December 8, 2008: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) orders state agencies to stop doing business with Bank of America until it reinstates a line of credit for the company Republic Windows and Doors to either keep operating or provide severance and vacation pay to employees. On December 2, the company had announced it was shutting down, and the workers subsequently occupied the plant in protest.
December 9, 2008: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) is arrested and charged with attempting to leverage appointment of a U.S. Senator for personal financial gain and attempting to induce a purge of critical editorial writers by withholding state assistance to the Tribune Co. for Wrigley Field.
One instance of “pay to play” involves allegations of illegality; the other is just politics. But aren’t they both forms of corruption?