Blagojevich, 'naughtiest politician of 2008'

Chicago, Dec 26: Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested Dec 9 on corruption charges, has topped a new poll of 'Naughtiest Politicians In 2008'.

Fifty-six per cent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey said Blagojevich was this year's naughtiest politician.

Blagojevich is accused of attempting to sell US President-elect Barack Obama's former Senate seat. He says he did nothing wrong and plans to fight the allegations.

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer Next came second with 23 percent. He resigned in March after it was revealed he was Client No. 9 in a high-end prostitution ring.

Former Presidential candidate John Edwards landed the third spot with 19 per cent. Edwards admitted in Aug that he had an extramarital affair with former campaign staffer Rielle Hunter.

The former senator from North Carolina denied that he was the father of Hunter's baby.

According to CNN polling director Keating Holland, Blagojevich might have ended up on top in the survey because his arrest occurred more recently than the transgressions of the others, but there may be another reason, too.

"Americans typically take a much dimmer view of corruption than of sex scandals, since the former is a violation of the public trust and the latter is usually considered more of a private matter," Chicago Sun-Times quoted him, as saying.

ANI