Rahm Emanuel Tries to Help Blagojevich

Rich Miller reports:

I had heard from numerous sources, including Deputy House Majority Leader Gary Hannig, that the governor announced during a legislative leaders meeting that Rep. John D'Amico (D-Chicago) was the state representative who feared losing his city job. D'Amico works for the Chicago Department of Water, not Streets and San, but I guess I could see how the governor might be confused.

So, I called Rep. D'Amico.

Turns out, D'Amico did talk to Blagojevich.

As D'Amico tells the story, Gov. Blagojevich asked D'Amico if he was voting against the capital plan because he was afraid of losing his job.

D'Amico said he told the governor that he has been in the union for 26 years and there's no way he could be fired over a legislative issue unless they first canned a whole bunch of people with less seniority to get at him. Rep. D'Amico said he told the governor he opposed the capital plan because Mayor Daley was against it. D'Amico told me he informed the governor that he didn't fear losing his job over the capital bill.

Blagojevich also repeated a claim this week that he had asked U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel to call the legislator and assure him he wouldn't lose his city gig.

D'Amico said he did receive a phone call from Emanuel, but he said Emanuel never mentioned the threat stuff. Instead, Emanuel just lobbied D'Amico to vote for the capital bill.

The Machine at work.