* Our quote of the day…

“If I get convicted of this, every politician in America should!” That’s what former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich told me during a courthouse lunch break in the midst of closing arguments.

Yeah, because every politician in America has tried to shake down a children’s hospital executive for a huge campaign contribution in exchange for releasing state funds. Right. By the way, I saw this and almost had a stroke…

TV talk shows for Aug. 9…

10 a.m. The Bonnie Hunt Show: …former Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Turns out, it’s a rerun. Whew. I thought he’d finally entered straight-jacket and electro shock territory.

* CBS News Radio’s chief legal analyst and legal editor Andrew Cohen Tweets…

No #Blagojevich verdict this week. Betcha US attorney #Fitzgerald and Co are beginning to sweat things just a wee bit.

I’ll betcha that the defense attorneys are sweating more. The Daily Herald talked to Richard Leng, a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney…

“The chances of a not-guilty verdict in any federal criminal case are slim and none — and slim left town,” Leng said. “Getting an acquittal in federal court on a criminal case, particularly a case of that magnitude, is just enormously difficult.”

Assistant U.S. attorneys are famously methodical, and the strict rules of law in federal cases play to their strengths, Leng noted. Prosecutors also typically plead out anything in doubt - something never apparently contemplated in the Blagojevich case.

There is conventional wisdom that the longer the jury is out, the better the indication that is for the defense, but Leng says, “That is an old saw; I don’t know how accurate it is.”

Another old saw, he added, is a day of deliberation for every week of the trial, which puts the jury only just over that ratio so far, having received the case after eight weeks and beginning their ninth day on Monday.

“I don’t think it’s gotten to the range where anybody is sitting around saying, ‘This has been going on a long time,’” Leng said.

* Roundup…

* Marin: Waiting for Blagojevich at Camp Dirksen

* Blagojevich jurors end 8th day of deliberations

* Blagojevich jurors enter 9th day of deliberations

* Blagojevich portrait is a bust

* Ryan jurors know what Blagojevich jury is facing

* Verdict could cast light or shadow on Patrick Fitzgerald

* Goudie: Rod’s on hold, but there’s plenty of distractions out there