As disgusting as it may be, I'm predicting that the punk Illinois Governor will beat the rap(s) being leveled against him. Not only that, but Illinois taxpayers are going to pay his lawyer to get him off.

What it boils down to is this...

• Being recorded talking to your chief-of-staff and others about selling Obama's Senate seat or demanding contributions in exchange for stuff like the payment of Medicaid funds to a children's hospital isn't against the law. Finding evidence that such payments have been made or more detailed and specific plans to exchange money for favors is necessary to demonstrate tnat the law has been broken. Why hasn't the federal prosecutor gone to the grand jury to sek and indictment yet? Maybe because he hasn't found such evidence--not a good sign for those who want Blagojevich out.

• Blago's sharp lawyer is using the Illinois Constitution to pay his legal bills. He's already filed a request with the Illinois Attorney General citing a small part of the Constitution that says that not only is the Attorney General charged with the responsibility of being the "people's lawyer", but also to serve as the lawyer for state officials. In that the Attorney General has unsuccessfully filed an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court to find the Governor unfit for service, that has been cited as proof that the AG has conflicted herself and justifies the State paying for independent legal representation. Of course, he has nominated himself as the lawyer requested by the Governor.

• The Federal prosecutor is not happy that the Illinois House is beginning impeachment hearings and preparing lists of people to subpoena. That's all he needs--a bunch of part-time members of the Illinois House questioning people under oath and mucking up the collection of evidence being done by the U.S. Attorney's office. with their skill and professional investigators. The Governor's defense attorney is first attempting to get the impeachment proceedings cancelled because of no probable cause. But if he fails with that attempt, he'd just as soon go forward quickly, with the hope he can screw up the U.S. Attorney's case.

• The media and the public, with their collective short attention span, are losing interest in this story. The Governor, his lawyer and all his representatives are now saying that he's done nothing wrong. His lawyer told the Chicago Tribune, "There's nothing illegal about a couple of guys jabbering on the telephone." The punk Governor says he can't wait to tell his side of the story.

This punk is going to be this rap, mark my words. He won't get re-elected in 2010, but he could be running Illinois for another couple of years.

Yep, our democracy and rule of law seems to be working just fine. Disgustingly fine.