Judge Won't Gag Blago

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They could sell tickets when former Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich finally testifies in his own defense in the  public corruption trial currently playing out in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division (U.S.A. v. Rod Blagojevich, Case No. 1:08-cr-00888).

In the meantime, the ersatz Chicago tourist attraction is drawing its share of publicity, the latest being an 18-page government motion to limit extrajudicial comments filed by prosecutors seeking a court order to stifle the chatty Blago's remarks about his trial and the testimony of his one-time best friend, chief of staff and star prosecution witness Alonzo Monk.  Prosecutors want Blago and his attorney enjoined from making public comments about the legal proceedings, citing the former governor's Blagojevich on Trial blog comments that Monk lied on the stand.

Judge James Zagel told both sides to confer over the weekend and work out the parameters of permissible public comments by the defendant. Judge Zagel considers a court order banning public remarks a last option.

"TUOL" considers it only fair that Judge Zagel impose a gag order on Blago, given that Blago's appearances on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice, The View and elsewhere made countless viewers gag.

'The View' From the Gutter

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Rod & Patti Blagojevich will appear on Barbara Walters' gabfest, "The View" on Sept. 9.

It's a return appearance for the 52-year-old impeached former governor of  Illinois, who was on the show last January. He is promoting his book, "The Governor."  Patti B. recently was a contestant on the NBC reality show, "I'm a Celebrity--Get Me Out of Here."

Blagojevich is under indictment following his arrest by FBI agents in December 2008, on corruption charges ranging from purportedly accepting campaign contributions in return for official actions and allegedly offering for personal financial gain the appointment to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when he was elected president. The Illiniois Senate voted 59-0 to impeach Blagojevich on Jan. 30, 2009.

Patti and Rod are making a joint appearance on The View, and Rod, if convicted,  may soon be making an appearance in the Joint. ABC, which airs "The View," is owned by the Walt Disney Co., which may explain this "Goofy" booking decision.

Viewers eagerly await the "hair-off "challenge  between panelist Whoopi Goldberg and the former governor.