* Despite the goofy cover flap, there are a whole lot of interesting and worthwhile items in Ryan Lizza’s New Yorker profile of Barack Obama. The played to death poker game anecdotes are, thankfully, given short shrift and some new ground is uncovered.
There are still some big holes in this piece. It begins with some unkind words from Chicago Ald. Tony Preckwinkle and then attempts to analyze why she’s not so enamored with her former protege these days…
Others told me that Preckwinkle’s grievances against Obama included specific complaints, such as his refusal to endorse a former aide and longtime friend, Will Burns, in a State Senate primary—a contest that Burns won anyway.
It’s never mentioned, but Obama wanted Will Burns appointed to his state Senate seat when he was elected to the US Senate. Preckwinkle, instead, chose Kwame Raoul. I think the divisiveness has more to do with Obama becoming an Emil Jones ally. Preckwinkle had some harsh words for Jones back when the state Senate seat was vacant and Jones was claiming he could muscle Burns into the slot.
Also never mentioned is that Obama decided not to officially endorse Burns this year for the House seat because Congresscritter Jesse Jackson, Jr. was supporting somebody else in the primary race and worked hard to keep Obama out. Jackson was organizing North Carolina at the time, so Obama was in a bit of a bind.
* One again, Rahm Emanuel claims that Obama played a much bigger role in Rod Blagojevich’s first campaign than any of us imagined at the time…
Rahm Emanuel, a congressman from Chicago and a friend of Obama’s, told me that he, Obama, David Wilhelm, who was Blagojevich’s campaign co-chair, and another Blagojevich aide were the top strategists of Blagojevich’s victory. He and Obama “participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor,” Emanuel said. “We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I and these two.” A spokesman for Blagojevich confirmed Emanuel’s account, although David Wilhelm, who now works for Obama, said that Emanuel had overstated Obama’s role. “There was an advisory council that was inclusive of Rahm and Barack but not limited to them,” Wilhelm said, and he disputed the notion that Obama was “an architect or one of the principal strategists.”
Somebody ought to ask Obama about this. I’ll send off a request and see if I get a response.
* David Axelrod, Obama’s media guru, explains why he took a pass on the Blagojevich campaign…
David Axelrod, the preëminent strategist in the state, declined to work for Blagojevich. “He had been my client and I had a very good relationship with him, but I didn’t sign on to the governor’s race,” Axelrod said. “Obviously he won, but I had concerns about it. . . . I was concerned about whether he was ready for that. Not so much for the race but for governing. I was concerned about some of the folks—I was concerned about how the race was being approached.”
Prescience or revisionism?
* Senate President Emil Jones explains why his endorsement of Obama was so important in the 2004 US Senate primary, and it’s pretty insightful…
“The Mayor of Chicago and the father of Dan Hynes”—one of Obama’s primary opponents—“when they were both state senators they shared an apartment together in Springfield, so there’s a relationship between those two. And the Governor? One of his chief financial supporters in his first run was also in the race. I work with both the Mayor and the Governor, so, by my jumping in strong behind Barack Obama, they didn’t want to alienate me and have me upset with them, so they stayed out of the race.”
Go read the whole thing.
* Related…
* Obama, at fund-raiser in Newport Beach, Calif. takes one sip of a Mimosa
*** UPDATE *** I finally got around to e-mailing the Obama campaign about the Blagojevich campaign meetings. First, these meetings were held during the fall election, not the primary (Obama endorsed Roland Burris in the primary). Now, the response…
He attended a few meetings – one was a briefing for legislators. He played the same role in electing a Democratic governor that other Democratic members of the General Assembly did.
I’ve talked to some others who were at a few of those meetings. From what I can gather so far, Congressman Emanuel is overplaying their significance.