Rahm Emanuel ducks questions identifying who the President elect advisor is named on FBI Blagojevich wiretaps

The FBI indictment served on Rod Blagojevich has some tantalising clues ....

112. On November 13, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with JOHN HARRIS (his Chief of staff).

ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he wanted to be able to call “[President-elect Advisor]” and tell President-elect Advisor that “this has nothing to do with anything else we’re working on but the Governor wants to put together a 501(c)(4)” and “can you guys help him. . . raise 10, 15 million.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he wanted “[President-elect Advisor] to get the wordtoday,” and that when “he asks me for the Fifth CD thing I want it to be in his head.” (The reference to the “Fifth CD thing” is believed to relate to a seat (Rahm Emanuel's) in the United States House of Representatives from Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District.

Prior intercepted phone conversations indicate that ROD BLAGOJEVICH and others were determining whether ROD BLAGOJEVICH has the power to appoint an interim replacement until a special election for the seat can be held.).

113. Also on November 13, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Advisor A. ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he wants the idea of the 501(c)(4) in President-elect Advisor’s head, but not in connection with the Senate appointment or the congressional seat. Advisor A asked whether the conversation about the 501(c)(4) with President-elect Advisor is connected with anything else. ROD BLAGOJEVICH replied that “it’s unsaid. It’s unsaid.”

114. Later on November 13, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Advisor A. ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked Advisor A to call Individual A and have Individual A pitch the idea of the 501(c)(4) to “[President-elect Advisor].” Advisor A said that, “while it’s not said this is a play to put in play other things.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH responded, “correct.”Advisor A asked if this is “because we think there’s still some life in [Senate Candidate 1]potentially?” ROD BLAGOJEVICH said, “not so much her, but possibly her. But others.” (Candidate 1 , is we know, Valerie Jarret)

Naturally anxious newsmen are keen to identify the names / faces behind all those pseudonyms - especially “[President-elect Advisor].”

Rahm Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama’s news conference this morning but was spotted 2 hours later in the lobby of Chicago’s City Hall. He was there to listen to his two children performing in a concert with their school, Anshe Emet.

Keen to take the opportunity to eliminate Rahm as the “[President-elect Advisor]” named in the indictment a Chicago Sun Times reporter asked him whether he was the go-between named in the criminal complaint.

“You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel the famed communicator said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Dont do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.” The reporter persevered and asked, “Can’t you do both?” Emanuel replied, “I’m not as capable as you. I’m going to be a father. I’m allowed to be a father,” and he pushed the reporter’s digital recorder away.

Obama said this morning that none of his staff has had a hand in any dealmaking on his Senate replacement.

At the press conference this morning Obama said his staff will release the list of contacts they had with Blagojevich ...er .... "in the next few days."

Obama insisted that at no time did any of his staff or emissaries make any offers or deals to get an Obama friend appointed. He said ;

I have never spoken with the governor on this subject, and I am quite confident that no representatives of mine would have had any part in any deals related to this seat.

Which is difficult to square with the FBI indictment.....

104. On November 11, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with JOHN HARRIS about the Senate seat. ROD BLAGOJEVICH suggested starting a 501(c)(4) organization (a non-profit organization that may engage in political activity and lobbying) and getting “his (believed to be the President-elect’s) friend Warren Buffett or some of those guys to help us on something like that.” HARRIS asked, “what, for you?” ROD BLAGOJEVICH replied, “yeah.”

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that if he appoints Senate Candidate 4 to the Senate seat and, thereafter, it appears that ROD BLAGOJEVICH might get impeached, he could “count on [Senate Candidate 4], if things got hot, to give [the Senate seat] up and let me parachute over there.” HARRIS said, “you can count on [Senate Candidate 4] to do that.”

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them.”