Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (pronounced: U-r-kid-ing-me) and his chief of staff have been arrested for trying to shake down various people and institutions. While the lead in the news is how it is related to naming a successor to our president-elect, what really got me is this:
OK, so the risk for an elected official doing this sort of thing is what will happen if the press finds out about it. Don’t really have to worry about that “if” in this case, do you Rod?
As someone who grew up in Chicago and then Rhode Island (Motto: We’re not as corrupt as Louisiana but we’re trying), I am curious to know if there is a corruption index for government in the US?
UPDATE: The interwebs is democratizing satire: For bid on eBay: 1 Ill. Senate seat, slightly worn
ANOTHER UPDATE: TOTALLY BIASED LIST OF MOST CORRUPT STATES: Louisiana is the most corrupt state in the nation. That’s according to an analysis of government data released today by Corporate Crime Reporter. Louisiana (1), Mississippi (2), Kentucky (3), Alabama (4) and Ohio (5) are the top five most corrupt states in the country, according to the analysis. Rounding out the top ten are Illinois (6), Pennsylvania (7), Florida (8), New Jersey (9), and New York (10). Corporate Crime Reporter looked at the 35 most populous states in the nation. (The fifteen states with population of under two million were not included in the analysis.)
No list that doesn’t have Rhode Island in the top 5 is worth its palm grease.
Collateral Damage 
I think Illinois has been working hard at becoming the new standard for politics.
After all, just look at their governors. It’s not an issue of if their governors will go to jail, but the question is now when will their governors go to jail.
Which other state can boast of such a standard!
Illinois is the new Louisiana! Except without the backbeat.
If Bogdonovich or whatever his name is had just waited awhile, the Tribune board members would’ve been laid off – problem solved!
That kind of thinking shows you’d make a great chief-of-staff and I happen to know of an opening.