Blago-gate: What about SEIU?

Stephanie Davis, the Boston Patriot, brought up this Red State post during my appearance on Patriot Games Radio.

Check out this part of the indictment (PDF), in which indicted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich discusses Barack Obama’s Senate seat with an SEIU official:

109. On November 12, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with SEIU Official, who was in Washington, D.C. Prior intercepted phone conversations indicate that approximately a week before this call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH met with SEIU Official to discuss the vacant Senate seat, and ROD BLAGOJEVICH understood that SEIU Official was an emissary to discuss Senate Candidate 1’s interest in the Senate seat. During the conversation with SEIU Official on November 12, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH informed SEIU Official that he had heard the President-elect wanted persons other than Senate Candidate 1 to be considered for the Senate seat. SEIU Official stated that he would find out if Senate Candidate 1 wanted SEIU Official to keep pushing her for Senator with ROD BLAGOJEVICH. ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that “one thing I’d be interested in” is a 501(c)(4) organization. ROD BLAGOJEVICH explained the 501(c)(4) idea to SEIU Official and said that the 501(c)(4) could help “our new Senator [Senate Candidate 1].” SEIU Official agreed to “put that flag up and see where it goes.” On November 12, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Advisor B. ROD BLAGOJEVICH told Advisor B that he told SEIU Official, “I said go back to [Senate Candidate 1], and, and say hey, look, if you still want to be a Senator don’t rule this out and then broach the idea of this 501(c)(4) with her.”

So did Blagojevich approach SEIU for a bribe? Who was the official? Why would Blago talk to someone low level? Andy Stern? Anna Burger? Note that the idea was not immediately shot down.

And who was the “she”. As in, “if Senate Candidate 1 wanted SEIU Official to keep pushing her for Senator”? I have two guesses. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose father is the Speaker of the State House. Or Valerie Jarrett, whose name was circulated for a while, and will be an advisor in the Obama White House.

Or was Senate Candidate 1 my very own congresscritter, Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston)?

The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, is a public service employee union which almost always supports Democrats. In short, it's government workers working to expand government. Stephanie phrased it better: "Government of the parasites, by the parasites, for the parasites."

The one part of "Blago-gate" which begs close scrutiny.

Related posts:

SEIU mischief hurts working families

Defeat of Chicago's big-box "living wage" ordinance means more jobs

SEIU screening Dem candidates for president

Technorati tags: SEIU labor Illinois Blagojevich Democrats politics Chicago corruption Illinois Politics Jan Schakowsky