I actually agree with Gov. Rendell here:

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell today criticized Barack Obama for not being more upfront about the Illinois corruption scandal.

Now, he said, the story will continue to dominate the media’s attention.

“They have never been in an executive position before,” Rendell said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “The rule of thumb is whatever you did, say it and get it over with and make it a one-day story as opposed to a three-day story. Politicians are always misjudging the intelligence of the American people.”

Known for his blunt critiques of fellow Democrats, Rendell did not hold back during the interview.

The public, said Rendell, understands Obama and his aides would have an interest in who fills the Senate seat and some contact with the governor’s office — and that Obama should have said as much at the outset.

“Did Rahm Emanuel, who took Rod Blagojevich’s seat in Congress, have contact with Rod Blagojevich? Of course he did,” Rendell said. “They may have thought he was the craziest S.O.B. in the world. But you still have to have contact with him.”

The criminal complaint essentially exonerates Obama and his staff, Rendell said, because it quotes Blagojevich as saying the president-elect would offer him nothing but appreciation for appointing Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett to the position.

“Blagojevich curses them out,” Rendell said. “It is easy [for Obama to] just say, ‘Hey folks, here it is. Of course we had contact.’

“But they made the mistake of making it a four or five or six-day story.”

Well, I think the likes of the Politico have been pretty dead-set on turning it into a five- or six-day story - or a 10- or 12-day story! - regardless. Larison had a good post on this today:

One reason why this is happening is that a lot of journalists and pundits have become bored with the transition. It’s been going reasonably well, and it has been run so competently and with such an obvious emphasis on establishment-friendly appointments and merit (at least as merit is conventionally defined by that establishment) that most observers have been hungry for something else to talk about, and what better than a scandal involving all of the themes of the “old” politics, complete with bribery and shakedowns? You already have the makings of an overreaching and misleading narrative: “old Illinois politics mars transition period for Obama.”

I mean, it’s juicy to imply that Obama associated with wrongdoing! Even though, you know, there’s no evidence to suggest it’s true, and the evidence we do have suggests it isn’t true. I think the story continues to dominate the attention because the GOP continues to push it, and the likes of the Politico, looking to act the role as adversary to the president (and, not so coincidentally, curry favor with the right), keeps baying down the trail.

And maybe they find something, but the goal isn’t to “find something.” It’s to keep the ball in the air.