Blagojevich knew the price of everything, the value of nothing

Timothy Egan:

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Putting aside the peculiar dialect of desperation that made the governor sound like a John Malkovich character in a David Mamet play, the complaint showed a man trolling the depths of darkness.

The beloved Cubs, the sainted Warren Buffett, editorial writers from the Chicago Tribune, even financing for a children’s hospital — all were targets or leverage points for a shakedown.

The surprise is that he didn’t offer to sell out exclusive rights to deep-dish pizza.

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It would be somewhat comforting if there were a larger lesson here, or a map out of the banality of evil. But there is no trend or modern twist, no evidence of a greater criminal web, no overarching moral. Like a kid who beats up old ladies just because he knows no other way, the allegations against Blagojevich amount to what Fitzgerald called a crime spree, of the political variety.

The prosecutor’s narrative of plotting bad intentions and narcissism — Blago actually thought he was a viable candidate for president in 2016 — is a particularly graphic example of why some men see things as they are and ask: what’s in it for me?

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Like all damaged politicians, the Blagojevich in the complaint knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

What’s a Senate seat worth? “Golden,” and the governor vowed that he would not give it up for nothing.

How about help for the Tribune Company’s attempt to sell Wrigley Field and the Cubs? That would require getting rid of editorial writers who had called for his resignation. Fire them all, Blagojevich is quoted as having said, adding, “And get us some editorial support.”

Aid for a children’s hospital? That would require a contribution of at least $50,000.

On and on it goes, trash talk of the want-to-be-rich-and-infamous. Even by Illinois standards, where the path from the Statehouse to the jailhouse holds the footprints of numerous governors, Tuesday’s arrest and complaint was breathtaking.

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Egan, also says that Blagojevich was kryptonite, but at least five senate candidates were willing to get in touch. They may now all be burned by the experience. It is unlikely that any could get popular support at this time. Certainly, anyone named by Blagojevich at this time would have no credibility.