Don't S"!% Where Patrick Fitzgerald Is the US Attorney

I had the privilege --nay, the honor-- of living in Chicago for a few years earlier this decade, and having read the Sun Times (never the Trib, mind you) once every so often while there, I can't say this is much of a surprise.

A couple of highlights:

In a Nov. 3 call intercepted by the FBI, Blagojevich told an ally that if he could not get a financial windfall in exchange for appointing someone to the Senate job, "then I just might take it," according to a lengthy FBI affidavit cited in the news release. Later that day, speaking to an unnamed adviser, Blagojevich said: "I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain."

He added later that the seat "is a [expletive] valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing."

Later:

The criminal complaint also features allegations that Blagojevich and Harris leaned on the city's flagship newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, to fire editorial writers who had called for the governor's impeachment in exchange for state financial aid.

"Our recommendation is fire all those [expletive] people, get 'em the [expletive] out of there and get us some editorial support," Blagojevich allegedly said in a Nov. 4 phone call tapped by the FBI.

The way he effortlessly integrates the gratuitous profanity into the horribly corrupt schemes reminds me of Yamaguchi going from salchow to axel. Impressively smooth.