At moments like this, it's worth remembering that Illinois gave us both Abraham Lincoln and Al Capone. Plainly, some sort of karmic balance controls the destiny of that heartland state. For every inspiring leader that Illinois produces, it must also turn out a scoundrel or two - petty thieves in governmental office, egomaniacal monsters in corporate suites - who share an indifference to the idea of a public trust. ...more

December 11, 2008

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich could still appoint someone to fill Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat despite charges that he tried to barter it away for cash or a plum job in what prosecutors call "a political corruption crime spree." ...more

December 10, 2008

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich briefly lived in Tampa while attending college. He enrolled at the University of Tampa in 1975, following his older brother Rob, who was already a student. ...more

December 10, 2008

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich briefly lived in Tampa while attending college. He enrolled at the University of Tampa in 1975, following his older brother Rob, who was already a student. ...more

December 9, 2008

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's election as president. ...more

December 9, 2008

The nation's grim economy now has a rallying point: Employees at a window-and-door factory that went out of business have taken over the building in a siege that has come to symbolize the woes of the ordinary worker. ...more

December 9, 2008

Americans say they are weary of political polarization and pugnacity. If so, the current situation in presidential politics is unstable: The leading Democratic and Republican candidates, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, are the most polarizing and pugnacious candidates, respectively. Hence Barack Obama and Mitt Romney might be stronger than national polls suggest. ...more

November 18, 2007