The ABC 7 I-Team caught the gaffe. It wasn't just any state website that was featuring a color photo of Rod Blagojevich glad-handing as governor: It was the Illinois Agriculture Department, official website of the State Fair, now underway in Springfield.
And this isn't just any day at the ol' State Fair. It is what is known as "Governor's Day," a day when the state's top leader hosts a picnic and rally.
This year's Governor's Day at the State Fair comes just after current Gov. Pat Quinn's predecessor -- impeached governor Rod Blagojevich -- was convicted in federal court.
And so it must have stunned web surfers Wednesday when they clicked on the Illinois State Fair website and saw a glowing full-color photo of Rod Blagojevich on the home page, pitching the governor's festivities at the fair.
Blagojevich was convicted of lying to federal agents Wednesday and that was the talk of the fairgrounds Wednesday by top Democrats.
"In terms of Illinois government and in terms of Democrats in Illinois government, we did our job," said Michael Madigan, (D) party chairman.
But somebody didn't do their job when a picture of an impeached, convicted governor was featured on the welcome to governor's day at the State Fair.
Who was it?
The I-Team received a response from a state agriculture spokesman: "Our webmaster tells me it was an automatic feature that had not been used on the website for obviously two years.
It was activated at the start of this year's fair and was using stock photographs and he simply forgot to review the photos.
So, it was an honest mistake."
An honest mistake that put Illinois' latest dishonest governor on the state fair website on Governor's Day, a day when current Governor Pat Quinn -- running for election -- was asked only about Mr. Blagojevich.
"He repeatedly misled me and lied to me and to the FBI...and that's why I believe in the power of recall," Gov. Quinn said.
When the I-Team first asked a state spokesman about why Rod Blagojevich's picture was still on the fair's website and showing him as governor, the reaction was "Oh, no!"
Blagojevich's photo graced the fair homepage until about 8:30 Wednesday morning, when it was discovered and taken down.
The site currently has Quinn's photo under an ad for goat and swine shows and tractor pulls.
