Well, here we go into a new legislative session, and the fifth most populous state in the nation is short a Senator in Washington because anyone even mildly tainted with the King Rod Blagojevich scandal is unacceptable to the Democrats in Illinois, and the national leadership of the party.  Roland Burris?  Come on - the guy is, of course a Chicago Democrat, and therefore subject to skepticism?  But the man has not ever been associated with anything dirtier.  Which, of course, says enough - that he's a Chicago Democrat.

This headline almost sounds like the editors at the Pantagraph are SHOCKED by King Rod Blagojevich's paid mouthpiece doing his job - keeping his client in office and out of jail.  Unfortunately, the people of Illinois will have to suffer at least another week of King Rod in the seat of power as his impeachment hearing is briefly drawn out.

Governor King Rod Blagojevich obviously sees the handwriting on the wall.  With federal prosecturors feverishly drilling convicted influence peddler, and Blagojevich insider, Tony Rezko, King Rod is due up on the Attorney General's hit parade of corrupt politicians.

King Rod Blagojevich's comments show that he may have totally lost touch with reality, blaming the staggering national economy for approval ratings that have almost slipped into the single digits as he has reigned over one of the most corrupt and ineffective administrations in the history of the state of Illinois.

I do have to ponder though - who ARE those one in 10 citizens of Illinois who think King Rod is doing a good job?  Have they been living abroad?  Did they just relocate here?  Were they in a coma for the past 6 years?

Here we go - one more step toward Big Brother watching our every move, our every waking moment's activities. And in February 2009 - Big Brother will be in your living room via DHTV - able to monitor everything going on in that room.

You have to wonder about the Illinois Constitution's set up, don't you.  Unlike the US Constition, which requires the President to veto a bill within 10 days, we're stuck with legislation sitting for weeks... months... years under the thumb of Governor King Rod Blagojevich.  Sitting... waiting... to cut off the funding that he oh so loves in his "pay to play" brand of politics.

Jesse Jackson was caught with his mouth flapping last weekend, only this time, he didn't know he was being recorded, and he said he wanted to "cut his nuts off" when discussing Barack Obama's speech to a Black church - in which Obama discussed the problems with fatherless children and promoted fatherhood, and said that staying in school was more important than trying to get into professional athletics. And this is talking down... how?

King Governor Rod Blagojevich is trying to get two political heavyweights, Glen Poshard and former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to convince the General Assembly that he can be trusted. Crain's Chicago Business is apparently buying into this bamboozle, too with their headline "Blagojevich moves to break budget logjam." But then they go on to say that King Rod himself never bothered to actually sign the memo that outlines the capital spending plan.

Rep Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) was a loyal follower of old King Rod Blagojevich way back in the early days of the Governor's takeover of the state government for his personal pleasure. And way back in 2003, King Rod asked those loyalists to submit the names of people to fill up porky seats in state government, with hefty salaries and even heftier perks - so Jack be nimble, and he tried to get some family members some nice jobs, sorta like the one Clown Prince Emil Jones' wife got.

Well, King Rod Blagojevich is at it again this year, stalling the state budget. Technically, all of the employees of the state should be on unpaid furlough right now and every state agency, other than emergency services, shut down. And King Rod says he's looking at the unbalanced budget looking for the appropriate areas to slice and dice with his line item veto authority, which he so callously used as a political weapon last fall.