Another greedy idiot politician

The New York Times has an article by Monica Davey about the soon-to-be ex-Governor of Illinois:

Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was arrested on Tuesday morning and charged with corruption, including an allegation that he conspired to profit from his authority to appoint President-elect Barack Obama’s successor in the United States Senate, prosecutors said.
As Mr. Blagojevich mulled the Senate appointment, prosecutors say, he discussed gaining “a substantial salary” at a nonprofit foundation or an organization connected to labor unions, placing his wife on corporate boards where she might earn as much as $150,000 a year, and trying to gain promises of campaign money, or even a cabinet post or ambassadorship, for himself.
A 76-page affidavit from the United States Attorney’s office in Northern Illinois says Mr. Blagojevich was heard on wiretaps over the last month planning to “sell or trade Illinois’ United States Senate seat vacated by Pres-elect Barack Obama for financial and personal benefits for himself and his wife".
Federal authorities said Mr. Blagojevich’s chief of staff, John Harris, was also indicted on Tuesday. Both men are expected to appear in federal court for the first time later Tuesday. Under Illinois law, Mr. Blagojevich has sole authority to fill the seat being vacated by Mr. Obama, who was elected to the Senate in 2004.
According to the statement from prosecutors, Mr. Blagojevich told an adviser last week that he might “get some money upfront, maybe” from one of the candidates hoping to replace Mr. Obama. That person was identified only as “Candidate Five.” In an earlier recorded conversation, prosecutors say, Mr. Blagojevich said he was approached by an associate of “Candidate Five” with an offer of $500,000 in exchange for the Senate seat.
The authorities also say Mr. Blagojevich threatened to withhold state assistance from the Tribune Company, the publisher of the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday. According to the authorities, Mr. Blagojevich wanted members of the Tribune’s editorial board, who had criticized him, to be fired before he extended any state assistance.

Rico says that was quick work by somebody, as Obama only got elected last week, but already having wiretaps in place probably helped...
But half a million bucks for a Senate seat? Rico says there's obviously more money to be made from the job than the official salary...