No way around it,

it's gonna to be a tough day for yours truly here at the castle.

I'll tell you about it someday over a beer.

Still, thoughts of Governor Shakedown's upcoming off-the-leash, Ranty the Clown I-am-the-Blessed-Virgin-Mary-and-Neil-Armstrong's-love-child baroqueapalooza...

(from the Chicago Tribune)

Blagojevich to give own closing argument
January 28, 2009

Gov. Rod Blagojevich will come to Springfield to make the closing argument in his own impeachment trial Thursday.

Lucio Guerrrero, Blagojevich's spokesman, said the governor wants to defend himself and also is responding to comments made by Senate President John Cullerton, who has urged Blagojevich to appear.

"Sen. Cullerton asked him to come down," Guerrero said. "So he's taking him up on that and wants to give his closing arguments... That's something he wanted to do."

Word of the governor's request to appear was delivered by a top aide to one of Cullerton's top staffers only moments before Cullerton announced the governor's plans on the Senate floor.

"I've been informed that the governor would like to come here tomorrow and (ask) leave of us to file an appearance," Cullerton told the Senate. "We would have to give him permission to do that, I would urge us all to give him that leave so he can argue as his own attorney.

"The rules would allow him an hour and a half to do that from 11 to 12:30. My suggestion is we would then take a break and the House prosecutor then would have 30 minutes for rebuttal, and at that point in time, we would then start our deliberations."
...

...lightens my heart considerably.

Especially the

socko ending.

Seriously, if you follow the arc and velocity of his sociopathic narcissism to its logical conclusion, there is no reason in the world to think that Blago won't play this string all the way out, and

1. Refuse to recognize their authority over him.
2. Declare the whole impeachment proceeding to be illegitimate on its face for whatever reasons he dreams up on the drive into town.
3. Go back to his office and lock the door.

Which I believe in the trade is called going Full Saddam:

A risky gambit, but one which Governor Shakedown certainly has the follicular fortitude to take a run at.

At which point the convergence of angry politicians, armed state troopers, a thousand cameras and one Sunblottingly Gargantuan Ego may prove to be better political theater than we've witnessed 'round these parts since the mob scenes and the wild game of aldermanic Capture the Flag that followed the death of Mayor Harold Washington.