The surprise pre-dawn raid on Governor Rod Blagojevich’s home today resembled a scene from The Untouchables, with U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald later playing Elliot Ness redivivus. The allegations are deeply serious, and according to the press corps, the tip of a dark and chilly iceberg of political corruption that has sunk more than one career. Of course, there is a long path from “custody†to conviction, and even Illinois governors are entitled to the presumption of innocence until their pals turn state’s evidence in court.
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Perhaps the lightest moment on a dark day came when a disgruntled man in the street said (with a straight face) that he would now definitely vote for a Republican in the next election. Perhaps former Republican Governor George Ryan will be out of prison by then. Except for the fact that he is a convicted felon, he could be a write-in candidate. Political memory is wonderfully short in Illinois.
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