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Join Wundry Plus in the Wundery app or on Apple Podcasts. It's 11 a. 11 a on November 5th 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is sitting in his office staring out the window.

He's lost in thought, thinking about the previous night when he witnessed one of Chicago's very own make history.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama just defeated John McCain to become the first black president in US history.

It was a huge victory for the Democratic Party,

celebrated by hundreds of thousands of people in Chicago's Grant Park.

Obama's staff hadn't wanted Blagoevich to attend the rally in Grant Park, but Blagoevich hated the idea of being left out, so at the last minute he decided to go anyway.

But now in the harsh light of day, Blagojevich wishes he hadn't gone at all.

It had been painful for him to hear the announcements that Obama would be the next President

of the United States, followed by the cheers of nearly a quarter of a million people, all applauding for someone else.

Now, Bogloyevich just swiveles in his desk chair overcome with jealousy for the President-elect.

When the two first met more than a decade ago, they were both young men.

Two lawyers turned up-and-coming politicians in the Democratic Party, both with bright futures

ahead of them and both nurturing dreams of one day running for president.

At the time Blagojevich considered Obama appear his equal, but now Blagojevich has been left in the dust

as his own career falters.

His approval ratings are approaching single digits and he can't seem to shake the cloud of

controversy and scandal that hangs over his administration.

The trouble started three and a half years ago in the summer of 2005

when Stuart Levine, a wealthy businessman,

was indicted for running kickback schemes on several of the administration state boards.

...