The only thing different between this and the Good Ol' Boy Machine of Texas is that he got caught asking for specifics. And he didn't say "please" and "thank you."

It leads one to ask the question: What's the difference if they ask for the favor or if it is slyly given through vague nods and innuendo? Buying a senate seat is buying a senate seat no matter how you slice it.

What's the chain of command here? Who's up next? The Lt. Governor? He's probably as corrupt as Mr. Blagovjevich.

Salon readership is actually angry that he got caught, and not because he is, in fact, crooked to the core. Is this a double standard I'm smelling?

I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying that the anger seems to be directed towards his obviousness and not the very idea of pay to play. This is why we can't have nice things, as it were. Because no one actually expects politicians to behave honorably, and that is reflected in how we react to this scandal.

That is why Blagojevich needs to go down hard. And, no, he won't be spending any time in an honest-to-god prison. In fact, I'm betting money that he might not go to prison at all. If he's in prison at all it will be one of those fancy places with tennis courts and private rooms. (Actually, I have no idea what those places are like. But everyone knows that they don't resemble the regular prisons.)

No need for the nasty tone. That's what I've seen. We can disagree agreeably.

". . . and the idea that the governor is a schmuck not for his actions but for his indiscretion. Truly disturbing."

.

"Why is the FBI still wire tapping Blagojeich? Why is he so stupid to be making these comments if he know's he is being wire tapped."

"As a native and resident of Illinois, I'm here to tell you that no one is surprised by this. Pay to play is just how it works. What got Rod in trouble is his abrasive way of doing it, and his failure to acknowledge that the graft has to go both ways."

"Everyone expects wheeling and dealing. But the graft has to be spread around - the Governor can't simply act as a giant vaccuum sucking up all of the patronage and campaign cash."

The point that I'm making is actually a subtle one. And I'm certainly not claiming the moral highground. But what I'm hearing is that the big problem isn't corruption, it's explicit corruption. The Governor should be making these arrangements over quite, wiretap-free dinners. This affords the public plausible deniability.

And if you look at the history of government scandals you will find that this attitude prevails in most examples. Spitzer didn't just buy a hooker, he bought hookers to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Edwards didn't just have an affair, but he (allegedly) fathered a child and then paid her off via political allies. Clinton didn't just get his wang serviced, he did it in the White House. We the public hate being made fools of more than we hate the corruption.

How these moments play out matter. I worked in campaign finance reform for years, and most people are not serious about changing the way our government does business. Campaign finance reform should be at the very heart of our supposed government change, and that's not going to happen unless the public is very serious about it and willing to put sweat equity behind it.

All right!! Glenn Greenwald on VIDEO!!! Let's all get ready to analyze his minor physical imperfections to within an inch of his life!!!!

What? We're not going to do that? Because he's male?

[Shoulders droop, head hangs, drinkwater walks off-screen: END SCENE]

You keep talking about the screaming nutters on the Obama side, without mentioning the screaming nutters on the Clinton side. Why would you spend so much energy trying to defame Obama supporters, when you know good and well that there was an equal amount of zealotry aimed at Obama by Clinton's people?

This article is not any sort of omission, it's a not-so-subtle dig at the people who disagreed with you. And you have the bully pulpit to do it, but for what cause? You know, the expletives that you denounce, they were inspired by your very own words. It's too bad that you don't have the insight to figure out what that was about.

Happy New Year's, you guys!!! Good to see you at Salon!!!

Hey, but what about our wonderful post-partisan era?

On the other hand, I kind of admire the Republican's pugnacity. They're going to go down fighting! Wish our side had that kind of gumption.

If you want to chalk up not buying an SUV to "liberal righteousness" then go ahead. It's just plain reasonable behavior to buy something with affordable gas mileage.

As for your "needs," you don't need to put to bikes in the back of your car. You don't need to haul around a bunch of crap with you. You just do it because you are American and that's what we do. We equate convenience with necessity. No wonder our economy is going down the crapper. Even with a gun to our heads we can't stop buying STUFF.

I have been FASCINATED with the newest hair trend of asymmetry! I think it's great. Hair is so important. It's on our head, after all. Without it I'd be chilly. In the summer it protects my head from the sun.

Woo! Fascinating! I can't wait for Salon to supply more trenchant cultural commentary from Ms. Kaplan.

No, but seriously, anyone who claims that Salon readers are racist because we are stepping up to denounce hair talk in the headlines obviously doesn't read the letters section much. We are a rowdy bunch, and will call it like we see it on any and all occasions. If you think we're singling you out, then you haven't spent much time here.