Mayor Emanuel thought Blagojevich should appoint Claypool to his Congressional seat so the seat would be open again when Emanuel wanted it.
Problem? The Governor doesn’t appoint Members of Congress to vacancies, he calls special elections.
Congratulations Chicago, your new Mayor was dumber than Blagojevich on the issue and just as arrogant in thinking a public office was his personal property.
In the Nov. 8, 2008 call, Emanuel tells Blagojevich in the recorded phone call that he wants Forrest Claypool tapped to fill his position after explaining: “in my interest of, uh, you know, having somebody there you know that doesn’t want to make it a lifetime commitment.”
At the time, Emanuel was leaving to be White House chief of staff but he was interested in returning to his House seat to possibly rise to Speaker.
Emanuel says that Claypool would only stay in Congress for a couple of years.
“And then he wants to go to the cabinet,” Emanuel says on the recorded phone call that was made public this afternoon in a defense filing.
Blagojevich repeatedly tells Emanuel he can’t appoint to the post. It’s got to be a special election. But Emanuel presses him.
“You would appoint somebody to finish those three weeks,” Emanuel says, if he were to leave his position early. “And then he, and then he gets, you know, all we are giving him is three weeks of a head start… it’s not like Forest doesn’t have a name or anything like that. It gives him a head start and a presumption.”
At the end of the excerpt of the call, Emanuel tells Blagojevich: “I will not forget this…
“I appreciate it. That’s all I am going to say. I don’t want to go, you and I shouldn’t go farther.”
My guess is that with anyone else, the last sentence wouldn’t have been necessary, but with Rod’s mouth he had to shut him up before he said something stupid.
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