Blagojevich explains to California's Willie Brown

The Gov calls Willie Brown: Illinois governor seems to be growing stronger. Brown writes,

I can't go into details, but my impression is that the whole mess started because the governor had been considering appointing a political rival, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, to the Senate so she wouldn't be able to run against him when he went up for re-election in 2010.

Apparently, Obama's people weren't happy about the idea of Madigan coming to Washington, and there were some pretty heated conversations between Blagojevich and Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, which I understand will burn your ears off.

Brown writes the last thing Democrats want is a Illinois Senate race requiring Obama to campaign to save the seat for a party. A referendum on Obama before he's even really started.

The Guv's got a few cards left, and he's using them.

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I'll keep this open for my Sunday bleepgate posting...
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AP via LA Daily News: Raum [sic] Emanuel ties to Rod Blagojevich troublesome

The AP can't spell his first name but it sure sounds like someone is leaking stories to get the Bus in gear for a crush on Rahm.

CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich is legendary in Illinois political circles for not picking up the phone or returning calls, even from important figures such as the state's senior senator, Dick Durbin.

But there was always one call Blagojevich regularly took, say his aides, and that was from Rahm Emanuel: his congressman, his one-time campaign adviser and, more recently and more troubling for Emanuel, one of his contacts with President-elect Barack Obama's transition staff.

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Arlene Jones asks,

I am also perplexed about when it became "de rigueur" for some white politicians to call on black preachers whenever they find their butts in trouble for doing something scandalous. From Bill Clinton after Monica-gate to Blagojevich with these allegations, why are black preachers the first ones sought out following the sins? No other ethnic or racial group seems to have ministers who come to the aide of sinners as quickly as those in the black community. Do those ministers have a better hotline to God than the pastors of the churches those sinners regularly attend? And if so, can some of those prayers be first for those sick children at Children's Memorial whose health the Governor put at risk by playing political games with their health care!

Good question... I wondered myself ...no Serbian Orthodox priests available?