SGI,

The proper URL is this, with this specific prediction. I don’t endorse this view, but since Hillbuzz is predicting, let’s see how it works out.

It looks like there’s now a 95% chance Obama’s Senate seat will be filled by Jesse Jackson Jr. — we thought he’d push for Valerie Jarrett to take his seat when Illinois Governor Blagojevich fills the vacancy next year (or, more honestly, that Michelle would push for Jarrett to take Obama’s Senate seat, since Jarrett and Michelle are close friends, and that’s how Michelle rolls). But, Jarrett was announced for a White House job as advisor to Obama today, which means Jackson is most likely to get the Senate seat. This serves Chicago Mayor Daley’s purposes, as Daley wants Jesse Jackson Jr. out of Chicago so he won’t challenge “Da Mayor” in the next Mayor’s race.

Jarrett is another Chicago figure tied heavily to Tony Rezko, amongst other questionable dealings through the years. She’s also a firm supporter of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics — and will likely use her new White House perch to close that deal for the city. It was between Chicago and Rio for the Olympics, and all signs seem to point to Chicago walking away with this prize now that Obama’s won the White House.

Chicago real estate seems to figure in a lot of Obama’s stories. The Chicago Sun Times, for example, reports that Nadhmi Auchi, Saddam’s former bagman, was involved in the South Loop development.

Auchi wasn’t accused of wrongdoing regarding Rezko. But he had faced legal troubles in Europe, prosecutors noted, having been “convicted several years ago in France on fraud charges” and sentenced to 15 months in prison, “but the sentence was suspended as long as Auchi committed no new crimes.”

They raised the possibility that, even though Auchi’s Luxembourg-based General Mediterranean Holding has taken control of the valuable South Loop property from Rezko, Auchi might be barred from entering the United States.