From Governor to Wannabe Reality Contestant
Who had a worse year, Rod Blagojevich or his hair? That's a tough call. In January, Blagojevich was removed from the Illinois governor's office after evidence emerged that he tried to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder. In a recorded phone call with an adviser, Blagojevich was heard saying that the Senate seat was a "f___ing valuable thing; you just don't give it away for nothing." He was also charged with threatening to withhold money from a children's hospital unless the organization's CEO kicked in a political donation. Plus, against the wishes of every elected official on the planet, in his final days as governor, Blagojevich appointed former Illinois state senator Ronald Burris to fill the vacant Senate seat. After Blagojevich's impeachment, he went on a self-promoting offensive, appearing on The View and Letterman and writing an autobiography playing up his innocence. He tried to appear on the reality-TV show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, but a judge did not allow it. He is scheduled to stand trial for corruption next year. You've got to give the guy credit, though. Despite its status as a national punch line, Blago's mane is still magnificent.