* After calling around about this the other day, I have my doubts that Daniels will actually pull the trigger…

Former House Speaker Lee Daniels is weighing a political comeback after a federal investigation into the misuse of state-paid House Republican staffers on legislative campaigns sank his government career.

Those close to the longtime House Republican leader have made it known that Daniels is interested in succeeding DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, who is considering a run for governor next year.

Polling is under way to measure Daniels’ popularity in a race for chairman against other potential candidates, including state Sen. Carol Pankau (R-Itasca).

“I know he is interested, and I think he and others are exploring the possibility of him coming back out of retirement to help reform county government in DuPage,” said Sen. Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst), chairman of the county GOP.

There is a major local move afoot to block Sen. Pankau from running in that race. Daniels is being used. We’ll see if he takes the bait. Again, I’m not sure he will. The lede in that Sun-Times story ought to be enough to remind him that political retirement would be preferable.

* Speaking of DuPage County, board chairman Bob Schillerstrom says he’s in the race for governor…

Schillerstrom hasn’t made an official announcement, but he is making the rounds, raising the money and talking the game. He has a staff in place and a Web site up.

“This is very much for real,” says campaign spokesman Brad Hahn. “This is what we are doing.”

* The list of people interested in lieutenant governor is quite long on the Democratic side. Expect the same for the GOP…

State Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford) has apparently decided to run for the GOP 2010 bid for Lt. Governor. […]

And Chicago’s 42nd Ward GOP is hosting a wine tasting party on June 24, and they’re announcing Rep. Winters as their featured guest, as well.

* Ugh. US Sen. Roland Burris was paid to appear in TV ads against the con-con last year…

The fee from ASK Public Strategies was paid to Burris for appearing in a political TV ad in which he urged Illinoisans to vote against a new state constitutional convention in a referendum, said Jim O’Connor, a spokesman for Burris

* And while we’re kinda sorta on the subject of Blagojevich…

During an episode aired Wednesday of NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!,” Patti Blagojevich said her husband’s good friends “just weren’t strong enough to stand against the tide or speak up for him.”

“People that he’s known for 17 years, they had to vote to impeach him …” she said.

They “had” to vote to impeach her husband because he was crooked and the case was ironclad. Plain and simple.

* Related…

* Top Ten Political Tweeters in Illinois

* Delmarie Cobb: Roland … Has Made Dick Durbin A Better Senator: Delmarie Cobb, adviser to Sen. Roland Burris, said that she “jokes with Roland that he has made Dick Durbin a better senator than he ever was.” She also asserted that Durbin “is so busy trying to show Roland up that he is suddenly running all over town at ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings.” Hanania asked in response, “Is it really him leveraging Roland’s problems to make himself look better?” “Oh, that’s exactly what it is,” Cobb responded.

* Ethan Hastert explains run for Congress

* GOP Hopes Hastert Will Return District to the Family

* Illinois’ Revolving Door Senate Seat Up for Grabs

* Rep. Shimkus Offers Full Disclosure: The congressman’s diligence extended to recording his receipt of an “I’m a Bush Republican” button sent tauntingly to members of Congress ahead of President George W. Bush’s final State of the Union Address by the liberal advocacy group Americans United for Change.