* The two Republican legislative leaders appear to have different outlooks on how the Rezko verdict will impact Statehouse progress.

* Glass empty…

“Things have changed obviously,” said Senate Republican leader Frank Watson, whose GOP members last week swallowed their contempt for the governor to back his major gambling expansion plan. “It is going to be difficult to move forward, to be honest about it.”

* Glass full…

“I’ll concede it’s a big distraction, we’ve got stuff to do, we’ve got a budget that’s out of balance by $2.5 million, I can’t just walk away and say ‘we’ve got a distraction, we’re not going to do anything about it’,” said Rep. Tom Cross, (R) Illinois House minority leader.

* And Senate President Emil Jones is sticking by his guy…

Jones said the conviction has “no impact” on his trust of the governor or his support of his budget and policy agendas.

* Cross made a good point in a different story…

“While the governor gets a lot of attention, it’s Democratic House and Senate members that have helped cause this,” said House Republican leader Tom Cross, of Oswego. “These guys have been trying to run the government, and they’ve failed miserably.”

* Watson’s quotes were put in more context in the Tribune…

“We do need to move forward, but it is getting difficult,” Watson said when asked how the Rezko verdict is interrupting government business. “It just taints the whole process now that we have this in front of us. . . . There is a certain lack of trust” in Blagojevich. […]

…” It’s been said, ‘There’s a trial going on.’ Well, the trial is over now, and the guilty verdict is in. And I just think that resonates considerably with the people of this state.”

* Rep. Hamos makes a good point…

Democratic Rep. Julie Hamos of Evanston said it’s too early to say how the Rezko conviction might affect Blagojevich’s already sour relationship with the Legislature.

“I don’t think it can get any worse,” Hamos said.

* Madigan’s spokesman lays out the Speaker’s thinking in more detail…

“If you look at that in context, with the lawsuits and threats and firings and the decision to abandon the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (J-CAR), it’s impossible to imagine that going to meetings with (Blagojevich) is an appropriate approach,” Brown said. In the just-concluded legislative session, three items of substance were accomplished: rate rebates for ComEd and customers, money for the RTA and ethics reform, “and all three happened without the help of Rod Blagojevich.” […]

“The speaker is hopeful on the capital plan. He thinks there’s a need for a capital plan; he’s offered support for at least three different ideas,” Brown said. But the bill sent from the Senate to the House was “in a take it or leave it fashion.” The most important problem with it, Brown said, is that “they wanted the city to pay for a casino in Chicago, and the mayor was opposed, and he was opposed to how some of the money would be spent. It’s hard to expect that anybody’s going to support a bill like that.” […]

“The very real and drastic problems facing Illinois right now are primarily because of the person that occupies the governor’s office,” Brown said.

“This person has a fundamentally destructive view of how government operates in Illinois, and Mike Madigan is not going to go along thinking everything is hunky-dory.”

* One of the two remaining Spin Sisters says her boss is focused on his job…

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff suggested that the governor wasn’t distracted by Wednesday’s guilty verdict and instead is focused on doing his job.

* But the governor may speak about the imbroglio soon…

Aides said the governor would appear in public to address questions about the Rezko matter and other state business “within a few days,” but gave no further specifics. The governor has declined to take questions since the Rezko verdict and for months has curtailed his public appearances following Rezko revelations.

I wonder who he’ll hide behind this time.

* Related…

* Editorial: Governor should sign ethics bill

* Editorial: Governor’s credibility takes another hit

* Kadner: It’s so sad about sleazeball Rezko

* Rezko verdict ‘taints whole process,’ lawmaker says

* Illinois GOP to Blagojevich: Give it all back

* Rezko’s money woes mount