The Man Who Would Be President

He had big plans early on. He is the fresh-faced politician from Chicago who would be president. He is close if not personal friends with Tony Rezko, the indicted fundraiser who fueled his way to the top fast, mastering the Dem machine. Who is this marvel? You might well ask. Tribune:

A veteran Democratic fundraiser testified Tuesday that Gov. Rod Blagojevich once offered to give him his pick of contracts and state business in exchange for help building a nationwide political money machine as a prelude to a presidential run.

The governor said "that there were contracts, legal work, investment banking work and consulting work to be awarded to people who helped," Joseph Cari recalled as he took the stand in the federal corruption trial of Blagojevich insider Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

The allegations by Cari, once a finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee, were the most explicit accusations of pay-to-play politics leveled against Blagojevich at a trial where he is not even the defendant.

Where he is not even the defendant. Imagine that.