Marathon Pundit: Blago trial: Rahm testifies; Junior drops bomb

The corruption trial of Rod Blagojevich is suddenly getting very interesting.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel testified that no one asked the then-North Side congressman for anything in exchange for Blago to appoint Barack Obama crony Valerie Jarrett to the US Senate.

However, a South Side congressman with a famous name proved to be a damaging witness to the hair-brained one, as the Chicago Sun-Times tells us:

But Emanuel's brief statements followed testimony from U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who proved to be a disastrous choice for the ex-governor to call to the stand as he leveled a previously undisclosed extortion allegation against Blagojevich.

That allegation involved a meeting in which Blagojevich had hinted that he would have appointed Jackson's wife state Lottery Director had Jackson donated $25,000 to Blagojevich’s campaign for governor. Jackson's testimony could be very damaging to Blagojevich, who shook his head and shifted in his chair as Jackson at times mocked the ex-governor.