conversation is an engine

It was embarrassing to watch Rod Blagojevich on Letterman last night. Several times I almost turned it off, but the same thrill of gawking at a car wreck kept me riveted. The AP story quotes him as misunderstood, that he will be vindicated and—what’s this?—offers of work are coming in? Book deals? His own television show? So the AP writer speculates.

Letterman is engaging because he sometimes nails my thoughts with his words. When telling that Blagojevich would be on the show, he admitted he had no idea why the former governor was there—which was exactly what I was thinking. He had been in the monologue crosshairs for some time. The AP story reports:

At the Letterman show, Blagojevich laughed with the audience when the host mentioned watching him on several television talk shows, including “The View” on ABC, “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC and the “Today” show on NBC.

“The more you talked,” Letterman joked, “and the more you repeated your innocence, the more I said to myself, ‘Oh, this guy is guilty.'”

Blagojevich refused details or to answer direct questions because of the impending criminal case. All he can do is claim innocence, which furthers Letterman’s observation every time Blagojevich talks.

The dishonored governor and his personal media campaign remind me that in this country, any fame is good fame. Even notoriety (“widely and unfavorably known”) is favorable, because getting in the public eye opens the possibility of getting in the public pocketbook. Reputation, honor, effective service, all these pale in comparison to the possibility of making money.

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