Fascinating report in the NYT today:
In a sequence of events that neatly captures the contradictions of Barack Obama's rise through Illinois politics, a phone call he made three months ago to urge passage of a state ethics bill indirectly contributed to the downfall of a fellow Democrat he twice supported, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.
Mr. Obama placed the call to his political mentor, Emil Jones Jr., president of the Illinois Senate. Mr. Jones was a critic of the legislation, which sought to curb the influence of money in politics, as was Mr. Blagojevich, who had vetoed it. But after the call from Mr. Obama, the Senate overrode the veto, prompting the governor to press state contractors for campaign contributions before the law's restrictions could take effect on Jan. 1, prosecutors say.
The article goes on to say that the Illinois state senate overrode Blago's veto 55 to 0 in September after Obama's intervention. So obviously Obama was thinking about how to isolate Blago and help end his reign of error even before the latter started selling the Senate seat.
NOTE: Re the post the below, Blago can't just appoint somebody because any such appointment would have to be certified by the Illinois secretary of state and approved by the US Senate. At this point, clearly, neither would approve any such candidate.
