MORNING READ

The best defense for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) against corruption charges might be to plead insanity, advise bloggers on both sides. A New York Times story connecting President-elect Obama’s support for an Illinois ethics bill to Blagojevich’s arrest is received with skepticism from both conservative and liberal bloggers. And Joe the Plumber’s decision to turn on his old friend, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), doesn’t surprise one right-wing blog.

Blagojevich, whose musings about a possible 2016 White House run was recorded by investigators, could try to beat his corruption charges by telling the court he’s insane, writes TalkingPointsMemo’s Josh Marshall. The notion that Blagojevich, who had a 16 percent approval rating, saw himself as presidential timber is clearly delusional, writes Frank James at The Swamp, a Tribune Co. blog. Blagojevich’s alleged plan to cash in on his power to appoint Obama’s Senate successor suggests he felt the “invulnerability of the pathological narcissist,” writes Power Line’s Scott Johnson.

A Times story suggests that an Illinois ethics reform bill pushed by Obama last summer prompted Blagojevich to illegally seek campaign money before the measure became law. But the story is “upside-down wrong” when it says that Obama never “quite escaped the murky… world of Illinois politics,” writes Attytood’s Will Bunch. The story implies that Obama’s at fault for Blagojevich’s corruption, which isn’t the case, writes AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis. But Obama critic Daniel Halper, of Contentions, sees the Times story as prematurely clearing Obama of any wrongdoing and even crediting Obama with the bust of Blagojevich.

Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher’s remark that McCain “appalled” him by backing the $700 billion market bailout meshes with Little Green Footballs‘ belief that McCain was the worst possible candidate for Republicans. Wurzelbacher’s suggestion that Obama scared him even more than McCain shows that GOP scare tactics work best on uneducated and uninformed voters, writes Liberal Values’ Ron Chusid.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Is Blago Nuts? – Scott Johnson, Power Line
Blagojevich’s Best Defense – Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Maybe Blago Can Plead Insanity – Frank James, The Swamp
Just How Insane is Blago? – Patrick Appel, The Daily Dish
Ethics Bill Started It All – Steve Benen, Political Animal
Obama’s Heroism – Daniel Halper, Contentions
NYT: Obama’s Unethical – J. Aravosis, AMERICAblog
Joe The Plumber: McCain ‘Appalled’ Me – Little Green Footballs
The Mighty Wurzelbacher – BooMan, Booman Tribune
GOP Scare Tactics and Joe – Ron Chusid, Liberal Values

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Blagojevich Arrested on Federal Charges – Chicago Tribune
Vote on Automaker Bailout Nears – Washington Post
Obama’s Effort on Ethics Bill Had Role in Gov.’s Fall – NY Times
Ill. Scandal Roils Congress – The Hill