Blago busted for trying to sell Senate seat!

I was a part of "independent movement" in Chicago's Democratic politics that opposed the Daley machine back in the 'Seventies. I worked in campaign after campaign at the local level against that corrupt entity, and I'm proud to say that many of those campaigns were winning ones.

Now, I know that Chicago politics have changed. David Axelrod- Barack Obama's version of Karl Rove- was one of the moving forces behind the independent movement. Richard the Second has come to an accommodation with reformers like Axelrod. But nevertheless, I've always been a bit amused by the spectacle of Barack Obama- a creature of the Cook County Democratic organization from the word "go-" staking out an identity as a reformer- and having the national media buy it.

Well, it seems like old times back home. Another creature of the Machine- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich- was arrested by Federal agents this morning on charges that the governor conspired to sell Obama's vacant seat in exchange for a cabinet appointment in the new administration.

This is blatant even by the standards of the Machine in my day! I'm going to follow this with great interest, as I continue to be amazed (and amused) that our president-elect has managed to become the iconic symbol of reform in the eyes of the media despite his association not only with Tony Rezko, but with one of the most notoriously corrupt political organizations in American history.

It will also be interesting to see how the media handle Mr. Obama's ties with Gov. Blagojevich.