Once, after reading about an indictment of mob figures, I checked Governor Rod Blagojevich’s campaign contributions to see if any had made contributions.

You know the answer or I wouldn’t be bringing it up.

Early in February, 2006, I called the Blagojevich campaign to ask them what it was going to do with the $500 it received from just-indicted M & M Amusements.

I didn’t get a return call, but M & M Amusements got a $500 refund check on April 28th.

Former Democratic National Committee Finance Chairman Joseph Cari, a Chicago resident who has plead guilty in the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund scandal, got a $15,000 refund.

Blagojevich appointed Steven Loren, also caught up in the pension scandal. He also received his $4,500 back, too.

But not future felon and sometime Republican (Jim Ryan’s biggest lifetime contributor, but national Democratic Party candidates got money, too) Stuart Levine of the Crystal Lake Mercy hospital kickback and pension fund kickback fame. His $4,267 contribution was directed to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

So, it appears that Blagojevich is willing to return money to the syndicate and crooks who are Democrats, but, if someone perceived as a Republican.

The Democrats and the mobbed up business could use the refunds to help finance their legal defenses.

So, with that background, it seems to me that State Senator Pam Althoff is making the right judgment in deciding to give a $1,500 contribution to a charity, rather than back to recently-indicted builder John Volpentesta.

I am sure that she will select a cause that will be a worthy one.