AUSTRALIA VIEWS ILLINOIS

Posted at 8:36 p.m. ET

We often find that reporters for the foreign, English-speaking press have keen insights into American politics.  Here, Anne Davies of Australia's Sydney Morning Herald comments on the president elect and his connection to the uplifting politics of the state of Illinois:

THE best-case scenario for Barack Obama is that stunning corruption allegations against the Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, are a major distraction for his transition team as he attempts to convince Americans he has the right plan for a flagging US economy.

At worst, the scandal will spiral out of control, throwing up myriad questions, including the big one: How is it that Obama can be so ignorant of the political quagmire from which he hails?

You know, a lot of people are asking that question.  Maybe he was too busy thinking in grand terms about saving the human race.

Obama also said he had no knowledge of the scheme to sell his spot in the Senate.

But what about his staff and those close to him? His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, his senior adviser and close friend, Valerie Jarrett, and his senior political adviser, David Axelrod, have all swum in the murky waters of Chicago politics for years.

But not The One.  He doesn't swim in murky waters.  He walks.  Jarrett was considered a serious candidate to be appointed senator, but the governor wanted compensation in return for the appointment:

There was a long discussion, taped by the FBI on November 10, and several more on November 11, about schemes involving the State Employees Union. Blagojevich believed that a union official, with whom he talked, was acting as Jarrett's emissary.

A day later, on November 12, Jarrett pulled out of the Senate race, telling the Chicago Tribune by email she was no longer interested. Had she in fact been approached, been so horrified by Blagojevich's proposal, that she had no other option but to pull out? If so, who did she discuss this proposal with? Did she contact the FBI?

Or, did she tell Obama?

Fox News in Chicago suggested that Emanuel may have been the one who tipped off investigators about the Governor's attempts to "monetise" the Senate appointment. When did he do so, and why?

Questions like this can linger long after inauguration.  If any "bad" facts about the investigation come out, and Obama's name is dragged through, the psychological effect on a public seeking "change" can be very bad.

Obama is not close to Blagojevich, according to the local media. But the revelations about the depth of corrupt conduct in Illinois have left the public gasping. Some are now asking how Obama could have emerged so squeaky-clean, and without any knowledge of the dark side of Chicago politics.

If he didn't really know what was going on, how can he deal with tough international adversaries from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran?  Oh, I know:  Unconditional negotiations.  That takes care of everything.

December 10, 2008.