POLIS

Rumors of US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald being considered to replace Jack Ryan:

Fitzgerald, unlike former Jim Thompson when he served as U.S. Attorney, has shown no interest in running for public office. He is not known for leaking information about ongoing cases to the media the way Thompson did.

If Fitzgerald has not interest, then why are Washington movers and shakers putting out the word that he is their guy?

The answer is not new and not surprising. Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats in the bi-partisan Illinois establishment combine want a U.S. Attorney in Chicago who will really fight corruption., political corruption, that is.

They want to induce Patrick Fitzgerald to step down as U.S. Attorney to run for U.S. Senate (or for any other reason). If they succeed, the possibility exists that he could be replaced by someone less dedicated to fighting political corruption than is Fitzgerald.

This seems really far-fetched. It's just hard to imagine what it would take to convince Fitzgerald to take on such an unenviable task as this when he is currently conducting a major investigation — the Plame/CIA leak — that goes right to the highest offices in the land. The Plame case can be won, the Illinois Senate race will be lost.