Marathon Pundit: Giannoulias exploratory bid for Senate begins today

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias' exploratory bid for the US Senate begins today, the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet reports. Giannoulias is looking at a 2010 race, although a special election could still be called as part of an effort to remove the Rod Blagojevich-appointed Roland Burris from office.

As long as we are on the subject of Blago, one of the disgraced former governor's major fundraisers was the now-jailed Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

Last year Nevada authorities issued an arrest warrant on Rezko for writing almost a half-million dollars of bad checks. The bank the checks were drawn upon Chicago's Broadway Bank, which is owned by Giannoulias' family.

While a loan officer at the bank, Alexi approved two loans to convicted mobster Michael "Jaws" Giorango.

Then there is this bit, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Bankrolling many of their mortgages was Broadway Bank, owned by the family of Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. From 2001 to 2005, before the men were charged, the bank lent more than $10 million to companies tied to Lev and Boris Stratievsky, records show. A spokesman for the treasurer had no comment on the loans.