King Maker Andy Stern and King Imitator Rod Blago!
Andy left the building only hours before Judge Zagel released the Blago Santiago Proffer, but Elvis is still in the Federal hotseat!
From the Folks Who Brought You (and Bought Others) - "Raise Our Taxes!" The SEIU! Andy Stern Presents Buy Your Senate Seat!
April 22, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Now he wants to butt heads with Barack Obama.
Rod Blagojevich today filed a motion in federal court to call President Barack Obama as a witness in the impeached governor's corruption case. The trial is due to begin on June 3.
Former Gov. Blagojevich's defense team issued a trial subpoena for the president to take the stand as a corroborating witness. "President Obama has direct knowledge to allegations made in the indictment. In addition, President Obama's public statements contradict other witness statements, specifically those made by labor union official and Senate Candidate B (Valerie Jarrett). It is anticipated that labor union official will be a witness for the government. His accounts of events directly related to the charges in the indictment are contradicted by President Obama's public statement," defense lawyers wrote.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=7400895
Likewise in today's Chicagoist
Lawyers for former governor Rod Blagojevich said last winter they hoped to call President Obama to the witness stand to testify at the ex-gov's trial. They made that hope official today as they moved in court today to issue President Obama with a trial subpoena to have him testify. The feds interviewed Obama before he was sworn in to get any information he might have on the alleged attempt to sale his vacated U.S. Senate seat. Natasha Korecki reports for the Sun-Times:Experts have told the Sun-Times that while presidents are subject to be called to trial -- President Bill Clinton gave a videotaped deposition in a civil case -- the White House can cite everything from national security to schedule conflicts to avoid the witness chair. Blagojevich's lawyers would have to persuade Judge James Zagel that written or video testimony was no substitute.From Chicagoist and featuring my favorite Sun Times Repporter!
Avec!
On the afternoon of November 3, 2008, Blagojevich met with Labor Union Official and another representative of SEIU. During the meeting, there was a discussion about a number of different candidates for the Senate seat. Both SEIU representatives expressed their view that Senate Candidate B would be a good choice for the Senate seat. Blagojevich stated that he assumed that if Obama was interested in Senate Candidate B being named to replace Obama, then Obama would be in touch with Blagojevich…The Santiago Proffer!
“On November 5, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #255), Blagojevich informed Deputy Governor A that Labor Union Official, who was one of the officials who had met with Blagojevich on November 3, 2008 to discuss the Senate seat, was coming back to meet with Blagojevich to discuss the Senate seat. Labor Union Official was set to meet with Blagojevich the following day. Blagojevich talked through jobs he could request in exchange for naming a candidate to the Senate seat and noted that none of them would be attainable if it were not for the fact Blagojevich had the right to fill the Senate seat.
Later on November 5, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #261), Blagojevich talked to Harris. They discussed what Blagojevich should say to Labor Union Official regarding what Blagojevich wanted in exchange for naming Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat… Harris stated that if Blagojevich’s goal was to trade the Senate seat for a job elsewhere, then Blagojevich needed to “put it on the table” with Labor Union Official…
Based on Harris’s prior conversations with Blagojevich, Harris informed Blagojevich that Harris had told Deputy Governor A that they were looking for a “reasonable ask” in exchange for the Senate seat that “takes care” of Blagojevich’s family and keeps Blagojevich’s future political ambitions open. Harris stated they were now looking at private foundations in which the president-elect might have influence and would not appear to look like a “deal” for the Senate seat. Harris suggested they look at private foundations that were “heavily dependent on federal aid.” … Blagojevich suggested to Harris and Deputy Governor A that it was difficult to see this kind of deal coming together, but told Deputy Governor A and Harris to find the foundations that SEIU funded. Deputy Governor A agreed that they should find the foundations SEIU funded because then SEIU could help broker the deal with Blagojevich. Again, Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A and Harris to “look into those ones that are funded by labor.”
Later on November 5, 2008 (Blagojevich Call #281), Blagojevich spoke to Advisor B about Blagojevich’s interest in getting a private foundation job. Blagojevich told Advisor B that SEIU and the president-elect could remove the head of a particular foundation and give the position to Blagojevich…
On the morning of November 6, 2008 (Blagojevich Calls #317, 319, and 321), Blagojevich talked to Harris. Blagojevich had arranged a meeting with Labor Union Official for later that afternoon. Harris and Blagojevich discussed the meeting with Labor Union Official and how Blagojevich could ask for what Blagojevich wanted from Labor Union Official…
Later in the call, Harris suggested that Blagojevich request a position as the paid national coordinator for Change To Win, an organization partially funded by SEIU, in exchange for naming Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat. Harris suggested to Blagojevich that the Change to Win idea might be better than a private foundation because the Change to Win job is controlled by SEIU and Blagojevich would not necessarily have to step down as governor to take it immediately, like he might have to do with a private foundation job. Blagojevich responded that the Change to Win idea was a “fucking great idea.” Later, Blagojevich stated he would like to be on some “corporate boards” in addition to taking the Change to Win job. Harris responded that Harris thought Change to Win would be a full-time job. Blagojevich asked “would I be able to get a little extra income though.” Harris responded that he did not think Blagojevich would want to sell himself to SEIU as a part-time employee. Blagojevich responded “No, but if I could sit on a couple a boards, that’s not much time, or teach a class.” Later Blagojevich asked how much the Change to Win job would pay. Harris suggested it probably paid at least what Labor Union Official made working for SEIU. Blagojevich responded “I betcha he makes, well he lives on the north shore, you gotta think he makes more than the governor, right?”
…Blagojevich informed his wife that Blagojevich was meeting with Labor Union Official that afternoon. Blagojevich talked to his wife about becoming the national director of Change to Win and that “hopefully you get paid decent.” Blagojevich also informed his wife that Change to Win would allow him to form a national network of low wage workers to help in his future political career. During the conversation, Blagojevich’s wife looked up information about Change to Win on the internet, in part to determine “what they paid their people in 2006.” Blagojevich’s wife had trouble finding the salary information on-line. Blagojevich responded “Don’t worry about it. Yeah, that’s, you negotiate that. I’d like a 4-year contract for a million a year or somethin’. . . . Or 750 or whatever. It’d have to be good. Obama’s got excess money, he just gives them more money.” Blagojevich told his wife he was not sure the Change to Win idea would happen, but it was one of several options.
On November 6, 2008, Blagojevich met with Labor Union Official alone… Thereafter, Blagojevich made clear to Labor Union Official that he would name Senate Candidate B to the Senate seat in exchange for being named Secretary of HHS…
Later on November 7, 2008 (Blagojevich Calls #403, 405, 406, and 408), Blagojevich spoke to Harris and Advisor A, a political advisor, about, among other things, Blagojevich’s request for the Secretary of HHS position and the possibility of obtaining a job with Change to Win… Advisor A told Blagojevich that Advisor A liked the Change to Win idea. Blagojevich asked whether the Change to Win idea was better than trying to work out a deal to provide the Senate seat to Individual L. Advisor A indicated the Change to Win idea was better to help Blagojevich financially and his future politically. Blagojevich agreed…
Later on November 12, 2008 (Blagojevich Calls #533, 535, and 537), Blagojevich spoke to Advisor A. Blagojevich explained his 501(c)(4) idea to Advisor A and stated it would be a place for Blagojevich to get a job after he was governor, like Change to Win. Advisor A told Blagojevich that Advisor A liked Change to Win better because it had “fewer fingerprints.” Blagojevich stated his concern with Change to Win was that it might not be there in two years while the 501(c)(4) was something Blagojevich could “control.” …
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