THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2009
NEWS
5A
POLITICS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagiovich (left) walks with publicity agent Glen Selig after making an appearance on the television program 'Fox and Friends' Tuesday in New York.
Blagojevich skips impeachment trial
BY CHRISTOPHER WILLS
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, III. — Gov. Rod Blagojevich was hundreds of miles away but his voice boomed through the Illinois Senate's chambers Tuesday as his impeachment jurors listened to FBI wiretaps of conversations in which he seems to demand campaign contributions in exchange for signing legislation.
One person on the recordings assures Blagojevich that a horseracing track owner "is good for it" and just has to decide "what accounts to get it out of." Another assures him the owner knows
he must keep his "commitment" soon.
Blagojevich replies with comments like "good" and "good job."
Legislation sought by the racing industry had been sent to the governor's desk, and on the tapes, he says to reassure a racing lobbyist he hopes "to do this we can get together and start picking some dates to do a bill-signing."
Senators conducting the trial, which Blagojevich is boycotting though it could remove him from office within days, listened intently as the fuzzy, indistinct conversations echoed through the r
typing on laptops and the occasional cough accounting for the only other noise.
— the heating system, reporters
Neither the governor nor the others on the call — the governor's brother and chief fundraiser Robert Blagojevich and former chief of staff Lon Monk, officials say — specifically mentions money or any amounts.
The governor was arrested last month on a variety of corruption charges, including scheming to benefit from appointing President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate replacement and demanding campaign contributions in exchange for state services. He denies any wrongdoing.
ECONOMY
President Barack Obama speaks to members of media in between his meetings with the Congressional leaderships, Tuesday on Capitol Hill, in Washington.
Obama seeks GOP support
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — On the eve of a key vote, President Barack Obama privately promised Republican critics he stands ready to accept changes in $825 billion economic stimulus legislation, and urged lawmakers to "put politics aside" in the interest of creating badly needed jobs.
"The American people expect action," Obama said Tuesday as he shuttled between closed-door meetings with House and Senate Republicans on a trip to the Capitol that blended substance with political symbolism.
Republicans who attended the sessions said the president did not agree to any specific changes but did pledge to have his aides consider some that GOP lawmakers raised dealing with additional tax relief for businesses.
In a measure of the complicated political dynamic in Congress, one Republican quoted the president as saying any changes would have to come after the House gives what is expected to be largely party-line approval Wednesday to the Democritic-backed bill.
Prodded to budge on another point, Obama said that despite Republican opposition, he will insist on giving relief to wage-earners who pay Social Security taxes but do not earn enough to owe income tax.
The measure includes about $550 billion in spending and roughly $275 billion in tax cuts.
Democratic leaders in both houses have promised to have legislation ready for Obama's signature by mid-February, and Tuesday's developments coincided with fresh evidence of deterioration in a national economy seemingly growing weaker by the day.
The Senate shows signs of greater bipartisanship.
It was advanced by Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the panel's senior Republican.
That bipartisanship includes a decision in the Finance Committee on Tuesday to add a new tax break for upper middle-income taxpayers, at a two-year cost of $70 billion.
Housing prices tumbled by the sharpest annual rate on record in November, according to a closely watched private report released during the day, and a measure of
consumer confidence dropped to a historic low.
Separately, the Treasury Department announced distribution of $386 million to 23 troubled banks, the first awards from the federal bailout fund since Obama took office a week ago.