The Blagojevich verdict: Stay tuned

It must be said at the outset that one important statement underlies all reflections on the Rod Blagojevich trial. The former Illinois governor is a felon.

It is true that the single charge that Blagojevich's jury could reach agreement on was one of the least significant of the 24 he faced, but it is not insignificant. It carries a potential penalty of five years in prison, and more importantly, it brands Blagojevich as a liar. That's hardly a reputation one can qualify as a victory.

Indeed, as Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks, of Marengo, reflecting on the guilty verdict and the 23 counts on which the jury could not determine Blagojevich's guilt or innocence, told WBBM-AM 780, "If that's vindication to him, he's got a pretty low bar."

All that said, it's difficult not to be disappointed by the inability of attorneys on both sides to convince jurors one way or the other on so many of the charges facing Blagojevich and his brother Robert. In many ways, this case has not been an indictment of just these two men but of the entire "politics as usual" system in Illinois. It's not just Rod Blagojevich who has been the butt of late-night jokes on national television or who must live under a cloud of constant suspicion; it's the entire state of Illinois, we as voters as well as the men and women we elect.

The lack of a decision here seems to portend months more of Illinois bashing, not to mention the specter of yet another round or two of talk-show denials by a man who has become the phenom of media that he could not become as a political leader. It also suggests so much more work lies ahead in actually cleaning up Illinois government.

It is worth noting that this incomplete verdict also represents a strength of our jury system. For, to acclaim Blagojevich either guilty or innocent of these serious federal charges, the case had to overcome the moral and ethical principles of every one of 12 men and women. That it could not is a testament to the standard that must be met in resolving criminal charges in America.

Somewhat apprehensively, we look forward to a new opportunity to meet it, one way or the other. The fact remains that the heart of this case is defined as what we allow in the management of our Illinois government. So much of what and who we are as a people stems from that definition. In that context, perhaps the most disappointing thing about the Blagojevich trial is that no statement could be made to lay this all to rest. His one guilty count acknowledges the cloud of corruption attributed to the Blagojevich administration, but the 23 counts of indecision neither confirm nor remove the depth of that cloud. So now, it seems, it will be up to another trial and another set of jurors to accomplish what this one could not. We all have a stake in that. And it must be done.