many months, we will continue to decline comment," Emanuel spokeswoman Sarah Feinberg said in an e-mail Monday.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was also asked about this at today's briefing, but declined to comment on the claim of the "indicted former governor," as he put it. Meanwhile, it's safe to say that new Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) probably hopes to keep his seat for the foreseeable future.
AP goes on to report that Blagojevich sought to appoint Attorney General Lisa Madigan to President Obama's former Senate seat "because he hoped to cut a deal on pet projects with her father, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan."