Fox News Chicago reports that a “source familiar with the investigation” reports that president-elect chief of staff Rahm Emanuel talked to Gov. Rod Blagojevich about candidates who would be acceptable to Obama, but that the conversations involved no quid pro quo or dealmaking.
Meanwhile, Emanuel is under seige, telling an ABC cameraman who used his home’s toilet, that he is receiving death threats. Last night he had to fend off a Chicago reporter at musical performance with his children. Emanuel has so far refused to comment, leading Drudge to lead his site with the ominous “Silence of the Rahm.” The urgency of this hunt seems a bit overblown. Obama has made clear that he has requested a report on all of his staff’s contacts with the Blagojevich office.
Meanwhile, the story around “Senate Candidate 5” continues to flesh itself out. The Chicago Tribune begins to explain the apparent fundraising effort that surrounded Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s senate appointment effort. The name Raghuveer Nayak has been burning up Google Trends all day.