Here’s a new twist on that old cliché “Those who can’t do, teach.” “Last night, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich returned to his alma mater, Northwestern University, and to a crowd as skeptical as it was curious to hear how he would defend his legacy in a panel discussion dedicated to ethics in politics,” David Vognar reported on The Huffington Post. “The result for both Blagojevich and the audience was more talk, talk, talk.”

“The students, alumni and Evanston residents treated the event as the sideshow his appearances have become.” Maybe Northwestern ^[1] could book U. S. Representative Charles Rangel, D-New York, on the same subject.

“Days after being admonished by the House ethics committee ^[2] for accepting corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean, Rangel announced that he was taking a ‘leave of absence’ as chairman” of the House Ways and Means Committee, Paul Kane and Perry Bacon Jr. ^[3] reported in the Washington Post ^[4] on March 4, 2010. “The move came as Republicans prepared to force a symbolic floor vote on stripping Rangel of his post, and as his fellow Democrats were making it increasingly clear that they lacked the stomach to support him as difficult midterm elections ^[5] approached.”

“Still pending is the release of a potentially more damning ethics report about Rangel, expected to focus on his failure to declare income and assets ^[6] and other financial matters ^[7] in which he appeared to reap personal gain ^[8].”

Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia ^[9].