Chicago Politics: Emanuel Back on the Mayoral Ballot

Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former Chief of Staff, wanted to run for Mayor of Chicago. That would seem to be straight forward since Emanuel is from Chicago but nothing is really that simple. Several of his political opponents filed a lawsuit against Emanuel appearing on the ballot because they claim that he did not comply with a state statute requiring his presence in Chicago for a year prior to the election.

The question is whether he lost residency when he moved away from Chicago to serve as Chief of Staff for President Obama.

Emanuel’s attorneys are expected to use Lampkin’s dissenting opinion to appeal the case to the Illinois Supreme Court. In today’s ruling, Hoffman wrote: “We ... order that the candidate’s name be excluded (or if, necessary, be removed) from the ballot from Chicago’s Feb. 22, 2011.”

Emanuel had won two previous rulings — by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners and a Cook County judge. The case was appealed to the appellate court, which handed down the ruling before noon Monday.

Opponents have argued Emanuel is not a resident of Chicago because he rented out his North Side home while serving as chief of staff to Obama. The renter —Rob Halpin — refused to allow Emanuel to move back in after Mayor Daley’s announcement last year that he would not seek re-election. Halpin briefly ran for mayor himself.

His opponents in Chicago may have a point if he doesn't meet the necessary residency requirements as Illinois law requires candidates for municipal offices be a resident of the city for a year prior to elections. Emanuel, who resigned as White House chief of staff last year to run for mayor, was challenged on the issue by several Chicago residents. It becomes a timing issue, and whether he was a resident of Chicago for the year necessary to qualify or not.

The Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision found that Emanuel didn't comply with the statute. Emanuel probably figured that he didn't lose residency because he never intended to give up his domicile - and thought he could simply return to Chicago without having any problem with the time. However, when he stopped renting in Chicago that was used as a defining date by the court to rule that he had given up domicile.

The problem is that Emanuel continued paying property taxes on the Hermitage house property, had an Illinois drivers license, and otherwise made no actions that would indicate he gave up his residency (from the decision):

At all relevant times, including the time he was in
Washington, D.C., the candidate continued to pay property taxes for
the Hermitage house, continued to hold an Illinois driver’s license
listing the Hermitage house as his address, continued to list the
Hermitage house address on his personal checks, and continued to
vote with the Hermitage house as his registered voting address.

I don't understand how they could have ruled the other way, and to me the dissent's opinion is the more persuasive. This is typically the kind of standard that would show that a taxpayer did not give up domicile or residency and was therefore subject to tax by a given jurisdiction.

The majority's framing of the opinion shows that they ignored the very provision that they were ruling upon:

The issues in this appeal distill essentially to two: whether
the candidate meets the Municipal Code’s requirement that he have
"resided in the municipality at least one year next preceding the
election" (65 ILCS 5/3.1-10-5(a) (West 2008)), and, if not, whether
he is exempt from that requirement under the Election Code
provision stating that "no elector *** shall be deemed to have lost
his or her residence *** by reason of his or her absence on
business of the United States" (10 ILCS 5/3-2 (West 2008)).

Even if the court mistakenly found against Emanuel on the first part - that he didn't reside in Chicago for the applicable time, he was still protected by the second part - he should not have lost residence by reason of business of the United States. He was the President's Chief of Staff and working in furtherance of the business of the United States.

I don't think it's an overreach to say that the Chief of Staff is a position doing the business of the United States. He's the right hand man for the President of the United States. You don't get much closer to the business of the United States than that.

Yet, it should be clear that both sides knew that all the lower court rulings were never going to be the last word. This was a case destined for the state supreme court.



Today, the Illinois Supreme Court has made an initial ruling to put Rahm Emanuel's name back on the Chicago mayoral ballot. They have yet to decide whether to take Emanuel's appeal of the Court of Appeals decision issued yesterday that said that Emanuel was ineligible to run for Mayor since he was not in Chicago for the requisite time period.

Less than 24 hours after an Illinois appeals court bumped Rahm Emanuel off the ballot for Chicago's election for mayor, the state's supreme court put that ruling on hold and ordered the city to include his name on any ballots being printed.

"The Board of Elections is directed that if any ballots are printed while this Court is considering this case, the ballots should include the name of petitioner Rahm Emanuel as a candidate for Mayor of the City of Chicago," the Supreme Court said in a one-page, unsigned order.

The court said it acted after receiving legal briefs from Emanuel and from his legal opponents who claimed he was unqualified because he did not meet residency requirements of state law. Today's order left unresolved whether the state's high court would take up the entire case on a speeded-up basis, but the order gave Emanuel the rapid relief he was seeking -- to keep his name on the ballot.

Stay tuned.

Massa's Gone, But Not Without Taking His Shots

Eric Massa has resigned today in NY.



The NY Democrat was busy claiming that he had health issues (cancer), and that's why he's stepping down, but apparently the Obama Administration was pressuring him to quit or else face a sexual harassment scandal from a male staffer because he wasn't voting the way they wanted on the health care bills.

And Massa will go on Beck to get his licks in on Rahm Emanuel, who he thinks is responsible. Massa was one of the guys who came out after being elected in 2008 that he'd vote for and demand single payer even if his constituents didn't want it. He opposed the bill that worked its way through the House, joining a group of Democrats who voted against the bill because it didn't go far enough. He was the kind of vote that Obama needed to convince that this was just the first step down that road - not that the change in health care funding wasn't needed. He was further to the left of where Obama wanted to be. So they forced him out. That's just asinine.

And Massa claims that Emanuel confronted him in a shower area buck naked (no word on where that occurred - the House gym perhaps?)

Rep. Steny Hoyer, who was also hit for scorn, calls Massa a liar.

This is a scandal that stinks, and there's plenty of innuendo to go around.

Health Care Hubris

The Democrats are going to push health care "reform" through regardless of the devastating consequences that everyone from conservatives to the Congressional Budget Office warns will occur because of the fiscally irresponsible package that Democrats are determined to pass without reading.

Indeed, President Obama's Chief of Staff says that the House will pass this health care mess before their August recess. What's the rush? Will this not be still on the table after the recess? Why not give this bill time to be debated and understood? Two committees already cleared the House bill, and yet no one knows the cost - let alone agree how it will be paid for.

That's the point, isn't it. If people realize what this bill will do, they wont like it one bit.

In fact, many people who are willing to give President Obama the benefit of doubt on his health care priorities can't figure out how all this will be paid for.

President Obama already signaled that this bill will raise taxes on the middle class - breaking one of his most prominent campaign pledges. Health care reform is nothing more than a massive tax and spend redistribution of wealth that will not improve the quality of care, and will only result in higher taxes and fees, and declining access to health care.

Nate Silver at 538.com seems to think that the timeout is a good idea. He's right, but not necessarily for the reasons he says. He thinks it gives the Democrats time to regroup. He's right on that account, but it also gives everyone else a chance to read what this bill will do, up to and including how it will be paid for in the form of new taxes and fees.

There is no way this bill gets done without the imposition of massive tax hikes on certain groups - that the rich are going to be soaked is taken for granted, it's the middle class that has to watch and wait with baited breath.

That Rahm is busy saying that the House will push this through before recess tells you that the Administration realizes that the more time people have to react and respond to the tax hikes, the less likely this gets done.

And if the House and or Senate fails to get the health care bill passed? Watch for Democrats to blame the GOP, despite the fact that Democrats control both chambers with filibuster proof majorities. The Democrats own this mess, and trying to pass it off on the GOP shouldn't (and isn't) going to fly.

UPDATE:
Byron York makes an excellent point. People know that President Obama oversold the stimulus package and the $787 billion that added to the deficit and did nothing to curb job losses (and may have contributed to more job loss and uncertainty in the markets). That's having a direct effect on the health care debate - and the huge costs associated with that makeover.

I'd further add that Obama's attitude towards the auto industry and the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies isn't going to be forgotten either by taxpayers who saw their money go down the rabbit hole in bailouts only to see those companies go under just weeks later.

Rahm Emanuel: Illegal Apartment Dweller?

Don Surber found this story on Gawker, and it once again points out that President Obama continues to work on making this the most unethical Administration ever. We now learn that Emanuel has been living in an illegal apartment in Washington DC.

Apparently a private investigator tracked down where he was living, and it is the basement of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut.

There's just one problem. DeLauro lives in a one-family that is zoned to prohibit renting the basement. He's been living in an illegal apartment.

Sheesh.

And that's on top of the fact that he treats his Chicago home as the office of a charitable group to avoid paying property taxes, has Freddie Mac issues, and was closely involved in the Tim Mahoney mess in Florida.

Obama sure knows how to pick them.

Clean Sweep: Illinois Senate Votes 59-0 To Remove Blagojevich

It isn't the end of the Blagojevich affair by any stretch, contrary to CBS News headlines, but it is the end the road for disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was removed as Illinois Governor by the Illinois Senate 59-0.

Blagojevich spoke before the Senate yesterday and rambled on about how he had done so much good for the state and that if he had committed a crime, others should go down as well, including President Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and various members of the Illinois political establishment.

I'm sure that sat well with all those folks.

In the end, it didn't affect the outcome, especially since Blagojevich hinted at his culpability when he stated that he had not knowingly committed criminal acts.

Once the State House impeached him earlier this month for abuse of power, the Senate did what was expected and voted to throw Blagojevich out of office. And on an identical 59-0 roll call, it barred the two-term Democrat from ever again holding public office in the state.

"He failed the test of character. He is beneath the dignity of the state of Illinois. He is no longer worthy to be our governor," said Sen. Matt Murphy, a Republican from suburban Chicago.

The state's Democratic Lieutenant Governor (and one of Blagojevich's strongest critics), 60-year-old Quinn, was promptly sworn in as governor.

Blagojevich, 52, had boycotted the first three days of the impeachment trial, calling the proceedings a kangaroo court. But on Thursday, he went before the Senate to fight for his job, delivering a 47-minute plea that was, by turns, defiant, humble and sentimental.

He offered familiar lines: He was innocent. The trial rules were unfair. His goal always was to help people.

"You haven't proved a crime, and you can't because it didn't happen," Blagojevich told lawmakers. "How can you throw a governor out of office with insufficient and incomplete evidence?"

"I think what's been very disappointing and very frustrating to everyone involved in the process … is that the governor could have brought forward information and evidence and witnesses, and he refused at every turn to do so," Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan said on CBS' The Early Show. "He didn't participate when the House was considering impeachment. He obviously refused to participate in the actual trial in front of the Senate.

Blagojevich had gone on a media blitz this week, appearing on major network morning programs and taking the plea to the people, claiming that he had never intended to carry out criminal acts and that he had done much good for the people of Illinois.

Still, Blagojevich does have a point about the impeachment process; it wasn't exactly about due process and the ability to rebut charges with the presentation of evidence. That was due, in part, to the criminal charges and the case pending in federal court on corruption charges. The prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, didn't want to undermine his criminal case and so limited the amount of evidence provided for impeachment purposes.

Blagojevich Names Former Attorney General To Replace Obama In US Senate

Democrat Rod Blagojevich has upped the ante; he's naming former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace Barack Obama in the US Senate:

Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to President-elect Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.

The governor has scheduled a 3 p.m. ET news conference Tuesday, but his spokesman Lucio Guerrero declined to tell the Associated Press what the governor plans to discuss.

Blagojevich has been under pressure to step aside or resign since his arrest earlier this month on federal corruption charges. He's accused of trying to sell Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Obama's top officials, including Rahm Emanuel have become embroiled in the scandal and Obama's media flacks have repeatedly fallen short of fully disclosing the contacts, instead offering up claims that are ludicrous on their face.

UPDATE:
At least some Democrats are apparently using functioning neurons. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid disapproves of Blagojevich making any such decisions.

UPDATE:
Who is Burris? Well, apparently, he likes to speak his mind, calling two of his opponents in an election in 1998 "non-qualified white boys". Reid may attempt to try and not seat Burris, but it's not up to him. The Warren Court decided as much when his court ruled that Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., must be seated (coincidentally, he was replaced by the corrupt and detestable Charles Rangel who continues to operate above the law).

Yet Another Reason Why McCain Lost the 2008 Election

Sen. John McCain remains a US Senator and will not become the next President of the United States in part because he alienated far too many Republicans with all of his "mavericky" statements. Republicans who turned out in record numbers in 2004 for President Bush's reelection stayed at home and on the sidelines as Obama's people turned out in record numbers.

That trend continues today, when he's far more likely to criticize Republicans for going after Obama's connections with corrupt Democrat Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich than to go after Obama and his connections with shady characters, corrupt politicians and the Chicago machine.

In a surprising rebuke to the warriors who fought for him through tough times, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Sunday sided with President-elect Barack Obama and scolded the Republican National Committee for fanning the Illinois corruption scandal.

On ABC’s “This Week,” host George Stephanopoulos asked: “The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Mike Duncan, has been highly critical of the way President- elect Obama has dealt with this.
"He's had a statement every single day, saying that the Obama team should reveal all contacts they've had with Governor [Rod] Blagojevich. He says that Obama's promise of transparency to the American people is now being tested. Do you agree with that?”

McCain replied: “I think that the Obama campaign should and will give all information necessary. You know, in all due respect to the Republican National Committee and anybody — right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy stimulus package, reforms that are necessary. And so, I don't know all the details of the relationship between President-elect Obama's campaign or his people and the governor of Illinois, but I have some confidence that all the information will come out. It always does, it seems to me.”

It's absolutely infuriating that McCain continues to think that the Republicans are in the wrong whenever there is a scandal involving Democrats for simply pointing out the Democrats scandals.

After all, the media has done an awful job of sorting through all of Obama's past dealings in Illinois politics and even now are busy trying to erect a barrier between Blagojevich and Obama, despite the fact that there's no way that the two camps didn't talk about what would happen to Obama's seat once he was elected President. If the GOP isn't out there highlighting the connections between Obama and Blagojevich and the possibility of further criminal conduct among Obama's staffers (hey, I'm talking about Axelrod and Emanuel who have made multiple contradictory statements regarding their conversations with the Blagojevich staff on Obama's seat situation), who will?

That isn't to say that Obama engaged in criminal acts relating to Blagojevich's attempt to sell Obama's seat to the highest bidder and profit personally from the transaction, but Obama did work with Blagojevich on his 2002 campaign for governor, and has been close to Blagojevich - who has been under a cloud of suspicion for corrupt activities ever since 2002.

No one who knows anything about Chicago and Illinois politics should be surprised by any of the revelations about Blagojevich, despite the stunning audacity of his demands for profit from Obama's seat. What is surprising is how Obama has seemingly risen above all the corruption and emerged without even a whiff of taint from decades of corrupt politicians surrounding him on all sides - at least that's how it is portrayed by a media that did all it could to push Obama to win in November.

Never mind that Tony Rezko's conviction still may provide some troubling questions for what Obama knew and did and how he came to own his Chicago home. Rezko is also a close personal friend of Blagojevich and helped Blagojevich win the election in 2002.

Talking Points

After days of claiming that people from the Obama camp had no discussions with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, all of a sudden we get a report where Rahm Emanuel admits he talked with staffers from his fellow Democrat about what would happen to Obama's Illinois Senate seat.

Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Barack Obama's pick to be White House chief of staff, had conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration about who would replace Obama in the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Tribune has learned.

The revelation does not suggest Obama's new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?

Blagojevich and John Harris, his former chief of staff, face federal charges in an alleged shakedown involving the vacant Senate seat, which Illinois law grants the governor sole authority to fill.

It makes absolutely no sense that Obama and the Illinois governor's staffers wouldn't be having conversations about what would happen to the seat and who both sides would like to see replace Obama. It's simply farfetched that there were no conversations as Obama and his press flacks had been maintaining all week since the news of Blagojevich's indictments hit the airwaves.

Indeed, it looks like there were contacts beginning even before the November election. That too should have been expected since it was highly possible that the governor would be picking Obama's replacement.

Emanuel delivered a list of candidates who would be "acceptable" to Obama, the source said. On the list were Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Illinois Veterans Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, state Comptroller Dan Hynes and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Chicago, the source said. All are Democrats.

Sometime after the election, Emanuel called Harris back to add the name of Democratic Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan to the approved list, the source said.

So, what took so long? Was it that difficult to realize that telling the truth was the best and only course of action to take and that stonewalling would lead to the appearance of impropriety? Did Emanuel and Obama not realize that they're dealing with a prosecutor in the form of Patrick Fitzgerald who'd already secured convictions for obstruction of justice and perjury against "Scooter" Libby because he couldn't keep his story straight with investigators? The inability to come up with a coherent story could land Obama's top staffers, including Emanuel and David Axelrod in hot water.

I also find it hard to believe that we'll get a full investigation from Obama's own people into whether anyone had conversations or engaged in unethical or illegal activities; there's simply too much self interest involved to get a true and impartial investigation. The federal prosecutors are going to have to investigate and let the matter take them where the evidence leads.

Right now, I really don't think Obama himself is implicated in any of the direct corruption alleged against Blagojevich attempting to sell Obama's seat. That's not to say that Obama couldn't later be implicated in other schemes Blagojevich was running - and there's apparently plenty of corruption to go around.

It also raises questions as to Madigan's suddenly active role in seeking Blagojevich's ouster through the courts. She's ignored the corruption in Illinois all along, and yet now finds her voice even as she's been mentioned as a possible replacement for Obama. That doesn't suggest that she's involved in the corruption, but it certainly should raise questions as to her motivations.

For his part, Blagojevich continues to carry on state business even as calls for his resignation continue to pour in. There are also reports that he's consulting with his lawyers about possibly resigning this coming week, but as I've stated previously, Blagojevich would not resign unless he's got a deal in place with prosecutors.

What Did They Know and When Did They Know It

The circus that surrounds Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is only going to get worse, and the questions are going to get a whole lot more uncomfortable for far more people in a hurry. That includes Barack Obama's expected Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. In fact, Emanuel may have tipped off the feds as to Blagojevich's antics.

David Axelrod stepped in it as well, claiming that Blagojevich and Obama talked about who would replace Obama in the Senate, but the Obama campaign now says that Axelrod misspoke. Where did Axelrod get the idea that the two talked? That's going to require subpoenas and phone records to see who talked to whom and what was said.

There's also questions about just how close Obama and Blagojevich are. I'd say that the two Democrats are pretty close, and to believe that the two men didn't discuss who would be appointed to Obama's seat even in passing must believe in pixie dust and unicorns. Something must have gotten Blagojevich's dander up by claiming that Obama wasn't going to give him anything in exchange for the Senate seat. Who passed that along, and why was nothing said to the authorities about a quid pro quo for the seat.

Some in the media are trying to increase the distance between Obama and Blagojevich. Blagojevich supported Obama's presidential campaign, but even at that time the Obama campaign may have been trying to distance him from the swirling corruption talk, particularly in regards to Tony Rezko.

Still, there is one thing that catches my attention though through all the analysis and reports today.

Patrick Fitzgerald serves at the pleasure of the President. He may be asked to resign when Barack Obama becomes President in January although the Senior Senator from Illinois Richard Durbin, a Democrat, has suggested keeping him on.

Should he send Fitzgerald packing, it would pose a real thorny issue for Obama. If he does anything that potentially derails the ongoing investigation into his friend Blagojevich, it's going to cause serious political problems for him down the line. If Fitzgerald is allowed to serve out and complete his investigation and prosecution, it could mean plenty of convictions and opportunities for Obama to grant pardons down the road.

From a legal perspective, Obama of course has an absolute right to send Fitzgerald packing (but it might be entertaining to see how the Left contorts itself on the legal grounds that they claim cost Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales when he fired a bunch of federal attorneys).

Still, that wouldn't necessarily mark the end of the investigation. It could just slow it down. Obama would more likely wait and let the criminal justice system run its course and find Blagojevich guilty of multiple crimes relating to the ongoing corruption investigation, and pardon or commute his sentence.

That too is within Obama's absolute legal right as President. Obama would have to wait until a criminal sentence is passed before considering commutation. Obama cannot act before that point, if he wanted to. If Blagojevich is indicted on state crimes, those would have to be acted upon by whoever succeeds him as Governor.

However, the political fallout from such actions could be extreme. It could seriously affect Democrats chances in 2010 and Obama's reelection efforts for 2012. This situation puts Obama on the defensive right off the bat since so many of his closest political allies are involved, associated, or implicated in the growing scandal. It's a huge distraction for the Obama campaign at a time when they need to be focusing on transitioning to the White House and getting up to speed on the economy, foreign policy, and all the other daily issues that the President must address.

Instead, the Obama team has to deal with damage control from before day one. That's not a good place to be in, and it's only going to get worse.

Of course, Blagojevich may have cost himself a pardon by cursing out Obama in the wiretaps, but Obama may be the kind of guy who pays back those who help him get to the top, even if he's had to run them under the bus from time to time.

Here's a primer to those suggested as candidates to replace Obama.

The crimes alleged or alluded to also includes shaking down Warren Buffet and putting the screws to the Chicago Tribune for posting unflattering stories about Blagojevich.

There's still the unfinished business relating to Tony Rezko.

For his part, Blagojevich has no intention of resigning.

UPDATE:
So, how close were Obama and Blagojavich? Well, Obama and Emanuel seemingly ran Blagojavich's run for governor. Of course, now that the mess has hit the fan, everyone is running for the exits, including Emanuel, who's now clarifying his prior statements. Figures. Either he exaggerated his position in Blagojavich's inner circle, or he's lying about just how close he was to Blagojavich. I'm leaning towards the latter, but Emanuel's lying no matter how you dice it.

UPDATE:
Jesse Jackson Jr is wise to be lawyering up. It looks like he's the one who allegedly offered Blagojavich money for the Senate seat. Dumb. Real dumb.

UPDATE:
Look, just because Obama and Blagojavich were meeting to discuss who would replace Obama doesn't mean that Obama's in on the criminality. It does make Obama look stupid for claiming that the two men didn't talk, or didn't talk about the seat when it has been reported by multiple outlets and multiple sources indicate that they spoke.

It's not the crime, it's the coverup, and in his attempt to distance himself from Blagojavich, Obama's going to run afoul of the law. It will be interesting to see all the subpoenas flying at everyone involved - including Obama to get to the heart of who was involved and what was being discussed. Obama better get his story straight, or he too will find out what it means to enter a perjury trap or obstruct justice. From what I can tell, Obama really wanted nothing to do with Blago's heavy handed tactics and demands for quid pro quo, but that too indicates that the two men talked or had their underlings talking - all of which goes against what Obama has been saying.

This mess is about to get a whole lot messier, and it also will be entertaining watching all those folks who thought that Scooter Libby should fry now facing a situaiton where The One and his flacks, including Axelrod, Emanuel, and a whole host of Chicago cronies is about to engage the same guy who nailed Libby for the perjury trap.

UPDATE:
This might be the most damning and dangerous part of Blagojavich's schemes. He wanted pay to play with the Tribune Company and demanded firing journalists who were not to his liking in order for the Tribune Company to get tax breaks on a possible sale:

While the selling of the senate seat and pay to play complaints got the most headlines, perhaps the most incredible of all the charges alleged against Blagojevich is his attempted shakedown of the Chicago Tribune.

The Trib not only owns the Chicago Tribune but also the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Owner Sam Zell (who has just filed for bankruptcy) is trying to sell the team and, more importantly, one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in Chicago: Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs.

But the sale of Wrigley field will involve massive taxes -- something on the order of $100 million dollars in capital gains. Zell had a approached the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) in order to strike a deal where, according to the criminal complaint, the IFA would take title to Wrigley Field thus saving Zell a lot of cash.

Enter Blagojevich, who told his chief of staff John Harris (also arrested today) to make it clear to Zell that no help from the IFA would be forthcoming unless some members of the Chicago Tribune editorial board were fired.

In a November 4 phone call with Harris, Blagojevich told his aide ""our recommendation is fire all those [expletive] people, get ‘em the [expletive] out of there and get us some editorial support."

Harris reported back on November 11 that Zell "got the message and is very sensitive to the issue." Later, Harris told Blagojevich that there were "certain corporate reorganizations and budget cuts coming and, reading between the lines, he's (Zell) going after that section."

No firings have taken place yet and it is doubtful that Zell will make a move now that this deal is in the open. I suppose he saw it as a cost of doing business and $100 million is a lot of cash. But the thought that he would buckle to the whims of this strutting peacock of a politician who wanted journalists, who were only doing the job they were being paid to do, axed because they were telling the truth about his corruption stinks of rank cowardice.

Pres-Elect Obama's New Chief of Staff Has Freddie Mac Issues

If he had a (R) after his name, the media might have made more of this. But Rahm Emanuel isn't a Republican. He's a Democrat enforcer that President Elect Barack Obama chose to be his Chief of Staff.

Emanuel is a tough guy, but he's got skeletons in his closet that should give people pause as to Obama's choice and judgment.

Emanuel was on the board of Freddie Mac when Freddie Mac was cooking the books. He didn't blow the whistle on the situation or the fact that the entity was about to go broke over the subprime mess, which he and his fellow Democrats chose to ignore for years in the name of affordable housing. As ABC News now reports:

President-elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot "red flags," according to government reports reviewed by ABCNews.com.

According to a complaint later filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Freddie Mac, known formally as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, misreported profits by billions of dollars in order to deceive investors between the years 2000 and 2002.

No one has accused Emanuel of wrongdoing in those complaints, but one really ought to question his judgment and inability to note the serious problems facing Freddie Mac.

Jammie also points out this particular issue with Emanuel's tax situation. Apparently, he doesn't pay any property taxes because he's declared his home the office of a charitable foundation. Nearby homes of similar size pay upwards of $6,000 a year in property taxes. Emanuel pays nothing.

Of course, I've pointed out previously that Emanuel has issues stemming from what he knew about the Tim Mahoney mess in Florida. He was responsible for getting Mahoney elected, and then learned about the affairs, and worked to keep the news from leaking. I'm curious as to why the media isn't digging deeper to find out what Emanuel knew about that situation.

UPDATE:
Hot Air notes the possible civil and criminal liability facing Emanuel if it can be shown he signed off on the bogus numbers generated by Freddie Mac.

This is no small matter. Had this happened when Sarbanes-Oxley was in effect, Emanuel would have had to sign off on those numbers under penalty of perjury. He could be liable for criminal prosecution. As it is, his actions and omissions as a board member may still result in civil and criminal liability, if the SEC discovers that he had a hand in the fraud committed at Freddie Mac, or if Emanuel knew about it and failed to act to stop it.

To The Winners Goes The Spoils

So, which politicians are going to stand to benefit from their support of President Elect Barack Obama? How will Obama and the Democrats govern? It starts with who Obama selects as his closest advisers and cabinet members, as he still remains an enigma over who exactly he is and what he intends to do.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine may be headed for a cabinet position, although he's downplaying that scenario. The Star Ledger positions him for Treasury Secretary. At least New Jersey would have Richard Codey again running things in Trenton.

Corzine's chief of staff, Lisa Jackson, is being touted for a slot at the EPA.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel may become Obama's Chief of Staff. He's certainly at the top of the list, and the Illinois Democrat has been in Obama's corner from the outset.

Other names that might come up in discussion for high level positions will follow.

UPDATE:
It's official. Emanuel has accepted Obama's offer to be his Chief of Staff. It's Chicago politics after all, and he's gone with the enforcer.

Up next? Secretary of State John Kerry? I know that's a rumor, but would Kerry really want to give up his cushy job in the Senate to have to actually do real work? After all, his seat is safe as long as he wants it. Perhaps he figures it's the next best thing to being President - getting to run around and impose the global test on limitations of US foreign policy.

Media Reports Rep. Emanuel's Role In An Obama Administration; Ignores Role In Mahoney Mess

There are numerous reports (see here, here and here for a sampling) today suggesting that Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) would have a very prominent role in an Obama Administration, perhaps as Obama's chief of staff. Good for him. Bad for the rest of us.

Maybe, just maybe, someone might actually question Emanuel about what he about the Mahoney mess, and when he first learned that Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) admitted to extra marital affairs and the possible use of federal funds in paying for the silence of his paramours. It would be nice if someone from the media would ask Emanuel about what role he played in keeping Mahoney's mess from the media and to attempt to bury the story before the election to keep Democrat hopes for a big sweeping victory in the House. I wont hold my breath for any of this.

The media has all but ignored the Mahoney story despite the salaciousness of the scandal and the fact that it involves the admission of multiple extramarital affairs and the allegations of abuse of power by Mahoney, which was covered up by top Democrats, including Emanuel, who hand picked Mahoney as a replacement to the disgraceful Mark Foley, a Republican who admitted to sending inappropriate emails to House pages.

That goes to the judgment and character of Emanuel, who pushed for Mahoney over local Democratic party candidates.

Mahoney Mess: Divorce Filings and Media Incuriosity

Why is the media continuing to essentially conduct a blackout on news about Democrat Tim Mahoney and his affairs (the extramarital affair with a campaign staffer and then the affair with a FEMA worker)? Well, this is a self-answering question: the answer is already in the question. Mahoney is a Democrat.

Just two years ago, the media circled around Rep. Mark Foley (R), and seized on GOP leadership's knowledge and actions on the scandal to play up the fact that the GOP were corrupt or somehow damaged. It helped play a role in costing Democrats the election.

Here? You're getting crickets, despite the fact that Mahoney was Democrat leader Rahm Emanuel's pick for replacing Foley. How and why Emanuel chose Mahoney is a mystery to local Democrats, who were pretty much ignored in the process because Mahoney was quite wealthy. Money talked, and Emanuel pushed Mahoney.

It's also apparent from various sources that Emanuel and other Democrat leaders knew about at least one of the affairs and did nothing.

Now, sometimes the ethics panel starts investigations after an official complaint is filed by a member, and occasionally it launches a probe on its own. What it doesn't normally do is this -- announce that it is "reviewing" a topic without actually forming an investigative subcommittee. The statement also sparks more questions: Who exactly is the committee going to interview? Will it seek testimony from Democratic leaders?

This last issue is important, because Reps. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), the current and former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, have both acknowledged talking to Mahoney about the allegations before the story broke.

Democrats demanded hearings in which GOP leaders had to testify as to their knowledge of Foley's mess in 2006. Where is Speaker Pelosi and Emanuel to testify here on Mahoney?

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has issued a statement saying, "In 2006, House Republican leaders voluntarily testified under oath in the matter of disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley. Will House Democratic leaders, including Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Emanuel, and Congressman Van Hollen, agree to do the same? The American people deserve to know what House Democratic leaders knew about Congressman Mahoney's reprehensible actions, what they did with the information."

So much for the most ethical Congress mantra that Pelosi has chattered about for two years without so much as taking a single step to deal with any number of Congressional Democrats who have engaged in unethical or illegal actions, including William "Cold Cash" Jefferson and Charlie "I am the tax man" Rangel.

Emanuel and the leadership had been trying to keep the story buried until after the election, but ABC News managed to break the news. It's been an incurious media since then that hasn't forced the Democrats to answer for their actions in the same manner in which Republicans were raked over the coals in 2006. That cannot be attributed to anything other than bias in the media. After all, we're talking about the same kinds of salacious issues that newspapers usually love to cover: sex, power, politics, and corruption.

Meanwhile,
Mahoney's wife is finally taking action - she's filing for divorce. I hope she takes him to the cleaners.

Don Surber has more.

UPDATE:
Jammie reports that Mark Foley has been sighted, and now supports Sen. Barack Obama for President. Obama can have him. Foley also expressed some pleasure at watching Mahoney's meltdown and all signs point to the Republicans picking up the seat.

UPDATE:
Drudge is now carrying the following from Mark Foley:

FOLEY: 'An online article posted today on Variety's website innaccurately reported that I was supporting Barack Obama. The story on Variety's website, based on a second or third-hand account of my private conversation, is incorrect. I have already voted by absentee ballot in Florida. Although I didn't vote for Senator Obama, I intend to keep my choice private.'

Great reporting by the drive-by media in claiming that Foley was voting for Obama.

Mahoney Mess: Admission of Multiple Affairs

Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL16) admits that he had multiple affairs while serving as Representative of the 16th Congressional District in Florida.

Let me just be explicit that I am admitting to it...to having affairs," Mahoney said in an interview this afternoon with reporter Terri Parker at WPBF News 25, ABC News' affiliate in West Palm Beach. "My personal behavior has been unacceptable."

How nice of him to make that admission. How about a follow up question from ABC News (or anyone else): where did the money come from that was used to silence those women involved in the affairs. What about the FEMA funds? His personal behavior extended into the public conduct of his office as a public servant. He's an absolute disgrace and should be tossed from his seat.

Sadly, no one has bothered to question Rep. Rahm Emanuel who pushed to get Mahoney elected from this district. What else did he know, and when did he know it?

Meanwhile, Mark Foley could not be reached for comment.

Mahoney Mess: FBI Investigates Salacious Details, Local Democrats Bitter

As I suspected yesterday, the FBI is looking at whether federal funds were involved in the payoffs of Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) to keep two affairs out of sight. However, I wasn't thinking big enough. It's even juicier than I thought. The FBI is looking at two salacious lines of inquiry:

Federal agents also are examining whether a second affair Mahoney was having with a high-level official in his Florida district was the reason behind his decision to push for federal emergency funds for her county, the official said.

The person spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.

The FBI is looking into whether Mahoney hired the first mistress—and put her on the federal payroll—so she would not reveal their affair, the person said. The woman, Patricia Allen, has not returned calls for comment.

The agency also wants to know whether any sexual favors were exchanged for Mahoney helping Martin County secure a $3.4 million reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for hurricane damage there while having a second affair with a high-level county manager.

So, even with what would appear to be on its face a blatant abuse of federal funds, abuse of his position as Congressman, and the salaciousness of the scandal, it barely cracks the headlines.

This is the same district that saw Mark Foley, a Republican, have a sex scandal of his own - if you count salacious emails as a sex scandal. That scandal, and the subsequent bungling by GOP leaders, helped cost the GOP their majority in 2006. Of course, the media was more than happy to assist in that endeavor.

Now, we're watching as real federal funds were involved to buy silence, sexual favors exchanged for federal funds, and a federal job offered to keep silent.

The Democrat leadership knew, or had reason to know of the affairs and sat on it. The media isn't willing to dig deeper and find out just what the Democrat leaders knew - and I suspect it's because the media knows what they'll find out - that they knew and did nothing except hope that the issue blows past the election and that they did all they could to keep it from breaking in the news. ABC News broke both the Foley story and the Mahoney story - and should be commended for that fact. However, they and none of the other big media outlets are doing anyone any favors by avoiding the 800 pound gorilla of what the leadership knew and did to keep this story out of the press.

That this story isn't plastered in the headlines like the Foley story is a testament to the bias within the media to avoid running stories detrimental to Democrats, especially at election time.

After all, this story has everything - a compelling story line, sex, money, and power.

Some Democrats are questioning how the DCCC pushed Mahoney on the district because he was a multimillionaire, overlooking other candidates. That may be sour grapes from David Lutrin, but he's getting to say I told you so because the DCCC didn't bother to vet Mahoney nearly as well as they should; and Mahoney's more closely tied to Rahm Emanuel than the media is letting on. The Democrats were chasing the money and former GOPers to run for office over established Democrats. In more conservative leaning districts, the crossover appeal is definitely a plus, but it looks real bad for Emanuel for backing Mahoney without doing his due diligence.

I'll give the AP credit for their story above for including Mahoney's political affiliation up front. Mighty charitable of them. I can't say the same of other outlets.

And speaking of the subject of name that party and media bias, why exactly is the non-affair story involving John McCain back in the news? Someone decided that this was the only way to divert attention from the active and festering Mahoney mess?

Florida Democrat Tim Mahoney Had Two Ongoing Affairs?

As if being married wasn't enough, Tim Mahoney had not only one affair with someone working in his office, Patricia Allen, but had a second affair at the same time. If he had all this time on his hands to juggle his affairs, where did his constituents fit in?

Hours after a married congressman addressed a report that he had an affair with a former aide and paid her to keep quiet about, details of a purported tryst with a second woman surfaced.

Though Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney did not directly mention allegations first reported by ABC News, that he had been involved with the former aide, he issued a statement apologizing to his family but denying he'd done anything illegal.

Later Tuesday, a person close to his campaign told The Associated Press that Mahoney also was having an affair with a second woman around the same time.

Mahoney, 52, won his seat in 2006 while promising to return morals and family values to Washington in the aftermath of the resignation of former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. Foley stepped down when it was revealed he sent lurid Internet messages to male teenage pages who had worked on Capitol Hill. Foley was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing by state and federal authorities.

Democrat leaders in the House ought to be pressed on when they learned of the affair, and what they did. It is apparent that Rahm Emanuel knew and if that's the case, this situation isn't all that different from how the GOP handled the Mark Foley mess. Democrats used the failure of the GOP leadership to catapult into control of the House.

Given the way that the Democrats under Speaker Pelosi have run Congress into the ground with never before seen low approval ratings and no accomplishments to speak of, the GOP should be pouncing on this as a way to gain back many of the seats lost in 2006. However, they have to overcome a media that is quite reluctant to press home the point.

UPDATE:
The FBI is now taking a serious interest in Mahoney's actions.

FBI agents have reportedly contacted members of Mahoney's staff and Tuesday sought legal files surrounding the secret settlement, according to current and former Mahoney Congressional and campaign staff workers.

A spokesperson for the FBI said she had been instructed to say "no comment" to press inquiries.

It would be unusual but not unprecedented for the FBI to open an investigation into a member of Congress three weeks before the election.

If the Democrats had their way, news of Mahoney's affair wouldn't have come out until after the election, and they were trying quite hard to ensure that. ABC News broke the news on the affair, just as they did with the Foley mess.

UPDATE:
Still more details about that second affair, and it's just as damning as the first affair and subsequent coverup:

On Tuesday night, a person close to the Mahoney campaign told the AP that Mahoney also was having a relationship with a high-ranking official in Martin County in his Florida district around the same time of the purported affair with Allen.

The person close to the campaign spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to openly discuss Mahoney's private life.

The person said Mahoney was having the relationship with the official in 2007 while he also was lobbying the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a $3.4 million reimbursement for Martin County for damage caused by hurricanes in 2004. FEMA approved the money late last year.

Mahoney's congressional staff declined to comment on this alleged tryst, but noted Mahoney lobbies for FEMA funding throughout his district, and that Martin County has received $43 million from FEMA since 2004. Mahoney didn't take office until 2006.

I think I see the FBI's potential line of inquiry - who got FEMA money via Mahoney and whether favors were done to obtain such funds.

UPDATE:
Copious Dissent notes that some reports on Mahoney's actions are avoiding mention of his political affiliation. Why am I not surprised. It's time to play name that party!

UPDATE:
Gay Patriot notes the media discrepancy between the Foley coverage and Mahoney coverage. I'm not surprised, it's what the media does. Heck, Rahm Emanuel, who knew of the affair, wasn't even questioned by Chris Matthews. The media isn't even bothering asking the questions they asked of GOP leadership despite evidence that federal funds may have been involved in silencing one of the two women Mahoney had an extramarital affair with.

Meanwhile, it appears that Mahoney is considering quitting the race. He's probably being pressured by Pelosi and the other Democrat leadership to quit to avoid this story spiraling out of control, but I'm still curious as to what the leadership knew, when they knew, and the steps they took to keep it out of the press - particularly the part about how federal funds may be involved.

UPDATE:
The quip of the day has to come from Don Surber, who caught the Palm Beach Post's endorsement of Mahoney:

Mahoney has delivered.”

On Sunday, the PBP endorsed Democratic Congressman Tim Mahoney: “Tim Mahoney has had a productive two years in Congress, and on Nov. 4 voters should give him two more years.”

Florida Congressman Pays $121,000 To Former Mistress?

Florida Congressman Tim Mahoney has been trying very hard to keep this news from going public, but it's now being reported that he apparently paid $121,000 to a former mistress and promised much more.

Mahoney, who is married, also promised the woman, Patricia Allen, a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handles his campaign advertising, the staffers said.

A Mahoney spokesperson would not answer questions about the alleged affair or the settlement, but said Allen resigned of her own accord and "has not received any special payment from campaign funds."

Senior Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), the chair of the Democratic Caucus, have been working with Mahoney to keep the matter from hurting his re-election campaign, the Mahoney staffers said.

So, who is this Democrat Tim Mahoney?

He's the guy who replaced disgraced Republican Mark Foley who was forced to resign over the page scandal (and for which no criminal charges were ever brought). (HT: Florida Lady at LGF)

What is it with Florida?

UPDATE:
As Ace notes, don't expect the media to take this up as a sign that the Democrats are thoroughly involved in a culture of corruption that protects their own from "indiscretions" and demands that the Democrats lose power in Congress.

There will be no such calls. The media will simply note this as an isolated instance, and not the reason for sweeping the Democrats from power, which in part is what happened in 2006.

UPDATE:
I think someone ought to investigate and see whether this is true. Speaker Pelosi claims that she just learned about this growing scandal. I don't quite believe her given that Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and the Democratic caucus have been working to keep this matter hushed up.

You wouldn't want to spoil the "most ethical Congress ever" with yet another scandal not with the November elections fast approaching.

Throw in the fact that Emanuel was on the forefront of those Democrats screaming for Foley's head on a platter and you get the idea of the stench of hypocrisy emanating from Congress these days.

Who are the Superdelegates, and How Will They Vote

So, you thought your vote counted? Silly rabbit, elections are for Superdelegates. Today's New York Post has a great article summarizing how the Superdelegates are lined up, and who has yet to commit to a candidate. As we are looking more and more like we are heading for a brokered convention, this list is important to keep in mind.

WHAT ARE SUPERDELEGATES?

* Superdelegates gain automatic entry to the Democratic National Convention based on their status as current or former elected officeholders and party officials.
* They can support any candidate.
* They make up about 20 percent of the delegates' total at the Convention.
* About 794 superdelegates will be at the Convention.
794 SUPERDELEGATES
Clinton: 242 pledged to date
Obama: 210 pledged to date

THE UNDECIDED

With the delegates who are determined by votes, called "pledged delegates," so close - 1,588 to 1,465, favoring Obama - the Democratic nomination (which requires 2,025 delegates) will come down to the whim of superdelegates.

Here are the ones still straddling the fence:

76 ADD-ON DELEGATES

The biggest wildcard of all. These are superdelegate spots given almost as honorariums in the next few months. Most slots are empty and will be lobbied fiercely if the race goes to the convention.

19 DISTINGUISHED PARTY LEADERS

Clinton holds the edge here, but considering how much she and Bill have dissed Al Gore and Jimmy Carter, expect Obama to pick up a delegate or two.

Clinton: 10
Obama: 4
Uncommitted: 5

* Jimmy Carter (Former President)
* Al Gore (Former Vice President)
* George Mitchell (Former Senate Majority Leader)
* Roy Romer (Former DNC Chairman)
* Robert Schwarz Strauss (Former DNC Chairman)

31 DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS
(including the Mayor of DC and Governors of Territories)
Bill Richardson is a heavily-courted "influence" vote in this category, while most of the other governors are seeing how their constituents vote in late primaries before deciding.

Clinton: 10
Obama: 11
Uncommitted: 10

* Steve Beshear (Kentucky)
* Phil Bredesen (Tennessee)
* Mike Easley (North Carolina)
* Dave Freudenthal (Wyoming)
* Brad Henry (Oklahoma)
* John Lynch (New Hampshire)
* Joe Manchin (West Virginia)
* Bill Richardson (New Mexico)
* Bill Ritter (Colorado)
* Brian Schweitzer (Montana)

48 MEMBERS OF THE SENATE
(46 Senators and the 2 Shadow Senators from DC)
Both Clinton and Obama have good reputations in the Senate, but Clinton had more time to make alliances. Most of them are waiting until the last minute to see which way the wind blows.

Clinton: 12
Obama: 15
Uncommitted: 20

* Daniel Akaka (Hawaii)
* Max Baucus (Montana)
* Joe Biden (Delaware)
* Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico)
* Sherrod Brown (Ohio)
* Robert Byrd (West Virginia)
* Ben Cardin (Maryland)
* Thomas R. Carper (Delaware)
* Bob Casey, Jr. (Pennsylvania)
* Tom Harkin (Iowa)
* Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota)
* Herb Kohl (Wisconsin)
* Mary Landrieu (Louisiana)
* Frank Lautenberg (New Jersey)
* Jack Reed (Rhode Island)
* Harry Reid (Nevada)
* Ken Salazar (Colorado)
* John Tester (Montana)
* Jim Webb (Virginia)
* Ron Wyden (Oregon)

400 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
(Actually 404 delegates with 400 votes, considering the 8 Democrats Abroad delegates with 1/2 vote.)
Simultaneously the largest and most slippery of groups. Though they have ties to geographic areas, these Democratic party officials may have worked for one candidate or another (even ones that dropped out) and follow their leads instead.

Clinton: 136
Obama: 97
Unassigned: 7
Uncommitted: 152

* Steven Achelpohl (Nebraska DNC State Chair)
* Joyce Beatty (Ohio DNC Dem. Legislative Campaig* Comm.)
* Don Bivens (Arizona DNC State Chair)
* Anita Bonds (District of Columbia DNC District Chair)
* Bill Bradbury (Oregon DNC)
* Joyce Brayboy (North Carolina DNC)
* Donna Brazile (District of Carolina DNC)
* Scott Brennan (Iowa DNC)
* Roy LaVerne Brooks (Texas DNC State Vice Chair)
* Ray Buckley (New Hampshire DNC State Chair)
* William Burga (Ohio DNC)
* Carol Burke (Virginia DNC)
* Luisette Cabanas (Puerto Rico DNC Territory Vice Chair)
* Margarett Campbell (Montana DNC State Vice Chair)
* Robin Carnahan (Missouri DNC Dem. Asso. of Sec. of State)
* Nick Casey Jr. (West Virginia DNC State Chair)
* Maria Chappelle-Nadal (Missouri DNC)
* Antonio Charfauros (Guam DNC Territory Chair)
* Linda Chavez-Thompson (Texas DNC DNC Vice Chair)
* Gilda Cobb-Hunter (South Carolina DNC)
* Larry Cohen (District of Columbia DNC)
* Brian Colon (New Mexico DNC State Chair)
* Ed Cote (Washington DNC)
* Dr. Jeanette Council (North Carolina DNC)
* C. Richard Cranwell (Virginia DNC State Chair)
* Dr. Inez Crutchfield (Tennessee DNC)
* Michael Cryor (Maryland DNC State Chair)
* Jean Lemire Dahlman (Montana DNC)
* John Daniello (Delaware DNC State Chair)
* Ralph Dawson (New York DNC)
* Howard Dean (Vermont DNC DNC Chairman)
* Nancy DiNardo (Connecticut DNC State Chair)
* Frank Dixon (Oregon DNC State Vice Chair)
* Wayne Dowdy (Mississippi DNC State Chair)
* Nancy Drummond (Wyoming DNC State Vice Chair)
* Al Edwards (Texas DNC)
* Edward Espinoza (California DNC)
* Carnelia Pettis Fondren (Mississippi DNC State Vice Chair)
* Jim Frasier (Oklahoma DNC)
* Kalyn Free (Oklahoma DNC)
* John Gage (Maryland DNC)
* Larry Gates (Kansas DNC State Chair)
* Yvonne Gates (Nevada DNC)
* William George (Pennsylvania DNC)
* Alice Germond (West Virginia DNC Secretary)
* Lauren Glover(Maryland DNC State Vice Chair)
* Jaime Gonzalez Jr. (Texas DNC)
* Enid Goubeaux (Ohio DNC)
* Jenny Greenleaf (Oregon DNC)
* David Hardt (Texas DNC Young Dems of America)
* Inola Henry (California DNC)
* Alexis Herman (Virginia DNC)
* Wayne Holland Jr. (Utah DNC State Chair)
* Ivan Holmes (Oklahoma DNC State Chair)
* Wilbur Lee Jeffcoat (South Carolina DNC State Vice Chair)
* Blake Johnson (Alaska DNC State Vice Chair)
* Joe Johnson (Virginia DNC)
* Awais Khaleel (Wisconisn DNC College Dems of America)
* Wayne Kinney (Oregon DNC)
* Helen Knetzer (Kansas DNC Nat'l Fed. of Dem. Women)
* Debra Kozikowski (Massachusetts DNC)
* Nancy Larson (Minnesota DNC)
* Claude "Buddy" Leach (Louisiana DNC)
* Jim Leaman (Virginia DNC)
* Belkis Leong-Hong (Maryland DNC)
* Sam Lieberman (Nevada DNC State Chair)
* Richard Machacek (Iowa DNC)
* Eileen Macoll (Washington DNC State Vice Chair)
* Cecilia Mafnas (Guam DNC Territory Vice Chair)
* Ronald Malone (Ohio DNC)
* Pat Maroney (West Virginia DNC)
* Christine Marques (Dems Abroad Chairn)
* Robert Martinez (Texas DNC)
* Sophie Masloff (Pennsylvania DNC)
* Sharon Mast (Washington DNC)
* Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada DNC Dem. Attorneys Gen. Assoc.)
* David McDonald (Washington DNC)
* Dennis McDonald (Montana DNC State Chair)
* Leila Medley (Missouri DNC)
* Jerry Meek (North Carolina DNC State Chair)
* Carole Migden (California DNC)
* Heather Mizeur (Maryland DNC)
* Mona Mohib (District of Columbia DNC)
* Jennifer Moore (Kentucky DNC State Chair)
* Rita Moran (Maine DNC)
* Theresa Morelli (Dems Abroadn)
* Mike Morgan (Oklahoma DNC Dem. Legislative Campaign Comm.)
* Patricia Moss (Ohio DNC)
* Bob Mulholland (California DNC)
* Philip D. Murphy (New Jersey DNC National Finance Chair)
* Mary Jo Neville (Maryland DNC)
* Cynthia Nunley (Wyoming DNC)
* Muriel Offerman (North Carolina DNC)
* John Olsen (Connecticut DNC)
* Audra Ostergard (Nebraska DNC State Vice Chair)
* David Parker (North Carolina DNC)
* Jay Parmley (Oklahoma DNC)
* John Patrick (Texas DNC)
* Gregory Pecoraro (Maryland DNC)
* Christine Pelosi (California DNC)
* Dwight Pelz (Washington DNC State Chair)
* John A. Perez (California DNC)
* Carol Peterson (North Carolina DNC)
* Robert Ramirez (New York DNC)
* Robert Rankin (California DNC)
* Gail Rasmussen (Orego* DNC)
* Richard Ray (Georgia DNC)
* Chris Redfern (Ohio DNC State Chair)
* Betty Richie (Texas DNC)
* Boyd Richie (Texas DNC State Chair)
* Keith Roark (Indiana DNC State Chair)
* Kevin Rodriguez (Virginia DNC)
* Carol Ronen (Illinois DNC)
* Eliseo Roques-Arroyo (Puerto Rico DNC)
* James Roosevelt Jr (Massachusetts DNC)
* Everett Sanders (Mississippi DNC)
* Gray Sasser (Tennessee DNC State Chair)
* Melissa Schroeder (Wisconsin DNC)
* Lottie Shackelford (Arkansas DNC DNC Vice Chair)
* Edward Smith (Illinois DNC)
* Harriet Smith-Windsor (Delaware DNC State Vice Chair)
* Nathan Smith (Kentucky DNC State Vice Chair)
* Cindy Spanyers (Alaska DNC)
* Sam Spencer (Maine DNC)
* Marylyn Stapleton (Virginia DNC Territory Vice Chair)
* Irene Stein (New York DNC)
* Crystal Strait (California DNC Young Dems of America)
* David Strauss (North Dakota DNC State Chair)
* Dr. Marie Dolly Strazar (Hawaii DNC)
* Joh* Sweeney (Maryland DNC)
* Taling Taitano (Guam DNC)
* Lena Taylor (Wisconsin DNC State Vice Chair)
* Joh* Temporiti (Missouri DNC State Chair)
* Connie Thurman (Indiana DNC)
* Art Torres (California DNC State Chair)
* Susan Turnbull (Maryland DNC DNC Vice Chair)
* Joe Turnham (Alabama DNC State Chair)
* Keith Umemoto (California DNC)
* Robert Underwood (Guam GU DNC)
* Pat Waak (Colorado DNC State Chair)
* Christine Warnke (District of Columbia DNC Nat'l Dem. Ethnic Coord. Comm.)
* Yolanda Wheat (Missouri DNC State Vice Chair)
* Chris Whittington (Lousiana DNC State Chair)
* Jerome Wiley Segovia (Virginia DNC)
* Mary Lou Winters (Louisiana DNC State Vice Chair)
* Joshua Wisch (Hawaii DNC State Vice Chair)
* Beverly Withington (Hawaii DNC State Chair)
* Margie Woods (Illinois DNC Nat'l Dem. County Officials)
* Meredith Woods-Smith (Oregon DNC State Chair)
* Nancy Worley (Alabama DNC State Vice Chair)
* Steve Ybarra (California DNC)
* Paula Zellner (Wisconsin DNC)

10 who took sides last week
* Barbara Boxer (California) Member of the Senate: Clinton
* Nick Rahall (West Virginia) Member of the House: Obama
* Teresa Benitez-Thompson (Nevada DNC State Vice Chair): Obama
* Moretta Bosley (Kentucky DNC): Clinton
* Richard Donatucci (Pennsylvania DNC): Clinton
* Herma* Farrell Jr. (New York DNC): Clinton
* Janice Griffin (Maryland DNC): Obama
* Aleita Huguenin (California DNC): Clinton
* Jane Kidd (Georgia DNC State Chair): Obama
* Darlena Williams-Burnett (Illinois DNC): Obama
"The new voters he has brought to the process this year and the new direction, in my opinion, add up to what our country needs.''
- West Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall tells Congressional Quarterly he has endorsed Barack Obama.

220 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
(includes 4 Congressional Delegates from DC and from the Territories)
Many have followed the lead of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who is holding off her vote until the pledged delegate count becomes clearer. There will be heavy pressure for representatives to vote in accordance with their districts, which helps Clinton slightly since she won bigger states.

Clinton: 72
Obama: 69
Uncommitted: 76

* Tom Allen (Maine)
* Jason Altmire (Pennsylvania)
* Howard Berman (California)
* Madeleine Bordallo (Guam)
* Dan Boren (Oklahoma)
* Nancy Boyda (Kansas)
* Bob Brady (Pennsylvania)
* Bruce Braley (Iowa)
* Lois Capps (California)
* Chris Carney (Pennsylvania)
* Ben Chandler (Kentucky)
* Jim Clyburn (South Carolina)
* Jim Costa (California)
* Joe Courtney (Connecticut)
* Bud Cramer (Alabama)
* Lincoln Davis (Tennessee)
* Susan Davis (California)
* Peter DeFazio (Oregon)
* Joe Donnelly (Indiana)
* Mike Doyle (Pennsylvania)
* Brad Ellsworth (Indiana)
* Rahm Emanuel (Illinois)
* Bob Etheridge (North Carolina)
* Sam Farr (California)
* Bob Filner (California)
* Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona)
* Bart Gordon (Tennessee)
* Baron Hill (Indiana)
* Mazie Hirono (Hawaii)
* Tim Holden (Pennsylvania)
* Rush Holt (New Jersey)
* Mike Honda (California)
* Steny Hoyer (Maryland)
* William Jefferson (Louisiana)
* Marcia Kaptur (Ohio)
* Dennis Kucinich (Ohio)
* Nick Lampson (Texas)
* Rick Larsen (Washington)
* Dan Lipinski (Illinois)
* Edward Markey (Massachusetts)
* Jim Marshall (Georgia)
* Jim Matheson (Utah)
* Jim McDermott (Washington)
* Mike McIntyre (North Carolina)
* Jerry McNerney (California)
* Charlie Melancon (Louisiana)
* Michael Michaud (Maine)
* Brad Miller (North Carolina)
* Harry Mitchell (Arizona)
* Alan Mollohan (West Virginia)
* Dennis Moore (Kansas)
* John Murtha (Pennsylvania)
* John Olver (Massachusetts)
* Nancy Pelosi (California)
* Collin Peterson (Minnesota)
* David Price (North Carolina)
* Ciro Rodriguez (Texas)
* Tim Ryan (Ohio)
* John Salazar (Colorado)
* John Sarbanes (Maryland)
* Heath Shuler (North Carolina)
* Ike Skelton (Missouri)
* Zack Space (Ohio)
* John Spratt (South Carolina)
* Pete Stark (California)
* Betty Sutton (Ohio)
* John Tanner (Tennessee)
* Gene Taylor (Mississippi)
* John Tierney (Massachusetts)
* Niki Tsongas (Massachusetts)
* Mark Udall (Colorado)
* Tom Udall (New Mexico)
* Chris Van Hollen (Maryland)
* Peter Visclosky (Indiana)
* Mel Watt (North Carolina)
* Henry Waxman (California)
* Charlie Wilson (Ohio)
* David Wu (Oregon)

-- Editors Note -- Sorry for the long list of names, I had trouble getting the list into columns. Lawhawk, if you can get the names into neat columns, please feel free to edit the post. Thanks.