Barack Obama Met With Illinois Governor About Senate Successor

At a news conference today, President-elect Barack Obama said that he had no contact with disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) or anyone on the governor's staff about potential replacements for Obama in the United States Senate. But that statement directly contradicts Obama's top political strategist, David Axelrod, who told a local Chicago television reporter less than two weeks ago that Obama did have a conversation with Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy.

"I know [Obama has] talked to the governor, and there are a whole range of names, many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

Axelrod issued a statement retracting the comments, saying they were, "mistaken." But that explanation does not seem credible. Axelrod is Obama's closest adviser and is widely credited with being the mastermind of his election campaign. It is simply not believable that he would be mistaken about the basic fact of whether or not a meeting had taken place between the Governor of Illinois and the President-elect. And it is equally not believeable that he would be deliberately misleading on the subject.

Blagojevich was arrested early Tuesday by federal agents on charges of official corruption, including participating in a scheme to sell an appointment to Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder. The governor allegedly dangled the prospect of appointing a close associate of Obama's, Valerie Jarret, to the seat in exchange for an appointment to serve in Obama's cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He also is alleged to have sought a job with the Service International Employees Union (SEIU) as a price for appointing someone to the seat that would be favorable to union interests.

Obama's Chicago connections were a minor issue in the presidential campaign. His ties to convicted felon Tony Rezko, caused embarrassment to the Obama campaign, while his relationship with his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright caused a national uproar. Obama was also linked to William Ayers, the former leader of the 1970s-era domestic terrorist group the Weather Underground. Ayers is now a fixture in Chicago Democratic politics. Blagojevich and Obama traveled in different political circles, with the exception of the connection to Rezko, however, it remains unclear just how the scandal in Illinois will taint the incoming administration's image.


Republicans pounced on the scandal, and on Obama's denial of any knowledge of Blagojevich's activities. House Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) said that the scandal, "raises questions about the interaction with Gov. Blagojevich, President-elect Obama and other high ranking officials who will be working for the future president." Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan went a step further, calling on Obama to be more forthcoming about his dealings with Blagojevich, calling his statement, "insufficient at best." Obama is not charged with any wrongdoing, but U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald refused to rule out the possibility that Obama might get caught up in the scandal. At a press conference announcing the Blagojevich indictment, Fitzgerald would only say that there were no charges against Obama, "in the compliant."

The magnitude of the corruption in the Illinois Governor's office, and by extension the state Democratic Party, is only just beginning to come to light. Already it is a breathtaking political scandal unparalleled in American history. As the days and weeks of the investigation drag on, the daily drip of information, some of it sure to contain embarrassing revelations for the Obama Administration, threatens to steal away much of the enthusiasm, and the mandate, generated by Obama's victory on November 4th. Obama would be well served to hold a wide-ranging press conference to discuss the scandal, his relationship to Blagojevich, and any role he or his transition team may have played in the investigation. The cover-up is almost always worse than the crime. If Obama is wise, he will make sure that this scandal remains focused on Blagojevich by revealing everything he knows about the soon-to-be ex-governor's political corruption.

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