You know... timing is everything.

I'm not sure whether what Blagojevich did rises to the level of criminal corruption. It well may. Or, it could just be standard political wheeling and deal-making. Unless someone turns up a smoking briefcase full of greenbacks headed for a Swiss bank, the case could still be pretty iffy in front of a jury. Patronage, nepotism, being influenced by your political contributors, fundraising, they're all part of the political establishment. As long as certain lines aren't crossed (like briefcases full of cash), it might be unseemly, it might be oblivious to the public good, but it's not necessarily criminal.

Don't get me wrong. Blagojevich strikes me as one of those guys who makes you want to count your fingers after you shake hands with him, to see if you still have them all. I'm not defending his general sliminess, his mouth, his attitude, or his ethics.

Timing. I mentioned timing...

The Bush Justice Department is on the way out. Forty days or so and they're gone. All the U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President, and there's not a lot of reason for a new Democratic administration to keep them on, especially with the way the former Administration used them and dirtied up the department's reputation. There are plenty of qualified people in the country who can do the job.

A case against Blagojevich would be much stronger if he actually sold the office to the highest bidder. Indicting him AFTER that would make more sense. Indicting now, before he actually exercised his authority to name a person to the office, is a far weaker case. So, why didn't the Justice Department simply preserve the investigation and hand it over to the Obama Justice Department for follow-up? As it is, the timing is such that the new administration is going to be the one to actually prosecute the case.

No, what this is, in my humble opinion, is a stink-bomb lobbed at the incoming administration by the outgoing one. It's not a professional law-enforcement action. It's got a high degree of political motivation to it, more so than an actual interest in enforcement of anticorruption laws.

Not that I know. This is just speculation on my part, obviously. But, given John Yoo's memos, and Harriet Myer's actions, I'm plumb out of good will and trust when evaluating anything they do. Forty-someodd days, folks, and it's time to sweep out all the old rubbish. In the meantime, I'm not going to believe anything they say until they can absolutely prove it.