Eric Krol interviews the departing deputy governor, Bradley Tusk.

•Tusk is most proud of All Kids, the state program that aims to get health coverage for children who don’t have it. He’s also proud of Open Road Tolling, the godsend that’s making life a bit easier for suburban commuters like me. Tusk acknowledges the idea was around before Blagojevich. He describes his role as being a negotiator between then-tollway Executive Director Jack Hartman, who Tusk said wanted to increase tolls to rebuild, and Blagojevich, who “pushed back” on the toll-raising part. Assuming the financial plan is viable, the tollway is being rebuilt with no increase for I-PASS users.

•On his style: “The approach is always the same thing: you want to get big things done, and you do everything you can to get them done. I think over time, you learn different routes to getting them done. Sometimes you go through, sometimes you go around … Sometimes you use the carrot. Sometimes you use the stick. Sometimes both.

“For me, in every regard, there was so much that I didn’t know about specific issues, about government, about politics. Anyone stepping into a job like I had will learn an incredible amount in four years.”

•Asked what it’s like to work for Blagojevich, Tusk uses the word “intense.” Which is usually code for a politician who’s difficult. Also not a description you’d readily associate with a governor who once got a devilish grin on his face before trumpeting the amount of “testicular virility” he possessed. “He’s much more intense privately than he is publicly because when he wants to get stuff done, he’s laser-focused on it. But that’s his job,” Tusk explained.

Tusk says he hasn’t been subpoenaed, hasn’t appeared before a grand jury, barely knew Tony Rezko and hasn’t hired counsel. I disagree with Krol’s contention that this means the investigation hasn’t progressed as far as we might believe, however. Tusk was always adamant that he didn’t do patronage or fundraising, and those are the two areas under review by the feds. Although, Rezko is only recently cooperative (if the reports are true), so Eric is absolutely right that the feds have a long way to go on this one.