Sad Blago's Storage Unit Of Broken Dreams Auctioned Off

Milorad "Rod" Blagojevich, a resident of Illinois, was an employee of the U.S. Federal Government until 2002, when he took a position with the government of the State of Illinois. Part of the compensation he received with this job was an employer-provided residence; however, although Blagojevich signed a new contract with the Illinois government in 2006, in early 2009 he was fired from his job due to accusations of workplace malfeasance, the details of which are still in dispute. As a result, he was forced to vacate his residence on short notice, and, like many Americans facing such a situation, placed some of his belongings in a storage unit. However, he has failed to make the required rental payments on this storage space for over a year, and, as a consequence, the contents of the unit were auctioned off yesterday.

Here are some of the items that were found in Mr. Blagojevich's storage unit:  

• A small neon sign that read "Governor Blagojevich."

• More than a dozen boxes of official papers (purchased by Northwestern University).

• A life-size Elvis statue, a picture of Elvis from a 1957 Chicago concert, an Elvis guitar clock, and a poster of Elvis reading a book, made to promote American libraries.

• A framed picture of Napoleon.

• Newspaper articles about Blagojevich.

Here are some things that people attending the auction had to say:

• "Ray Hornkohl, 55, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., said he came looking for Elvis memorabilia and maybe a piece of history. 'I am looking for pictures of him with famous people,' he said. 'Now that he is a convicted felon, it would probably be worth more.' Hornkohl said he'd be willing to part with up to $200."

• "Jake Sikora, 28, of Chicago said he came to bid on anything associated with the governor, whether it is a picture or a document with Blago's signature. 'I think he's a hoot,' Sikora said. 'All of my co-workers get a kick out of laughing at his antics. I was hoping to get a trinket or a sweet photo and then track him down and get him to autograph it.'"

Blagojevich continues to face legal problems, involving the circumstances of his dismissal from his previous job. Since he has not since been able to find permanent employment, he would require the services of a public defender should those problems result in a return to the courtroom. [ WP / CSM ]