politicos stunned by governor's arrest

The words on the recording sound as if they were uttered by a mob boss. Instead, the feds say, it is the governor of Illinois speaking.The Senate seat "is a valuable thing, you just don't give it away for nothing," Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Nov. 3, according to a conversation intercepted by the FBI.
Federal prosecutors Tuesday accused the 51-year-old Blagojevich of plotting to enrich himself by selling Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat for cash or a lucrative job for himself. In excerpts released by prosecutors, Blagojevich snarls profanities, makes threats and demands and allegedly concocts a rich variety of schemes for profiting from his appointment of a new senator.
He declares that he wanted to make more money according to the courts papers. Blagojevich allegedly had a salary in mind: $250,000 to $300,00 a year.
Some of the most shocking conversations came in the days before and after Obama's victory, when Blagojevich seemed intent on capitalizing on his role in choosing the president-elect's successor in the Senate.
According to court papers, on Nov. 3, the day before the election, Blagojevich talked with someone identified only as Deputy Governor A about the Senate seat, and said: "If ... they're not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it" --that is, make himself senator.
That same day, he talked tough, and said he intended to "drive a hard bargain" to get what he wants.
On Election Day, as crowds were gathering in Grant Park to celebrate Obama's victory, Blagojevich spoke with John Harris, his chief of staff, who also has been charged in the case.
Days later, according to the documents, Blagojevich said he was willing to "trade" that Senate seat for the position of the secretary of health and human Services in Obama's Cabinet. There is no indication that Obama ever considered him.