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5:30 PM ET, December 9, 2008

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Chicago Breaking News:
Blagojevich arrested on federal charges  —  Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents for what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called a “staggering” level of corruption involving pay-to-play politics in Illinois' top office.
RELATED:
Chicago Tribune:
Blagojevich's Senate selection process investigated  —  Federal probe widens to Obama's vacant seat  —  UPDATE: Source: Feds take Gov. Blagojevich into custody  —  A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning.
Marc Ambinder:
Blago Indictment: Who Is Senate Candidate 5?  —  Gov. Blagojevich's own words make it clear that he did not believe that Barack Obama wanted a person called “Senate Candidate 5” to be appointed to the Senate. … In other words — if Blago doesn't get what he wanted, then he'd stiff the PEOTUS …
Huma Khan / Political Punch:
Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship  —  “Obviously like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney's office today,” said President-elect Obama this afternoon in Chicago, speaking of the criminal complaint …
New York Times:
Illinois Governor in Corruption Scandal  —  CHICAGO — Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois was arrested by federal authorities on Tuesday morning on corruption charges, including an allegation that he conspired to effectively sell President-elect Barack Obama's seat in the United States Senate to the highest bidder.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Blago calls Obama “motherf—er”  —  The tapes reveal a two-term governor who no longer wants his job, badly wants cash and is determined to leverage a financial benefit out of his appointment powers.  —  He also appears to think little of the president-elect, whom he calls a “motherf***er” at one point.
CNN:
Durbin wants special election to replace Obama  —  (CNN) — Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday he wants a special election called to fill President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat.  —  At a press conference with reporters on Capitol Hill, Durbin said he wants the Illinois legislature …
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Source: ‘SEIU official’ was Stern  —  A Democratic source confirms that SEIU President Andy Stern is the “SEIU official” referred to in the federal complaint against Rod Blagojevich.  —  There's no allegation that the SEIU official did anything wrong, and what appears to be a wiretap transcript …
Chicago Breaking News:
Lt. Gov. Quinn urges Blagojevich to ‘step aside’  —  Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn today called on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to step aside, at least temporarily, because the governor is “seriously impeded from carrying out his oath of office.”  —  “I think that should certainly be considered by the governor today.
Chicago Tribune:
Statement from Gerould Kern, editor of the Chicago Tribune  —  Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at the Tribune Tower on Monday for an interview at CNN's Chicago office.  (Tribune photo by Nancy Stone / December 8, 2008)  —  The Chicago Tribune investigated allegations of misconduct involving Illinois …
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
What the transition knew  —  The transition hasn't yet responded to questions about Rod Blagojevich's indictment, but the key question is whether the transition was talking to prosecutors, whether Obama and Valerie Jarrett knew that Blagojevich had offered her the Senate seat in exchange for a labor job …
Chicago Tribune:
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich arrested  —  Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges.  —  Tribune staff report  —  Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at the Tribune Tower for an interview with CNN in Chicago.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
‘Senate Candidate 5’  —  Capitol Fax's Rich Miller updates the state of the speculation on the identity of “Senate Candidate 5,” the public official who — from the complaint — appears to be in the most jeopardy, aside from Blagojevich and Harris.  “Senate Candidate 5.”
Discussion: Reuters
Associated Press:
Ill. governor arrested in corruption scandal  —  CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges he brazenly conspired to sell or trade President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder as part of what federal prosecutors called a “political corruption crime spree.”
Discussion: The Politico and Big Brass Blog
Jonathan Martin / Ben Smith's Blogs:   Blago wanted to shake down Warren Buffett
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
AMAZING  —  Even setting aside the primordial level of corruption …
Discussion: Washington Monthly
Marc Ambinder:
Blago Indictment And The Obama Team
Discussion: The RBC
Chicago Sun Times:
Charges: Illinois Governor Blagojevich shook down the Chicago Tribune
Discussion: MinnPost and Ed Driscoll.com
Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Blagojevich Criminal Complaint: The Best of the Best
Associated Press:   US Atty: Not alleging Obama knew of Ill. gov. plan
Natasha Korecki / Chicago Sun Times:
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich taken into federal custody
A1 WBBM Local Stories:
Lawmakers Already Calling For Blago Impeachment
Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:
I Need Help On The Latest Rezko-Obama Story
Discussion: Gawker and The Capitol Fax Blog
Brad Plumer / The New Republic:
Blago On Obama: “F*** Him.”
Discussion: Democracy in America
CNN:
Court: Craig can't withdraw sex-sting plea  —  (CNN) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected U.S. Sen. Larry Craig's effort to withdraw his guilty plea to a misdemeanor offense of disorderly conduct in connection with a sex-sting operation.  —  “Because we see no abuse …
Discussion: TalkLeft and Washington Monthly
RELATED:
Steve Karnowski / Associated Press:   Sen. Craig loses appeal in airport sex sting case
Marist Poll:
Voters Weigh In: Cuomo and Kennedy Deadlocked for Clinton Seat  —  High Hopes for Secretary of State Clinton  —  This Marist Poll reports:  —  · Cuomo and Kennedy Tie...More Than a Quarter of Voters Unsure About Clinton's Replacement: While much of the buzz …
RELATED:
Jonathan Stein / MoJoBlog:
So.  Who Will Appoint the Next Illinois Senator?  —  Looks like it is Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, the man on the right.  He better have zero uncovered corruption scandals in his past, because the entire national media is going to turn its eyes to him as soon as it's done digesting Fitzgerald's complaint.
RELATED:
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Blago Can Still Make The Appointment
Matthew Lee / Associated Press:
Cracks appear in Obama foreign policy team … WASHINGTON (AP) - The first sign of cracks in President-elect Barack Obama's foreign policy team of rivals emerged on Monday as his choices for secretary of state and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations visited the State Department.
Discussion: TIME.com and The Politico
 
 
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 More Items: 
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
A tip from Rahm?  —  Jack Connaty, of Chicago's Fox affiliate, reported this morning:
Discussion: Wizbang
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
QUOTE OF THE DAY.... A new national poll from CNN/Opinion Research …
William J. Broad / New York Times:
Hidden Travels of the Atomic Bomb
Justin Wolfers / Freakonomics:
Is Happiness Contagious?  —  If those riding intellectual fads …
 Earlier Items: 
Andy Barr / The Politico:
Steele to conservatives: ‘Wake up people’
Discussion: Donklephant
Bloomberg:
Illinois Threat to Bank of America Is Dangerous, Critics Say
Reuters:
Homeowners re-defaulting after getting aid
Discussion: A Blog For All
Stephen Dinan / Washington Times:
EXCLUSIVE: Obama's Web presence loses its luster
Discussion: Becoming 44
Kris Kitto / The Hill:
Breitbart's big, red Hollywood
 

 
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New York Times:
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New York Times:
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