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OK, so now it appears Trump is rethinking his commutation of Blago's sentence. He got some blowback from the Illinois congressional delegation.
But here is the real reason the republicans oppose Blago's release:
Translation: We are trying to get re-elected. If the president sets Blago free, our opponents in the upcoming election are going to have field day with that. We'll have to defend early releasing a unremorseful corrupt politician. If we break with the president before the primary, Trump's base will dispatch us quickly. If we support the commuted sentence, the general election might be lost. So please, Mr. President, don't put us in this situation.
Several Republican lawmakers called acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House counsel Pat Cipollone, the sources told CNN, and the Republican members of Illinois congressional delegation issued a joint statement opposing the move.
At least two of them, Reps. Darin LaHood and Mike Bost, made their case directly to the President on Thursday night, urging him not to go forward. They laid out the litany of crimes Blagojevich committed while in office and argued it would send the wrong message to voters about corruption by public officials.
Trump's response: "I wish I had the perspective before," according to Bost, who served on the Illinois House's impeachment committee to remove Blagojevich from office in 2009.
"Those charges were so outrageously bad," Bost said.
That same evening, LaHood -- a former federal and state prosecutor -- called Trump as well and laid out in detail the brazen charges against Blagojevich, including allegations he threatened to cancel millions in state dollars for a children's hospital if its CEO did not write him a $25,000 campaign check. Among the charges was that Blagojevich attempted to sell former President Barack Obama's Senate seat that he resigned in order to become president.
And Trump was informed on the call that Blagojevich -- whom Trump knew from his role on "Celebrity Apprentice" -- didn't offer any remorse for his crimes, sources said.
But here is the real reason the republicans oppose Blago's release:
"I think this would have real ramifications," said LaHood, who also spoke with Cipollone about the matter. "We're trying to send a message that this type of public corruption is terrible for Illinois."
Translation: We are trying to get re-elected. If the president sets Blago free, our opponents in the upcoming election are going to have field day with that. We'll have to defend early releasing a unremorseful corrupt politician. If we break with the president before the primary, Trump's base will dispatch us quickly. If we support the commuted sentence, the general election might be lost. So please, Mr. President, don't put us in this situation.