Blago, indicted, and on the radio

By Michael J.W. Stickings

You may have heard that ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was indicted yesterday -- along with five others, including his brother, a top fundraiser, and two former chiefs of staff -- on "political corruption charges":

The sweeping indictment comes four months after Blagojevich was arrested and charged with engaging in pay-to-play politics in a major federal complaint that accused him of trading state jobs, contracts and regulatory favors for campaign contributions.

The criminal complaint charged Blagojevich with attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama and seeking the firing of Tribune editorial writers in return for state help on the sale of Wrigley Field.

Well, good. He and his cronies are only getting what they deserve.

As I mentioned the other day, though, Blago seems to have found the makings of a new career in talk radio, filling in as a guest host on a Chicago morning show. On Tuesday, TNR's Christopher Orr posted a snippet of Blago in action:

Blago: Let's take a call or two.

Newsman: Are those headphones going to mess up your hair?

Blago: I brought my brush.

Meteorologist: You brought the football?

Blago: I'm not governor anymore, it is a smaller brush.

The football? Yes, I suppose you'd need a brush that big.

But -- oh, how the mighty have fallen!