By Quentin Langley
The worst result in the Blagojevich trial for Barack Obama is one that leads to another trial – and that is the result that has come to pass. It is not as if the verdict leaves any doubt as to the former governor’s guilt, since he was convicted on one count and left with a hung jury on the other 24 counts. If rumours that the jury was 11-1 in favour of convicting Blago are anywhere close to correct, the story will continue to run through the mid-term elections in November.
Of course, this is embarrassing for the President, but it is entirely survivable. There has been no serious suggestion that Obama himself did anything wrong. The story cuts close to him. Blagojevich was accused of trying to sell Obama’s former Senate seat, and White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel is a close political ally of the disgraced governor. But close is not the same as suggesting that the President himself is in any way corrupt. Blagojevich was caught on tape cursing the White House for refusing to bribe him over filling the Senate vacancy.
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