* Considering my own experience with unjustly showing up on a “clout list,” I always take these breathless revelations with a grain of salt. People sometimes wind up on these lists without reason. The authors of the lists are not always reliable.

So, with that caveat in mind…

“Clout lists” that tracked politically backed job seekers to Gov. Blagojevich’s administration have surfaced in the case of indicted businessman Tony Rezko, with Rezko’s lawyers arguing the documents shouldn’t be allowed as evidence in his upcoming corruption trial.

The lists, which total 26 pages, offer yet another glimpse into the administration’s hiring practices shortly after the governor took office in 2003. They include dozens of recommendations made by Rezko, other Blagojevich fund-raisers, members of the General Assembly and lobbyists for full-time jobs and seats on unpaid state boards and commissions.

* Political types make recommendations to governors. That practice is as old as the Republic itself. Older…

The appointment list indicates that dozens of Democrats, including presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and even eventual Blagojevich adversaries House Speaker Michael Madigan and Rep. Jack Franks (D- Woodstock), made recommendations for posts.

But powerful Republicans also show up as patrons, including House Minority Leader Tom Cross and former Kendall County GOP Chairman Dallas Ingemunson.

* And, like I noted at the top of this piece, the lists are often inaccurate or misleading…

David Blanchette, a spokesman for the capital board, said: “Executive Director Jan Grimes knew nothing of this list and was surprised to find out that she was on it.”

Andrew Sosnowski, an Elgin attorney who worked at the Department of Children and Family Services from 2001 until 2004 said he has had no relationship with Rezko.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said. “I have never met him, don’t know him, have never talked to him, haven’t spoken with him. I have never heard of him.”

* And while this may also be misleading, it’s quite interesting [fixed link]…

“They might have put my name down there because I’m a woman who takes in children with disabilities,” Jackson said. “I sold Tony Rezko his first condo, when he moved to Hyde Park. I’ve known him for years and years. He’s known about my work with disabled children.'’

The Wondisfords hired Jackson’s company, MetroPro Realty, to sell their mansion and the adjacent lot [to Barack Obama and Tony Reko’s wife]. Several people wanted to buy the lot without the house, but Jackson said the Wondisfords “insisted these two properties close on the same day.'’

* And, finally, here is an excerpt from that column I wrote years ago after I appeared on one of George Ryan’s clout lists, which were written by Scott Fawell…

I remember another conversation with Fawell, from a year or so before. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was pushing the Illinois General Assembly to let him build a humungous land-based casino. A huge team of lobbyists was working on the project, and some of them put together a list of legislators with comments about how each legislator could be “convinced” to support the casino. The list was leaked and much embarrassment ensued.

Fawell ridiculed the “idiot” lobbyists for putting their thoughts on paper. ”The first rule in this business is ‘Never write anything down,’”Fawell said at the time.

And the same thing goes for the Blagojevich administration and whomever wrote and kept that clout list. Rules don’t apply to them. They thought they’d never get caught. And the tragic lessons of Ryan’s administration were never learned.

Idiots, all.