Chicago native gives Blago a tough time on daytime talk show

In an interview that pro journalists would be proud to have done, afternoon talk show hostess and Chicago native Bonnie Hunt brought the heat to Rod Blagojevich like Stewart on Kramer during her show last Friday.  Roll 212:

Normally, I don’t have much time for afternoon gab-fests. And it’s not surprising — being a full-time college student, most of my afternoons  are spent either in class or immersed in my 1500-page Human Rights Law textbook. In the rare event that I do have the time to indulge in daytime talk shows, I honestly just throw on whichever one is most likely to have Josh Groban as a guest. (Please don’t judge me. And B-T-dubs, it’s usually a toss-up between Ellen and Oprah).

Moreover, and especially from my perspective as a Chicago resident, watching talk shows when they indulge Blagojevich’s slick-talking rather than call him out is infuriating. And although I’m sure that other states have their own sordid collections of political scarlet letters too, having to watch national coverage of ours impersonating Elvis and getting nuggies from Joy Behar stings as much as a slap in the face. Sure, we in Illinois are laughing along with the rest of the country for a while — but only up to the point where we realize we still have to deal with this mess. And then it gets a lot less funny.

So thanks, Bonnie Hunt, for having the guts to press him with the tough questions when he clearly expected an easy, breezy chat about his new book. Watching the politician who’s made a laughing stock of the state squirm and fumble when you pinned him with insightful, legitimate questions was even more satisfying than watching his Elvis vid. And mimicing his unctuous circle-talking to his face? Brilliant!

But my favorite part by far? The part when Hunt says what I think all Chicagoans are thinking  after he protests that, “I’m trying to get the facts out.” Without missing a beat, she challenges, “You’re trying to get the plea out, which are two different things.”

So satisfying.

(Full interview here: part 1, part 2)