Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jackson Jr. to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... conversations are on tape. Before their contacts, Obama’s chief of staff Rahm Emanuel called Blagojevich to tell him to expect to hear from Senate leadership because they were pushing against Jackson and others, according to statements the governor made to others. The Reid-Menendez calls came a day before a Dec. 4 conversation overheard on government wiretaps where Blagojevich says he “was getting ‘a lot of pressure’ not to appoint Candidate 5.” Candidate 5 is Jackson. Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1360191,... The plot thickens!

Report: Reid Pressed Blago Not to Appoint Jackson Jr.
The Page by Mark Halperin — ... Chicago Sun-Times: The Senate Majority leader called the Illinois Gov. to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois AG Lisa Madigan. Also made it clear who he didn't want: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones.       ...

Anticipating Senate Fireworks
Taylor Marsh — ... One can only imagine how the old boxer of the Senate, Harry Reid, is taking all of this. Not well, I suspect, especially considering the latest political nuggets bursting forth that Reid inserted himself into the process in Illinois. Not that the majority leader of the Senate shouldn’t be concerned that the appointed senator be the best gamble to win re-election. ...

Senate majority leader Harry Reid’s dirty hands caught in Obama seat cookie jar
Sister Toldjah — The plot thickens: Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times. Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed ...

Reid Lobbied Against Appointing Jackson
Taegan Goddard's Political Wire — Just days before Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, the Chicago Sun Times reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called to "make it clear who he didn't want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones." ...

Racist Dingy Harry to Blago: Don't Appoint Any Black People
JammieWearingFool — Apparently Harry Reid has had enough of those uppity black folk from Chicago . It's bad enough he has to take marching orders from King Obama the next two years before Nevada voters toss him out in 2010. But he wanted no part of the ...

Jesse Jackson, Jr, Emil Jones, and Danny Davis have at least two things in common.
RedState: Conservative News and Community — The second thing is that Harry Reid made it a point to oppose any of them being picked to replace Obama in the Senate: Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jackson Jr. to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat SENATE PICK | Reid reportedly made it clear he didn’t want Jackson, Davis or Jones to be appointed, fearing they’d lose to a GOP opponent in a future election Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the ...

Harry Reid Blocked Jesse Jackson Jr. & Black Candidates From Obama's Senate Seat... Pushed White Women
Gateway Pundit — (Racist?) Harry Reid called Hot Rod Blagojevich to make it clear he did not want Jesse Jackson Jr. to take Barack Obama's senate seat. Instead, Reid promoted two different white women for the seat. The Chicago Sun Times reported, via Memeorandum: Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: ...

Harry Reid told Blago: Don’t appoint Jesse Jackson Jr
Hot Air » Top Picks — ... Not just Jackson, though. He also warned him away from Rep. Danny Davis and State Sen. Emil Jones but assured him that Tammy Duckworth and AG Lisa Madigan would be acceptable. Fun fact: Jackson, Davis and Jones are black, Duckworth and Madigan aren’t. Over to you, ...

Will Media Report Reid Pressuring Blago Not To Pick Black Senators?
NewsBusters.org - Exposing Liberal Media Bias — ... Well, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday who Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told Blagojevich he did and didn't support concerning Obama's replacement, and irrespective of their qualifications, there was a clear racial divide in his preferences: ...

IL-Sen: Electability As Corruption
Open Left - Front Page — A new story in the Chicago Sun-Times indicates that, the day before Blagojevich's calls were taped, Harry Reid pushed Blagojevich not to appoint the three leading African-American politicians in Illinois (after Barack Obama, of course). According using "electability" as the rationale, Reid did advocate on behalf of two candidates, one of whom, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, ...

Harry Reid Told Blagojevich Not to Appoint Jesse Jackson Jr., and Other Blacks
Stop The ACLU — ... However, Dingy Harry put his stamp of approval on Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. These two individuals just so happen to be white. If this would have been a Republican there would be scandal, but of course we know its only coincidence since its a leading Democrat. Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. Rather, Reid called Blagojevich ...

Is Jesse Jackson Jr. Electable?
FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right — So now Harry Reid is in trouble for apparently having told Rod Blagojevich that he didn't want Jesse Jackson Jr. to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat. Nor did he want Danny Davis or Emil Jones, who are also African-American candidates. Reid apparently "did not believe the three men were electable", according to the Sun-Times. ...

The Party Of Racism? Which One?
DownWithTyranny! — ... by the day-- and really should step down as Majority Leader-- called Governor Blagojevich and urged several white candidates on him and expressly told him to not appoint any of the leading African-American candidates. ...

Shocker: Harry Reid Called Hot Rod Blagojevich to Push Against African-American Appointees for Obama’s Senate Seat
FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog — ... Congressman and COS to Barack Obama called Illinois Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich with the bosses’ recommendation for his U.S. Senate seat and why not Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. ...

Harry Reid's Disturbing Views on Race
Open Left - Front Page — If you believe what the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting today, then its clear Harry Reid (D-NV) has some very disturbing - and very disturbingly outdated - views on race and politics: ...

Harry Reid Warned Blago: Don’t You Dare Pick A Black Guy … Sparks Racial War Inside Dem Party - w/Video
Pat Dollard | Young Americans — NOT in the MSM news, but here … Chicago Sun-Times: Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jackson Jr. to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat SENATE PICK | Reid reportedly made it clear he didn’t want Jackson, Davis or Jones to be appointed, fearing they’d lose to a GOP opponent in a future election BY NATASHA KORECKI, CHRIS FUSCO AND LYNN SWEET Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top ...

Paul Jenkins: Along Came Caroline. And Andrew. And Beau.
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... free-for-all that launched his electoral career in 1995. In any event, it appears that at least in the Senate, dynastic rules don't apply to African-Americans: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not want Jackson in the US Senate, under the reasoning that he is less likely to win statewide in 2010 than a white candidate (this in a state that has elected the only two black Democratic Senators since Reconstruction). ...

So Harry Reid pressured Blagojevich not to appoint Jesse Jackson, Jr. — AKA "Candidate 5."
Althouse — This happened before Blago's arrest. According to the Chicago Tribune. The reason — which does not make Reid look bad — is that Reid didn't think Jackson could win in a statewide election. It's that whole statewide election problem that seems to account for the lack of black Senators (when there are plenty of blacks in the House of Representatives). ...

IL-Sen: Reid allegedly opposed African American appointees
Daily Kos — It's not as if Illinois doesn't have a history of electing African Americans to the Senate. In fact, it has sent two. Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago ...

Saturday reading: January
Ben Smith's Blog — Getting ready in D.C. (AP) Israel invades. The House will fast-track the Obama stimulus. Reid called Blago. The GOP pushes in the racial wedge, perhaps slightly complicating the Burris situation. The black press heads for the White House. And the Obama girls prepare for Sidwell.

Reid Thought Tammy Duckworth was “Electable?” You’re Kidding, Right?
Firedoglake — ... I don't know who leaked the fact that Harry Reid contacted Rod Blagojevich to oppose a roster of African American candidates because he considered them "unelectable," but Blago's office confirmed it and it makes Reid look just plain awful. ...

Harry Reid Might Accept Burris if We'll All Stop Talking About the Harry Reid Scandal
Politics Daily — ... Suggested negotiating point for Reid: Getting the Blagojevich camp to refute allegations that Reid spoke dismissively of three leading contenders for the Senate-- all of whom were black males. Reid purportedly did not feel they could win a statewide election when Obama's term comes due in 2010. ...

Popcorn Factor Intensifies
California Conservative — ... The Chicago Sun-Times’s reporting indicates that Harry Reid opposed Gov. Blagojevich appointing Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis and Emil Jones. This opposition came after teh election but before Gov. Blagojevich’s arrest. Here’s what the Sun-Times is reporting: ...

Burris Update: Harry Reid, Emperor!
Stubborn Facts — ... In case anyone is still wondering about the purity of Reid's motives, his firm dedication to principle versus his dedication to partisan political gain, it's now been revealed that Reid repeatedly contacted Blagojevich before his arrest and attempted to strong-arm his choice of appointees. ...

Will Harry Reid Barricade the Senate Door?
Pajamas Media — ... at the University of Alabama. When President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and ordered its units to the university campus, Wallace stepped aside and allowed the black students to enter. As a result of the incident, Wallace became a hero to some and a pariah to most. Does Reid want to follow his lead by blocking the only black Senator from the Senate floor? The racial implications of “the mess that Rod made” were ratcheted up when the Chicago Sun Times reported that Reid called Blagojevich on December 3 and argued against the appointment of Chicago ...

Jeff Norman: Harry Reid: The Most Corrupt of the Corrupt?
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com — ... Now comes a Chicago Sun-Times article that reports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid might have been caught on tape pressuring Blagojevich to "appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan..." That would be the same Lisa Madigan who recently asked her state's highest court to forcibly remove Blagojevich from office for reasons that legal experts of all stripes have dismissed as utterly preposterous. Therefore, it now seems fair to consider the possibility that Reid and his allies might have decided to oppose any ...

President Elect Present Strikes Again!
No Runny Eggs — ... According to the Chicago Sun-TimesHarry Reid talked to Illinois Governor Blagojevich telling him who he would accept as Blagojevich’s appointment.  According to the Sun-Times, Reid specifically lobbied against each of the potential candidates who were African American. ...