On Thursday, five days before an election in which an Illinois Democrat is running for president of the United States, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the consummate Illinois political insider.

Bill Cellini of Springfield faces four counts of what authorities describe as a shakedown scheme involving Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign fund.

Please insert standard "the governor is not accused of any wrongdoing" disclaimer here.

The rap against Cellini is all part of the same Operation Board Games investigation into the pay-to-play world of Illinois politics, which has snared Tony Rezko, a former top adviser to Blagojevich. Rezko also has connections to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

Although Cellini may not be well-known outside political circles, his tentacles extend into all reaches of state government, including office leases, casinos and the state's employee pension plans.

Cellini, 73, is listed as executive director of the Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association, which is best-known as a distributor of campaign cash to Republicans and Democrats. The name of their political action fund is, ironically, the Good Government Council.

How pervasive was the campaign money Cellini's group spread around?

Blagojevich has routinely received five-digit contributions. Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, usually gets large chunks of asphalt cash.

Rank-and-file lawmakers received contributions from the Cellini group.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross got Cellini money. So did Blagojevich's top lieutenant in the House, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville.

The way things work in Illinois, some of that money has been transferred into targeted legislative races.

In other words, money raised by a man now facing a federal indictment permeates many of the campaign funds that are being used to try to convince you to how to vote Tuesday.

Ready for a shower yet?

Museum mess

The director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum was fired recently after it surfaced he had gotten nailed by the cops for shoplifting neckties and videos from two Springfield merchants.

Despite the black eye, a state spokesman had good things to say about Rick Beard's short tenure in Springfield.

"We think we've gotten our money's worth," the spokesman said.

Too bad Beard allegedly didn't bother using his money at the cash register.

The Lincoln Effect

Beard's woes and Cellini's indictment would seem to spell trouble for Illinois officials who have been competing for a $20 million collection of artifacts related to Abraham Lincoln.

The artifacts are being given away by the Lincoln Financial Foundation after it closed its Lincoln museum in Indiana. At least two finalists for the treasures remain: The Springfield-based museum and a consortium of Indiana historical groups.

Cellini's wife, Julie, is head of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency board of directors and was a driving force in getting the museum built.

Because of Cellini and Beard, would it be a shock if the collection went somewhere else?

Fire, aim, ready

The state agency in charge of keeping us safe from killers and rapists isn't engendering a lot of confidence lately.

Without ever stopping to really explain anything, the Illinois Department of Corrections is shuffling prisoners around the state in an attempt to close Pontiac Correctional Center.

Guards are complaining there isn't enough room at some of the prisons where inmates are being relocated. Union officials say people aren't being trained properly to deal with the different types of inmates who are being dropped on various institutions.

On Wednesday, it was learned the Thomson Correctional Center, which will replace Pontiac, isn't even ready to house inmates. At least $344,000 is being spent there to make sure its safe for guards and inmates.

"It's like someone is throwing darts at a map," said state Rep. Roger Eddy.

View from Thomson

While lawmakers in Pontiac and other areas affected by the prison scramble are bemoaning the governor's move, members of the legislature in the Quad-Cities are excited about the advent of hundreds of new jobs coming to the region, even if some of the workers decide to live nearby in Iowa.

While it would be nice to open Thomson and keep Pontiac open, state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, says it's no longer practical to operate Pontiac.

"You hate to see anybody lose. I just look at it as a win for taxpayers," Jacobs said.

kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865.