Below are our daily picks from the Illinois blogosphere and media at large:

What Was Blagojevich Thinking?
The Reader's Ben Joravksy pens a question-and-answer primer for the American Prospect on how Gov. Blagojevich got elected in the first place and how he thought he could get away with his various alleged schemes. The short answers? The voters are idiots and the governor is delusional.

State Of Shame
Chicago-based novelist and former federal prosecutor Scott Turow writes that the most worrisome factor about Gov. Blagojevich's alleged behavior is that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald was forced to go public with the case before he was ready. "Bypassing the grand jury and proceeding through a criminal complaint," he writes, "effectively puts the case against Mr. Blagojevich on the express route."

Stronger Pay-To-Play Bill Needed
Although the Illinois General Assembly passed a revamped ethics bill this summer, it only targets the noxious practice of banning campaign contributions by contractors who have or seek business of more than $50,000 annually with the state. Mechanics blogger Jeff Smith writes that in light of the deep corruption still present in the state, a more comprehensive reform law is needed.

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