Illinois: Over By Dere Show Notes

This week, on Illinois: Over By Dere, more twists and turns. Characters expected to be major players in the next primary and general election stepped out!

After raising a whopping $845 for his re-election campaign, Roland Burris has decided not to run again. "Decided." You bet. Rumors off set were that Roland didn't want to be on the show anymore, and wanted to pursue other opportunities to fill up his tombstone wall resume. (you think I'm kidding?)

A more shocking move was Lisa Madigan, adopted daughter of the political powerhouse Speaker of the House Mike Madigan, she's also the current Attorney General - announced that she will NOT be seeking The Mighty Gov. Quinn's job. So what's her angle? What's her long term strategy? Which, in turn is really her adopted father's strategy? Did Quinn muscle her out (unlikely!)

The Chicago Tribune speculates that she's angling for Richie Daily's chair! That is, unless her good friend President Obama puts her on the Supreme Court! We'll have to see, but she turned the wheel under the Statehouse - called the Tempest - and my guess is that she'll just wait out the hail storm of debt and unpopular tax increases before seeking a better gig. She's safe on the high seas of the Attorney General's office with Desmond, that is, unless Ben finds her.

Meanwhile, John Harris, who was arrested with the former governor in December, is expected to detail for prosecutors perhaps the most stunning charge in the case: how Blagojevich allegedly used his power to appoint a successor to President Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate to barter to enrich himself.

In exchange for Harris' testimony, prosecutors agreed to recommend he serve less than 3 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud and is expected to be one of a series of former aides and confidants -- fellow chiefs of staff Alonzo "Lon" Monk and John Wyma as well as fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko among them -- to testify against Blagojevich.

It still isn't clear that the two chess players are, but they seem to be agents of fate against free will. I can't wait until the next episode!