Illinois Governor Arrested for Conspiracy to Become Secretary of Health and Human Services

Just over two and a half years after Illinois governor George Ryan managed to get himself sent to geriatric prison, it's sitting governor Rod "The Serbian Obama" Blagojevich's turn to continue the remarkably consistent tradition of Illinois politicians' criminal trials. He didn't manage to offset illegally distributing trucker licenses to unqualified drivers who end up killing innocent people on one end of the spectrum with putting a stay on capital punishment on the other end, like Ryan. Blagojevich is charged for simply auctioning off Obama's now-vacant Senate seat, apparently providing the FBI with some choice quotes in the process. My favorite is the always simple: "I just want to make money." If he's convicted he should be made to run Chrysler. He gets punished with a job only a crazy person could want, and Chrysler gets motivated. Everyone else gets to sleep soundly knowing that nobody will ever again design a car this ugly:

Now that's criminal.

To be fair, though, Chicago corruption has had its bonuses. Not only does it facilitate beating hippies and anarchists, but it also gave us the Bluesmobile's authentic journey through the Daley Center lobby.

Also, Politico's current headline is "What's Wrong With Illinois?" The state of the Great Lakes region as a whole does raise some questions. I doubt it's any one thing, but I do have a theory or two.