Friday, February 03, 2006

Wyma-Scofield Blagojevich and Abramoff?

Update: Here is the Andy Shaw ABC-7 video about the latest pay to play allegations regarding Blago, discussed below; links added in text, below, about John Wyma, former top Blagojevich aide and current lobbyist and Doug Scofield, who was a major player in Blagojevich's 2002 campaign and who is currently lead Blagojevich campaign spokesman [See Scofield here on the Blago no debate policy] and also is and has been a lobbyist and PR consultant for almost three years
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Jeff Berkowitz: Are you saying that John Wyma and Doug Scofield are essentially the Jack Abramoff of Illinois Democratic politics?

Edwin Eisendrath: I’m saying…what I’ve said before is that Democrats can’t complain about Jack Abramoff and what goes on in the White House and allow this stuff to happen here in Illinois.

Berkowitz: ..[I]s it a similar thing [to Abramoff] in that you’ve got a spokesperson and a lobbyist lining up folks to give campaign contributions in exchange for favors from the Governor [Blagojevich]?

Eisendrath: Didn’t I just say that?

Berkowitz: Okay, so it is the same thing?

Eisendrath: It’s very close. It’s very close. The laws are different, federal and local, but from an ethical point of view, it’s very close, Jeff. And, it is outrageous.
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Edwin Eisendrath, 48 years old today and Democratic Candidate for Governor, answering questions at a media availability at his Campaign Headquarters Office in Chicago this afternoon.

Come back later to this blog for more on this story. Also, Mike Flannery and Andy Shaw were at the media availability, so I would look for more from those two astute political analysts this afternoon/evening on CBS-2 News and ABC-7 News, respectively.

Further, we may put, in the next few days, more from the above excerpted Berkowitz interview with Eisendrath and more from the Eisendrath media availability on our podcast page, which currently has a dozen recent Public Affairs shows and press conferences, including shows featuring Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Edwin Eisendrath, State Treasurer Democratic Candidate Paul Mangieri, the Republican Gubernatorial–Lt.Gov. team of Gidwitz-Rauschenberger, 8th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary candidates David McSweeney and State Rep Bob Churchill debating the issues, the Republican Gubernatorial–Lt.Gov. team of Topinka-Birkett, Democratic 6th Cong. Dist. Democratic Primary candidates Christine Cegelis and Lindy Scott debating the issues and much, much more. Watch them all at the Public Affairs Cinema [See here].
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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