Rage against Rod

I did not become furious with ex-governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich until I heard his post conviction speech outside his Ravenswood home tonight.

However, this evening his final (yeah right!) press conference put me over the edge.

Sure, I was embarrassed by his tapes discussing the sale of a U.S. Senate seat. But then again, politicians sell their souls all of the time, and not just in Chicago. He just got caught.

Nor was I super angry when he refused to admit wrongdoing, even though his words were broadcast internationally. It just made him look like more of a jerk. Whatever.

I also wasn't that upset when he ran around New York City to be on every stupid morning show that exists only to have the ladies of The View touch his strange hair. He just wants facial recognition so he can sell a book after the impeachment. Understandable, I guess.

Even the self-comparisons to Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Gandhi didn't bug me. Instead, I just thought that Blagojevich was mentally ill. You can't fault a guy if he's insane.

What finally infuriated me enough to want to throw something at the television was when Rod had the chutzpah to compare himself to the thousands of people in Illinois who have lost their jobs. He looked straight into the camera outside his home and said it.

Rod, I just don't think that the people whose jobs were cut at Sprint, Home Depot, Caterpillar, All State and countless other businesses have anything in common with you.

You squandered an incredible opportunity that people can only dream of through political lies that eventually suffocated you. You didn't get a pink slip. You were impeached. The men and women who have families they now can't support because of being laid off have done nothing to deserve their situation. Your loss of a job is reminiscent of a Greek tragedy, and by that I mean a parody of a Greek tragedy. Sadly the thousands of Illinoisans without jobs reads more like an Arthur Miller production.

Rod, compare yourself to Moses or Jesus. I don't care. But don't compare your hardship to the sufferings of the unemployed of Illinois who have to figure out which bill not to pay this month so they can feed their children.

Jerk.

(Glad I wrote this instead of breaking my 15-year-old television.)