Rod Blagojevich has a prediction for the future of Illinois politics.
Rahm Emanuel will be the next U.S. Senator from Illinois.
The ousted governor told Fred Thompson, on his WLS syndicated radio show, that reports of Emanuel gunning for a Mayoral run in Chicago are improbable.
"Mayor Daley, like his father, is going to be mayor until God calls him home," he said.
But he wouldn’t be surprised if the White House asked Alexi Giannoulias to relinquish his nomination for the U.S. Senate seat because of his Broadway Bank troubles. Then, he says, Emanuel would pick up the race where Giannoulias leaves off.
Of course, Blagojevich says a lot of sensational things.
During the radio interview he said:
- Pat Quinn is like an "eunuch" who’s been eviscerated by the state Democratic machine.
- Dick Durbin is untrustworthy because he’s a St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs fan.
"Can you trust anybody who supports all three teams? Wouldn't you say that sums up his politics?"
- Roland Burris is doing a good job.
- He’s innocent of all charges --- oh, wait, he says that all the time.
On another Rahm note, Blago says the story about Emanuel confronting congressman Eric Massa in the shower, naked, sounds about right.
"The idea that Rahm Emanuel would be in the house gym... lobbying another congressman whether he had clothes on or not is the reason I wanted him to cut the deal to make the attorney general a senator in exchange for jobs, health care and no taxes," Blagojevich said this morning on WLS-AM. "Rahm is a tough guy who knows how to get things done... The story of him in the shower with Congressman Massa sure sounds like the Rahm I know."
Meanwhile, Blagojevich's attorneys are asking a federal judge to postpone his corruption trial, saying they can't be ready by the scheduled June 3 start date.
The attorneys said in a six-page brief filed Thursday with U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel that it would be physically impossible to wade through the massive amount of paperwork necessary to be ready for trial on time.
They also cited the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court might find some of the charges in the indictment unconstitutional. The high course is considering related cases now.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office had no comment.
