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On the Same Block as PEBO, Blago Plots His Next Move

December 14, 2008 8:34 PM

ABC News' Matt Jaffe reports from Chicago: Directly across the street from where President-elect Barack Obama has been planning his future administration, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is planning his response to charges that he tried to sell Obama's former Senate seat.

For the second day in a row, Blagojevich Sunday spent hours at the downtown Chicago building where the law offices of attorney Ed Genson are based, just a stone's throw from Obama's transition headquarters.

Blagojevich arrived early in the afternoon, with his wife showing up around 3 p.m. local time.

Three hours later, Blagojevich left using a back exit. Moments afterwards, Genson departed through the front doorway.

Initially, Genson said "no comment" numerous times as reporters asked him if he had been retained by the governor, but when pressed, he eventually responded to the question.

"I have to check some conflicts, but as of now I believe I'll be retained. ... I have to check for conflicts, that's all."

Genson then got into a waiting SUV.

"Conflicts. C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T-S," he spelled out for reporters, shutting the door before the car drove off.

Genson has a history of taking on cases with high-profile clients, including R & B singer R. Kelly and newspaper magnate Conrad Black.

On Saturday, Genson told ABC News that he had met with the governor and will make a decision by Monday afternoon about taking on the job.

- Matt Jaffe

December 14, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (39)

User Comments

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Do we really need to resort to ideology bashing? Yes, the libs might be bull-headed, pushy, and quick to point a finger, but at least they're not ignorant bigots.
Anyway, can't you see what Concerned is actually trying to say? Our troops are not terrorists! They are brave men who protect our country. Unfortunately, they take orders from a ruthless imperialist dictator-want-to-be. (Can someone PLEASE remind me why we have no rights to privacy anymore??) Not to mention the whole war crimes/Guantanamo Bay/endless list. But can't you be just a little empathetic for pete's sake--if you were one of those people "in blankets, wearing towels on their heads", not all of them are evil. You can't hate people just for believing something different, otherwise you might as well be yelling "Nuke 'em all!" And some of those innocent civilians get killed. Think of they're families: We have violated the borders of their country, utterly disrespected their religions, and in effect, have conquered their people, and now have killed their innocent husband/wife/children/whatever. I'd be pretty angry if that happened to me! And don't any of you dare say that they deserved it, because many of them did not.
Our soldiers are not terrorists, they're just good at following orders.
(Hm, doesn't that sound a bit familiar?)

Anyway, Obama didn't do anything wrong. Pull your heads out of the clouds and give up the conspiracies.
Blago will be tried in court, and if you don't believe in our country's government (including courts), than I guess you can "love it or leave it".

Posted by: deal with it | Dec 16, 2008 2:30:27 PM

not really-Concerned in Ohio
re: 'You said our American Soldiers were terrorists"

obviously at this point it is clear you either are unable to understand the context of postings or you are simply confused or dense.

Posted by: Blue | Dec 16, 2008 2:52:51 AM

"Like him, you should immediately apologize to our soldiers and immediately resign (from this board)."

Until you do Blue, Concerned in OH is going to carve a B in his left cheek and blame a black man for it!

Posted by: Ryan C | Dec 15, 2008 2:50:47 PM

"Hate to tell you sweetie, but the first in a LONG line of the lawsuits was brought by a LIFELONG DEMOCRAT. Berg, an attorney, is not ONLY a LIFELONG DEMOCRAT, but a Hillary supporter. So YOU get over it!"

Any who told you Berg was a Hillary supporter and lifelong Democrat?

Oh yeah Berg did.

The same guy told gullible right wingers that Obama had been subpoenaed. Same guy who told them that Obama had been ordered to produce his birth certificate. Same guy who has lied about his case a half dozen times.

Posted by: Ryan C | Dec 15, 2008 2:49:26 PM

"Why you have sympathy for people who behead women and children is beyond me."

One would take your advocacy for these women and children more seriously if you did not enjoy torturing their husbands and brothers so much.

Posted by: Ryan C | Dec 15, 2008 2:46:29 PM

"You're a bigger liar than 0bama."

Someone who put Ashley Todd on his shoulders and ran with it long after it was proven a hoax is calling someone else a liar?

ROFLMAO!

Posted by: Ryan C | Dec 15, 2008 2:44:01 PM

No reason for Blago to resign.
The Feds have no case. There's
nothing in the Feds' complaint
that is any more than normal
political horesetrading talk
by the governor with his advisors.

Posted by: anon | Dec 15, 2008 2:00:19 PM

Concerned in OH

- obviously you are unable to accept the point that there are others who live on this planet besides Americans,... you seem to have adopted the Republican view of 'if you don't agree with me, your a terrorist'...... that view has been proven false over the last 8 years, but it is revealing however that you, like the bush administration continue to use that canard.

- as for your calling people liars:
You and the republicans have no room on that subject as just about everything that has been said by 'W' and Co. in the last 8 years plainly speaks for itself on the negative side.

re: 'apologize'
as it seems my last post was edited out for some inexplicable reason..... let me repeat:
I will apologize for my comments right after
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfewitz et. al apologize for starting a needless war.

Posted by: Blue | Dec 15, 2008 1:07:30 PM

It seems to me perfectly logical that the president elect or may his staff may have spoke with the gov. about people he thought he should replace him, so the question is why did barack originally deny having even suggested anything to the gov about replacing him. Even if President elect's cheif of staff spoke to the gov certianly it was with Barack's approval and knowledge.

Posted by: rachel | Dec 15, 2008 11:57:47 AM

It is perfectly legal, logical and reasonable for a Pres. Elect to present a list of people he would consider as good, qualified contenders for the Senate seat he is vacating. This is likely what Emanuel did. Once whack-job Blago figured out there was nothing being offered except "gratitude," he went on his F-bomb tirade. Obama is in the clear, as is Emanuel.

Posted by: William J. LePetomane | Dec 15, 2008 11:32:48 AM

Hang on, Rod! The Governorship is your best leverage! Cut a deal and sing like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

Posted by: Mesquito | Dec 15, 2008 7:53:06 AM

GP -

Berg also wanted to arrest Bush and Cheney for perpetrating 9/11. This guy is a member in good standing of the Tin Foil Hat Brigade.

Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Dec 15, 2008 6:40:32 AM

Would "Concerned in OH" please eliminate "OH" from your signature line. You are a "concern" to people in OH just as the people in TX do not want to be associated with Bushby.

Posted by: Yankee | Dec 15, 2008 6:35:15 AM

Further proof that Blago and PEBO are in cahoots! Maybe they've been horse trading via a secret passage way between the buildings. Perhaps they've been standing in the windows waving semaphores at one another or sending Morse Code via the venetian blinds!

Don't be surprised if Blago ends being named Ambassador to San Marino!

Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Dec 15, 2008 6:31:53 AM

Republicans are economic terrorists.

Employment was booming. What did the republicans do? They outsourced our jobs and expanded the H1B visa program so more Americans could get laid off and so that foreigners could work in the U.S. for cheaper pay.

People were buying houses. What did the republicans do? They expanded their outsourcing/insourcing efforts so that Americans could not afford mortgages.

Americans were investing and saving for retirement. What did the Republicans do? They crashed the stock market and eroded confidence of both foreign and domestic investors.

Americans were buying cars. What did the Republicans do? They let the big 3 go under just in time for Christmas in an attempt to bring down the unions.

Posted by: Lights On | Dec 15, 2008 6:05:31 AM

There is now a report on WSJ that the Tribune moved earlier than prosecutors wanted and forced their hand.

I think I smell Rahm leaking so to save other candidates before Fitz could net 4 or 5. Now that would be embarrassing!

Posted by: BertieW | Dec 15, 2008 3:47:51 AM

Concerned in OH
re:
"Right. That's your problem. You believe that American Soldiers are literally equivalent to terrorists."

- your problem is that you project your view on other people's comments....

- your other problem is that you are unable to imagine that there are innocent civilians being killed accidentally by coalition military forces, [BTW: well documented in the news].

- I said nothing about equating American forces with terrorists, what I said was that civilians killed by American or 'coalition' forces would naturally view those who killed their family members with understandable hate and could view them as terrorists. By your own definition: anyone who 'targets civilians'.

Does it really matter once their family members are dead who killed them? Are you implying that 'they' think:.. 'thank you, coalition forces for killing my children, I know you represent president Bush so I won't hate you for killing them'? I will only hate the 'beheaders.'

Posted by: Blue | Dec 15, 2008 3:42:12 AM

Obamacrat for Palin,

Nice to meet you and I used to be a Palin supporter. But i really didn't like the dream i had about her failed presidency, y'know? It was really a horrible, horrible experience, wouldn't wish it on my enemy. so I had to switch sides, sadly.

So, do tell us more about the Obama Presidency, would you? what was it like? I seemed to have slept through it and don't recall it ever starting. fill me in. I want all the details on all things that happened through the four years of his presidency, ok?

Posted by: Question | Dec 15, 2008 1:57:38 AM

Matt Jaffe,

what does the location have to do with anything?

commondecency,

'LOL'?? are you sure you are using it in the right way? Nothing funny about wasting taxpayer money.

Concerned in OH,

OH, u again.

Posted by: Question | Dec 15, 2008 1:46:58 AM

commondecency

you forgot to mention why they have 'standing', and their 'burden of proof' is still the same as all the other cases.

"these plaintiffs have standing under a
unique Washington statute that:
allows any registered voter to challenge the election of someone who, at the time of the
election, was ineligible to hold the office."

Posted by: Blue | Dec 15, 2008 1:24:28 AM

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