* Looks like we’re going to get a little break in the trial…

The federal judge presiding over former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s corruption case says he will delay the trial for one week if prosecutors rest on Tuesday.

Judge James Zagel made the statement in court Tuesday.

Hmm. I may use this as an opportunity to take some time off.

The defense has been arguing that they can’t get a fair trial without a delay…

With just a day or two until showtime — and with vacation schedules and Secret Service logistics to contend with for big-name witnesses such as Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett — the defense said Monday they could be “out of luck.”

“A fair trial is destroyed,” Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam Sr. told reporters in the courthouse lobby Monday afternoon. “We told our witnesses we’d be in touch late August. All of a sudden, the government cuts their case short . . . They misled us. They misled the court.”

And we got a hint about at least two witnesses Adam wants to call…

Two defense witnesses subpoenaed from the White House — Chief of Staff Emanuel and presidential adviser Jarrett — also require Secret Service arrangements that are difficult to set up last-minute, Adam said.

DC is gonna go absolutely nuts over that.

* The old rule about federal prosecutions is: “First one on the train doesn’t get thrown under the bus,” or something like that. Lon Monk refused a train ticket in 2005 when the feds came calling. He’s now going to prison. John Wyma eagerly jumped aboard the tren federales in 2008, and today he is testifying against his old friend Rod Blagojevich with a grant of immunity…

Blagojevich, sitting at the defense table, stared at Wyma as he passed him on his way to the witness stand. The ex-governor visibly sighed when hit the stand.

Wyma — a tanned, blond-haired man wearing a gray suit and pink and blue striped tie — says he was one of Blagojevich’s “central raisers.” Fund-raising meetings were attended by the governor, Lon Monk and Chris Kelly, among others. […]

Regarding TRS, Wyma testifies that Chris Kelly told him in 2004 that if Wyma’s clients wanted to do business with TRS, they had to make a $50,000 campaign contribution to Blagojevich.

Wyma said he didn’t pass that on to his client, though — “because I thought it was wrong, obviously wrong.”

* Roundup…

* Brown: Blagojevich got wrong answers from his yes men: It could certainly be argued that Rod Blagojevich was ill-served by the top people working for him in the governor’s office, none of whom apparently had the nerve to tell him he was making a big mistake — and another and another and another. In fact, I was going to argue precisely that, until I realized it partially misses the point, which is that like any chief executive who surrounds himself with yes-men, toadies and butt-kissing ‘’team players,'’ Blagojevich got exactly what he deserved.

* Prosecutors show Blago taking oath of office

* Blagojevich trial: Day 23 and recap

* Did You Vote for Blagojevich? Sit on the Jury to Atone for Your Sins!

* Blagojevich trial: notes critical of ex-guv revealed

* Blagojevich lawyers seek a week delay in trial

* 60 Objections … and Counting

* Blagojevich judge to defense: you’re wasting time

* Judge annoyed by grammar lesson

* Zagel tells of emails to him, and a ‘Hey, judge’ encounter

* Judge to hold hearing on release of Blagojevich jurors’ names

* Blagojevich had more than $1 million in legal bills in 2008

* Prosecutors want to air Blagojevich’s legal bills

* Defense will argue Rod got bad legal advice

* Defense attorney: Rod Blagojevich was working under advice of a highly qualified deputy

* Witness: If I waited for Blagojevich’s word on matters “the state would have ground to a halt.”

* Greenlee to Blagojevich: “Nobody Is More Qualified Than You”

* Blagojevich aide: I was working for the people of Illinois

* Defense attorney, ex-deputy governor spar over definition of “legitimate”

* Blagojevich trial: Defense can’t question on Greenlee-Quinlan connection

* Defense attorney takes a microscope to Rod Blagojevich statements

* Robert Blagojevich attorney: Robert not at the table for key Senate seat discussions

* Floating Jackson, but moving toward Madigan

* Tribune: Jesse Jr.’s dilemma

* Patti’s Tribune rant makes a comeback

* Defense attorney: Targeting newspaper editorial board was Bob Greenlee’s idea

* Quinn signs bill banning taxpayer money for portrait of Blagojevich

* Illinois Gov Signs Anti-Blago Portrait Law