DAY’S END ROUNDUP

The arrest of President-elect Obama’s home-state governor gives conservatives a chance to wonder whether Obama will soon find himself in trouble. But Obama’s backers see evidence that he and his team were smart enough to avoid Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s games. At the very least, the complaint against Blagojevich raises questions about a number of Illinois politicians, bloggers note.While Obama on Tuesday said he had no contact with Blagojevich about the Senate seat the governor allegedly tried to sell, Obama’s strategist David Axelrod said last month that the two men had talked about potential candidates, notes Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin. The press needs to step up and find out whether Obama’s advisers had any connection to Blagojevich’s alleged schemes, Rubin adds. Though U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said he found no evidence of misbehavior by Obama, the president-elect and his team faces a higher burden and will thus deal with more questions about the scandal, writes Swampland’s Michael Scherer.

But the complaint suggests that Obama understood that dealing with Blagojevich meant trouble, as he and his adviser, Valerie Jarrett, pulled her name from consideration for Obama’s old seat, notes Ta-Nahesi Coates. Obama comes out cleain in the complaint, but it’s clear that he dodged a major bullet by refusing to engage with Blagojevich, writes The Plank’s Jason Zengerle.

Prosecutors allege that Blagojevich considered sticking it to Obama by appointing an unnamed candidate who was open to a deal. That candidate may have been Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D), whose meeting with Blagojevich matches up with events in the complaint, writes Marc Ambinder. Another possibility is state Senate President Emil Jones (D), who has the money that the governor was looking for, writes Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The Plot Thickens – Jennifer Rubin, Commentary
Why Liberals Can’t Govern – Ross Douthat
Cao to Washington, Blag to Jail – Daniel Larison, Eunomia
Obama’s Burden – Michael Scherer, Swampland
Arrest Muddies Illinois Political Waters – C. Cillizza, The Fix
What Happens Next? – Jon Henke, The Next Right
Emanuel May Have Tipped Off Investigators – F. Shakir, Think Prog.
About That Obama/Blago Connect… – Ta-Nahesi Coates
Feds Would’ve Had Obama Dead-To-Rights – J. Zengerle, The Plank
Selling The Senate Seat – Rich Miller, Capitol Fax
Who Is Senate Candidate 5? – Marc Ambinder

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Ill. Governor Charged in Obama Successor Probe – Associated Press
Illinois Lawmakers Distance Themselves From Probe – The Hill
White House Seeks GOP Support on Auto Bailout – New York Times