Did Obama Know?

It's stinky, for sure . . . Valerie Jarrett jockeying for an appointment to the Senate, Rod Blagojevich demanding a Cabinet post in exchange for naming her Obama's Senate replacement, everybody talking back and forth through union bosses.

Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris says the President was aware of all of it. Notably, he didn't strike a deal with Blago -- Jarrett's still at The White House and we all know where the former governor is.

But it's interesting to wonder what might have happened. Obviously, the sticking point would have been putting Blagojevich in the Cabinet. Not only would it have moved the stench of Chicago corruption too close to the White House, but -- not to put too fine a point on it -- Blago's a clown. Would Obama have been willing to strike a deal if the price hadn't been too high?

And if he was aware of the corruption openly being practiced, did he have any duty -- as the nation's chief law enforcement officer -- to report it at the time? Did he, in fact, do so?