Blagojevich, Muddled Movie Maven

The ethically deprived Illinois governor is a trifle short of smarts about pop culture as well.

Reacting to his impeachment today by the legislature, Rod Blagojevich said, "I feel like the old Alan Sillitoe short story 'The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner.' ... And that's what this is by the way, a long-distance run."

If he ever read the story or saw the 1962 movie, Blagojevich might recall it's all about a petty thief with swift feet and serious psychological problems who, in a key scene, stuffs his loot into a drainpipe, only to have a rainstorm wash it down at his feet while being questioned by a detective.

Even the ending should be no consolation, as the rebellious hero, well ahead in the race, stops short of the finish line with a defiant sneer on his face, the last gesture of a loser.

Patrick Fitzgerald may have seen the movie, too.