Following up on Lamont Cranston's post I, too, think the 5th candidate to replace Obama in the U.S. Senate is IL Senate President Emil Jones. He may have publicly inquired about it just recently, but he has been acknowledged (even here at Salon) as a possible replacement. And formal "asking" is not the practice in Illinois, except by neophytes.

Not only was Jones a mentor to then-IL Senator Obama ("I'm going to make me a U.S. Senator" Jones is quoted elsewhere as bragging) but he is probably the only ally Rod Blagojevich has in the Illinois General Assembly. Which is why I think it's funny reading last night that Jones is already laying the groundwork for a special election to fill the seat. The man is definitely the smarmiest of smarmy politicians and knows how to play both sides!

If it couldn't be Blago (and I said to my husband on election night "I hope to god that Blago doesn't appoint himself to fill that seat!") then the next best thing in Rod's mind would be Jones---who does, unlike Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., has the capacity to raise that $500,000 asking price.

Yeah, yeah, Jones is getting old--as pointed out in a previous Salon article. But there are lots of people in Congress older than him and he could reap the benefits of not only what influence could bring him - and Blago - but would qualify for that great Senate retirement package.

Instead of relying on soundbites and excerpts from written articles and blogs, folks should read the whole transcript. It may be 70+ pages, but they're double spaced and there's legal jargon that can be skipped over. Here's one link: http://www.slideshare.net/hblodget/blago-indictment-presentation. This one has musical accompaniment, which is kind of a nice touch.

But they also need to understand what's going on here. In fact, the feds have been trying to tie the Rezko corruption probe to the governor's office from the beginning. The investigation didn't end with Rezko's trial. As recently as late October Springfield Republican powerbroker William Cellini was also indicted. His trial is pending. Cellini was a fundraiser for Governor Blagojevich.

(Republican??? Well, some people play both sides for their own benefit. And, in case you didn't know, few Illinois Democrats think Blago is a true Democrat. In fact, he's bragged that he voted for Ronald Reagan. And this little guy with big ambitions only pursued those goals through the Democrat party because he tied his kite to the line of Chicago Democrat powerbroker Dick Mell as a means to achieving them---including the unlikely idea that he could become president. Of course, since becoming governor, he has alienated Mell, which is something political junkies like me think is a hoot!)

Back to the indictment. What readers will see is that about a third involves the ongoing "Rezko" investigation. That was likely the tool used to get the court to approve the wiretapping of Blago's phones. And the rest of the indictment contains the surprises -- or proof of the rumors they were hearing -- to nail the governor.

I can just envision the FBI agents listening in on those conversations shaking their heads in amazement as he talked openly to Harris and others about trying to bribe the Tribune folks to fire journalists who were writing unfavorable things about him; their disgust as they learned of the serious pay-to-play scheme involving funding for Children's Memorial Hosptial; and their utter shouting-with-joy reaction when he outlined his plans to sell the U.S. Senate seat of President-elect Obama.

Some of the transcript is boring. A lot of it covers ground we've heard and read about since the Rezko probe came to light---and, by the way,. tells the REAL story of Rezko's influence...not on Barack Obama but on Rod Blagojevich, something Illinoians have known about all the while.

Unfortunately, the feds will probably stop at this level and these crimes once they get the top guy convicted. That's too bad because if they investigated contracts further they'd find the pay-to-play schemes permeated the thinking of many within the Blagojevich administration and impacted on innocent parties that couldn't or wouldn't make contributions to renew contracts they already held and performed well on.

Oh, and by the way, those payments (er...I mean campaign contributions) didn't necessarily wind up in the Blagojevich campaign coffers. Sometimes they were made to other politicos who had influence within the administrative departments and/or the governor's office.

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is probably Candidate 3 or 4, but not Candidate 5. I think that's IL Senate President Emil Jones--the only ally Blago has in the state and, especially, in the Illinois General Assembly.

No problem with Salazar---especially after reading he once called Dobson the anti-Christ. But Arne Duncan for Education? Obama needs to get out of Chicago and look around the country for more competent prospects. His cabinet appointments -- and rumored appointments -- contain too many people from that city.

...pooper-scooper duties, and Arne Duncan?! Let the kid-flight to Canada begin.........

Enough said.

In fact, the baby Jesus isn't supposed to be placed in the nativity display until he's actually born (according to the story) on Christmas morning. So those removing the child from the scene are just trying to correct the mistake. Obviously, they plan to replace him/her at the proper time....ya think?!