Dogpatch Democrats

Republican candidate for governor, Judy Baar Topinka, who has dramatically narrowed the gap in polls with our Governor Empty Suit Blagojevich, makes a good point about First Lady Patricia "Pattycake" Blagojevich. Tribune:

Republican governor candidate Judy Baar Topinka on Wednesday proposed restricting outside income for the families of statewide elected officials, citing the real-estate business of First Lady Patricia Blagojevich.

Topinka's proposal was in response to a recent Tribune report that found Patricia Blagojevich received $113,000 in real estate commissions on behalf of a longtime no-bid state contractor whose husband also had bank regulatory issues pending before the state. The four commissions were the only ones she made so far this year.

The article goes on to detail an astonishing (but this is Illinois so sadly not astonishing) web of interlocking relationships, Dem politics as the family business. Here's a sampling:

On the Sunday before the election, Patricia Blagojevich is scheduled to serve as an honorary co-chair of a fashion show in Rosemont to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The chair of the event is Rita Rezko, the wife of Tony Rezko, who is a longtime patron of the charity. Rezko Enterprises is a sponsor of the event.

The wives of several others with ties to Rezko or Blagojevich are serving on the event committee or have donated raffle prizes, including a former business partner, a former Blagojevich Cabinet member whom Rezko recommended to the post, and Blagojevich's former communications director. The Tribune also is a sponsor.

The "special guest" for the event is Michelle Obama, wife of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Patty Blagojevich counts the indicted Rezko as a friend and has had real estate dealings with him. Rezko shows up as buying the lot next door to the Obamas, detailed yesterday.

You might say it verges on incestuous---the Dogpatch Democrats.

UPDATE: More on family connections, including the governor's brother Robert, and NO-BID contracts. At Reverse Spin, "Will Rod take the Fifth about Fifth Third?"