* Note to blog readers: Reader comments will be turned off early Friday evening as usual, but they’ll be opened again on Sunday because it’s a session day.

* Let’s see, we’ve got the lottery privatization, the student loan portfolio sale, tollway, and all sorts of other privatizing plans still under consideration. The Bond Buyer [hefty subscription] adds this little tidbit.

…several sources said former deputy governor Bradley Tusk, who recently resigned from his position to return to New York City, has joined Lehman Brothers to work on the firm’s asset-privatization team.

* The Bond Buyer also reported that the state has “hired Goldman, Sachs & Co. and UBS Securities LLC to serve as financial advisers on a potential privatization of the state Lottery to help finance a $10 billion education program that includes $1.5 billion of new borrowing for school buildings projects, officials said yesterday.”

* Chicagoist interviews Cook County Commisioner Forrest Claypool

C: Would you run for County Board President again, and if so, under what circumstances?

FC: [laughs] Well, I’m just going to represent my constituents on the county board for the next three years and fight for the things that I ran on initially, and we’ll see what happens. If there is a vehicle where I feel like I can make a difference and achieve some of these goals, then yeah, I’ll do it. But it’s way too early to tell.

* Rahmpire? Man, that’s a horrible photo.

* ‘It’s a pretty awesome feeling‘ - Hare takes over for former boss in House

* Class action claims AT&T charged hidden connection fee

* Topinka selling off mementos

* Krol: What has changed since Obama said ‘no’ to ’08?

The day after U.S. Sen. Barack Obama won his election in 2004, he was asked the obvious question: will you run for president?

Here’s what he said:

“Look, I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years.”

* Huntley: Biotalk or biotech? In which does Illinois want to be leader?

* Political Insider: “Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is actively interviewing potential staffers for a 2008 presidential campaign, though he has told at least one that he still hasn’t made a final decision about running yet.”

* Jakobsson proposes mandatory vaccination for girls

* Simpson: Council is starting to put independence on the agenda

* Mayor Daley’s campaign website is up and running