My radio pal John Batchelor writes at his blog:

The choicest tip I heard last night Sunday 14 was from Natasha Korecki of the Chicago Sun-Times, who reports that defense attorneys all over Chicago are getting calls from "victims" of Blago pay-for-play schemes over the years.  The victims are worried they are on the tapes and want to move before the FBI shows up at the door. For years. Back to '04 and '03, I asked. Sure, she said.

Connect dots. If Obama's seat is worth millions to Blago today, what was it worth in 2003-2004 when it was emptying with the retirement of Republican Peter Fitzgerald?  And how did Blago parley that empty seat back then into a victory for his special fixer guy Tony Rezko's protege and student of the Chicago Way, Barack Obama?