The joker is wild. The joker, aka Gov. Blagojevich, is at the center of the state's hottest political adventure. Last week, amid the chattering din at political operative Thom Serafin's holiday soiree, I put the question of the season to Rich Miller: "Who will Blagojevich anoint as Barack Obama's U.S. Senate replacement?"

You can take U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel out of the 5th Congressional District, but you can't take him out of the race.

'Where are all the black people?" You could have heard a pin drop.

When the first violinist takes the conductor's podium, a seat opens up in the orchestra. As Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel exit for D.C., the game of musical chairs begins.