The governor continues with the Junior G-Man schtick.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has said he is investigating Blagojevich’s hiring practices, including whether the system was fixed to favor those with political clout. Recent news reports have also raised questions about the administration’s hiring.

But Blagojevich, speaking to reporters after the ribbon-cutting of a recreational shooting complex, argued that reports of hiring irregularities indicate his administration is rooting out “bad apples.”

“The headlines are great,” Blagojevich said. “They suggest this is an administration that doesn’t tolerate wrongdoing.”

I truly doubt that anyone except hardcore partisans are buying this line. But it could make a great TV ad, the governor’s quote followed by a scroll of headlines. Oops. I forgot. Topinka doesn’t have the money for TV ads yet.

And Krol senses a change in the conventional wisdom.

Suddenly, the conventional political wisdom is leaning more toward the notion that Topinka has momentum on her side without really doing much of anything herself. It’s not tough to see why. She’s running against a guy who promised four years ago to “end business as usual” but who now, if Fitzgerald’s letter is any indication, could soon see major federal indictments befall his administration. Given that Blagojevich follows the soon-to-be-sentenced-for-corruption George Ryan as governor, federal indictments are about as “business as usual” as it gets.

All that remains, the thinking goes, is for Topinka to hammer Blagojevich on that federal probe until the proverbial cows come home. She’s yet to really do that, however, the idea being it’s more prudent to not step on the series of hugely unflattering Blagojevich stories and also perhaps to alleviate the impression she may have left lately that she’s too negative. But the scandal card is one Topinka can play again and again at news conferences, during debates and in TV ads leading up to Nov. 7.

The ads, it would seem, write themselves: video clips of Blagojevich’s pledges to clean up Springfield four years ago contrasted with shots today of Fitzgerald’s letter or maybe even an indictment-announcing news conference, should one take place before decision day.