Whitehouse quiet on Obama-Blago link
W.H. quiet on Obama-Blago link By: Glenn Thrush and Jonathan Allen June 29, 2010 06:50 PM EDT
The White House was mum Tuesday after a union leader testified that Barack Obama personally asked him to approach then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich about appointing confidant Valerie Jarrett to his Illinois Senate seat.
In testimony at Blagojevich’s federal corruption trial, Tom Balanoff said Obama — speaking a day before his Nov. 8, 2008 triumph in the presidential election — said that Jarrett wanted the job and was qualified, although he wanted her to join him in the White House.
Balanoff, a close Obama ally and top official with the Service Employees International Union in Chicago, said Blagojevich countered by suggesting Obama appoint him Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Balanoff said he laughed off Blagojevich’s bid: “That’s not going to happen.” He also made it clear that his SEIU local, which represents 40,000 janitors and security guards, wouldn’t support Blagojevich if the governor didn’t pick Jarrett.
White House officials were quiet on the trial Tuesday afternoon.
Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he hadn’t heard Balanoff’s testimony and brushed aside questions about the Obama call. “I’m just not going to get into commenting on an ongoing trial,” he said.
But last year, then-White House Counsel Greg Craig told reporters that Obama, as president-elect, “had no contact or communication with Governor Blagojevich or members of his staff about the Senate seat.”
Balanoff says he met with Valerie Jarrett and Alexi Giannoulias, the current Democratic Senate nominee, to talk about his conversation with Blagojevich the day after the election.
(Excerpt) Read more at dyn.politico.com
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