By the time I complete this brief diary, there will doubtless be five others on the same topic.
MSNBC is discussing the Obama-Blagojevich report. The report (link to PDF here), is directed towards Obama and announces the findings of discussions with the transition staff.
Briefly:
Obama = no contact with Blagojevich
Emanuel = one or two calls to Blagojevich, several others to his chief of staff.
Jarrett = no contact with Blagojevich
Axelrod = no contact with Blagojevich
Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd both commented that the report, while seeming to exonerate Obama and the transition team, is "self-serving" because it was written by Obama's people.
Strap yourselves in, folks. What else will our pundit-savants discuss over the Christmas holiday, aside from Blago and the economy?
UPDATE: Additional Information
The report, written by Greg Craig on Dec. 23, notes that while Obama "had no contact or communication" with Blagojevich, he had earlier "expressed his preference that Valerie Jarrett work with him in the White House" in conversations with his transition staff.
Jarrett withdrew her name from consideration as Obama's possible replacement on Nov. 9. Obama, Axelrod and Emanuel discussed "other qualified candidates," including Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Dan Hynes and Tammy Duckworth. The report says that "The President-Elect understood that Rahm Emanuel would relay these names to the Governor's office as additions to the pool of qualified candidates who might already be under consideration."
Emanuel's calls with Blagojevich included discussion of Emanuel's resignation from his House seat, as well as a "brief discussion" about the Senate seat and the "merits of various people whom the Governor might consider."
Apparently, in those conversations Emanuel "recommended Jarrett because he knew she was interested in the seat," but before learning "that the President-Elect had ruled our communicating a preference for any one candidate."