Well, it turns out that selling senate seats is frowned upon even in a state where politics are controlled primarily by the mafia. Frankly, though, with the media interest, comical characters, and obvious guilt of the governor, the state legislature was left with little choice. They didn't want to blow their own covers, after all.

The Blago fiasco has been one of my guilty pleasures of the past few months. I realize that the entertainment value in political intrigue appeals strictly to my appetitive nature, but it's something that I'm willing to admit. Nothing has entertained me more, aside from Blago's man-bouffant, than his sodden T.V.-circuit defense. Instead of, say, hiring a successful lawyer or paying attention to the proceedings, he went on Larry King Live to explain to the peasants how messy politics are and to proclaim his innocence. He diversified his audience by hitting up Oprah and The View, which probably made housewives more, not less indignant. His publicity blitz, at least to me, seemed antithetical to what he should have been doing if he actually thought he stood a chance.