Today was not a good day for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Here's a round-up of posts we did on the most entertaining gubernatorial meltdown since, well, the last one.
Blagojevich was taken into custody by the FBI this morning on federal corruption charges for, among other things, conspiring to solicit bribes for his appointment to fill Obama's Senate seat.
Blagojevich attempted to trade the Senate appointment for a host of goodies: a cabinet-level post in the Obama administration, placements on paid corporate boards for him or his wife, or millions of dollars for a non-profit he would head and use to pay himself. He also considered appointing himself to Washington, saying, "Shit, I'll just send myself, you know what I'm saying."
Questions linger: Was Valerie Jarrett approached by Blagojevich with a deal for the Senate seat, and is that why she withdrew from consideration so abruptly?
Who is "Senate Candidate 5," the person who may have made Blago an offer for the appointment?
Can Blago still make the appointment, or will the State Senate step in?
How close were Blagojevich and Obama?
Blagojevich also had some harsh words for the President-elect for not helping him out.
In this video from Monday, Blago shows regrettable hubris: "If anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead."
Blago gets some tough advice from Matthew Cooper, another person who knows U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald pretty well.
This is not exactly a first in terms of corrupt Illinois governors.
Chicagoans mourned their city's return to a reputation as the "most corrupt city in America."
Despite his four percent approval rating, Blago was planning a 2016 presidential run. How's that working out?
--Max Fisher