Nice work, if you can get it

The publishing industry has suffered a lot in this recession, but it has enough life to extend a six-figure book contract Rod Blagojevich. The deal is with an independent publisher called Phoenix, which seems like a nice metaphor for what Blago probably wants to be.

"The governor chose to go with a large independent company because he wanted to tell his story without any restrictions over content that might've come with a major publishing house," says the former governor's publicist.