The blunders of Blagojevich

The story of the hour concerns the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on charges he conspired to sell or trade Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder. This "political corruption crime spree" - as federal prosecutors described it - seems to be a good news/bad news occasion for those who reflexively oppose the president elect.

On one hand, it is another high-ranking Democrat behaving badly, or so the evidence suggests. It also underscores what a political swamp Chicago is - and provides an unsavory reminder that Obama came from this place, as if that makes him culpable in some way.

But the bad news for right-wingers is that Obama is not accused of anything. In fact, Blagojevich was caught on tape referring to Obama's aides  in a highly unflattering way.

There is another tidbit that speaks to what a flagrant idiot Blagojevich must be. He is charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in an attempt to make the newspaper fire editorial writers who had criticized him.

Heck, in today's newspaper business climate, perhaps all he had to do was be patient. The Tribune Co. just this week declared bankruptcy and the offending scribes could end up leaving without any  help from stupid bullying. Even with that uncertainty hanging over their heads, I'd be flattered if I were one of  them.