AP exclusive

Blago talked to Durbin about Senate

[June 02, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Just two weeks before his arrest on corruption charges, then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich floated a plan to nominate to the U.S. Senate the daughter of his biggest political rival in return for concessions on his pet projects, people familiar with the plan told The Associated Press.

Blagojevich told fellow Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin he was thinking of naming Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat vacated when Barack Obama won the presidential election, according to two Durbin aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A Madigan appointment would have been a political shocker because the governor had been warring politically with her father, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, on and off for Blagojevich's two terms in office.

The aides said the concessions Blagojevich wanted in return were progress on capital spending projects and a health care bill that were stalled in the Legislature.

Last November, Madigan said the chance was "less than zero" the governor would offer her the seat, adding that she did not believe she was even being considered. She is a likely contender in the 2010 governor's race.

It was already known that Blagojevich thought of her as a possible pick for the Senate seat but this conversation, unreported until now, provides details and shows he went as far as discussing the idea with at least one high-ranking fellow Democrat.

The 10-minute conversation took place Nov. 24 as Durbin was in his car using his cell phone, according to the aides. One aide said Durbin considered the idea an "innocuous compromise" and offered to help, but was told by the governor to "do nothing," and never heard more on the matter.

The aides spoke on condition that their names would not be used out of respect for the custom that Senate aides most often allow their bosses to be quoted. They gave their account in response to questions as reports circulated as to exactly what was said by Blagojevich and others on tapes made by FBI agents who wiretapped Blagojevich's home and campaign offices last fall.

Blagojevich attorney Samuel E. Adam declined to comment Monday and Durbin's office would offer no further comment. Natalie Bauer, a spokeswoman for Lisa Madigan, declined to comment.

Steve Brown, a spokesman for Michael Madigan said the account was "another example of Mr. Blagojevich being a very troubled and very confused person and that's why Illinois is in the predicament that it is today."

According to the Senate aides, Durbin was delighted to hear that Blagojevich was thinking of naming Madigan to the seat. He believed she would be a popular figure in Illinois and stood perhaps the best chance of holding the seat against a Republican.

Durbin volunteered to call the attorney general or the speaker to get the ball rolling and possibly broker an agreement, the aides said.

And that, as far as they know, was the end of the matter, the aides said. They said the Nov. 24 conversation was the only one between Durbin and Blagojevich last fall.

Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 and faces racketeering, fraud and other charges in connection with allegations that he sought to sell or trade the Senate seat, and that he used the political muscle of the governor's office to pressure people for campaign money.

He has pleaded not guilty. He was impeached and thrown out of office in January.

Wiretaps made public previously show Blagojevich discussing a number of possible appointees, including one believed to be Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, now a senior White House adviser.

Lisa Madigan's name surfaced early in connection with the Senate seat. She's believed to be "Senate Candidate 2" in the federal criminal complaint, which describes Blagojevich telling an aide to float her name to a newspaper columnist as a possible appointee in a ploy to send a message to the Obama administration.

Blagojevich ultimately appointed former state official Roland Burris to the seat.

In charging the governor, federal prosecutors released an affidavit that quotes extensively from the wiretapped conversations, including ones in which the governor described the Senate seat as "a golden thing" and said he expected something for himself in return for an appointment.

Among other things, he mentioned a possible Cabinet post or high-paying job for himself or his wife, Patti, or in lieu of that, a large amount of campaign money.

[Associated Press; By MIKE ROBINSON]

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