Proud of My Homies

Ill. Gov. arrested in Obama successor probe

CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested today on charges that accuse him of trying to benefit from his ability to appoint President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. Attorney in Chicago says federal investigators bugged Blagojevich's campaign offices and placed a tap on his home phone. At a news conference on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said the corruption charges represent "a truly new low."

An FBI affidavit says the 51-year-old Democrat was intercepted on wiretaps conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife.

FBI chief Robert Grant says even seasoned investigators were stunned by what they heard on those tapes.

Fitzgerald described the situation by saying: "We were in the middle of a corruption crime spree and we wanted to stop it."

The governor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

'U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said the corruption charges represent "a truly new low."' Yes, the corruption charges represent a new low. The corruption? Not so much. You people punched the hole or filled in the oval to say, "Yes! That's the man I want to lead my state." You deserve him.

I'm so proud of my home state. Oprah, Obama, Blagojevich, Hastert, Rostenkowski, Small... This could become a very long list. Fifty points to the first reader to respond with the most infamous, tarnished-gold, Illinois politician of them all.