Senior Adam takes on Harris in Blago trial questioning

The decision to have Sam Adam the elder cross-examine John Harris Monday seemed a puzzling choice by Rod Blagojevich's defense attorneys.

Given how damaging Harris' testimony has apparently been about serving as chief of staff in the final days of the Blagojevich administration, the homespun Adam seemed just about the least likely member of the defense team to handle the assignment.

Also on hand for Blagojevich are Sam Adam Jr., Adam's theatrical son who handled the cross-examination of Alonzo Monk, Blagojevich's previous chief of staff; young, sharp Aaron Goldstein with a more nettlesome style of cross-examination; and the confrontational Mike Gillespie, whose manner of interrogation and accent seem better suited to a Chicago police detective than a lawyer.

Even though Adam might sometimes seem befuddled - calling Blagojevich counsel Bill Quinlan "Bill Clinton" and union leader Tom Balanoff "Ted," as well as confusing the Illinois Finance Authority with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority - don't underestimate the senior Adam. (Although he's sometimes referred to as Sam Adam Sr., he and his son have different middle names.)

"Because Harris did so much damage, the defense might want to put the most seasoned and experienced lawyer on him," said Andrew Stoltmann, a Barrington Hills attorney who's been following the case. "The younger Adam gets most of the attention, but the older Adam has been one of the better criminal defense lawyers in Chicago over the last 30 years. Experience counts when it comes to examining a tough, hostile witness.

"Also, this is going to be an extremely combative cross, so we might be seeing the younger Adam keeping out of it to save his credibility with the jurors," he added.

On Monday, Adam led Harris in questioning that emphasized Blagojevich's good deeds as governor: the expansion of state health care and his attempt at an amendatory veto on the 2008 ethics bill that would have expanded it to all branches of government, not just the governor's office. He also got Harris to testify on "gridlock in Springfield," laying groundwork for the expected defense that Blagojevich was never really auctioning the U.S. Senate appointment in 2008, but was always intending to appoint Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in a bit of political horse-trading to free up legislation held up by her father, House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Hamilton blocked much of that questioning with objections on scope and relevance, but that raised another potential reason for going with Adam: the jury might be more sympathetic to him being stymied by Judge James Zagel than it would be toward his son in the same circumstances.

At one point, Adam successfully got a question through to Harris after a series of Hamilton's objections, and he responded by shooting her a sly glance over his shoulder - the shoulder on the jury side of the courtroom.