Well, I intended my next blog post to be my comparison of Fallout 3 vs. Mass Effect. I know a couple of folks have expressed interest in hearing what I think on Fallout 3 and whether or not it is worth getting. (It is. Particularly if you're a fan of the Bethesda/Oblivion/Morrowind style of game) But events have conspired against me. I've thoroughly enjoyed previous "Stupidest People in the World" blog posts and today's headline about the soon to be former governor of Illinois was too enticing to pass up. After all, I've covered sports figures and Republicans already. I may as well hit a Democrat before I move onto a religious figure of some kind. (I'm smelling a Rick Warren roast in the future.) So, without further ado, I'd like to invite down our next contestant. Rod Blagojevich come on down! Rod Blagojevich, henceforth known as "The Rodster" since his last name is annoying to type, has staked an aggressive claim in the last couple of months to being the world's stupidest human, but today he really brought his "A" game with him. For those of you who are unaware of The Rodster's background, he is, this guy right here. He also has the dubious honor of being the least popular political figure in the entire nation. Yes, that is a nation that still has Dick Cheney as a member of its political establishment. Polling in October of this year had The Rodster's approval rating in Illinois at 4%. That is not a typo. It's Illinois! If I was governor there I could have sex with a gay prostitute in the middle of town square at high noon and still pull a 15% approval rating as a Democrat! The clincher is that that approval rating of 4%...WAS BEFORE today's indictment on federal corruption charges. United States attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (yes, the same guy who investigated Scooter Libby and Karl Rove whom Republicans screamed was a partisan hitman for Democrats) today called The Rodster's case, quote, "the most staggering crime spree in office that I have ever seen." (Really? THE MOST staggering? Wow. Considering who he has investigated in the past that's really saying something.) Those are the facts thus far. But ultimately, I've only shown that The Rodster is potentially corrupt and astonishingly unpopular and unliked, even, or perhaps particularly, among Democrats. Let's now switch gears into describing what makes him remarkably stupid. This man has been under federal investigation for months by the same ruthless bastard of a U.S. attorney who managed to bring Scooter Libby down and came a hair's breadth away from nabbing Karl Rove and possibly even Dick Cheney's scalps. And what was the final nail in the guy's coffin? He allegedly tried to sell Barack Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder. Yes, that would be President Elect Barack Obama. Biggest celebrity in the world Barack Obama. The guy getting more attention and press coverage than any human being on the planet at the moment. The Rodster, already under federal investigation and almost certainly having his phone tapped, tried to solicit bribes to appoint Barack Obama's replacement to the U.S. Senate. This takes a galactic level of stupidity to even attempt, and, frankly, some cojones the size of watermelons as well. This isn't a case like the one today where I bribed a coworker to support an idea I had at work by cleverly suggesting I might be willing to loan him my copy of Saint's Row 2 for the PS3. This stuff actually has folks paying attention to it. There are actually a few people who are curious as to how Obama's former Senate seat gets handed out.



As you might expect, The Rodster was caught red-handed on federal, judge approved, wiretaps. Patrick Fitzgerald's full statement can be found here but I think a reasonable summary is here.