'She Made Obama!'

If you need a reason why Rod Blagojevich should be locked up in a mental institution rather than prison, look no further.

As if she weren't powerful enough, Rod Blagojevich seriously considered asking Chicago heavyweight Oprah Winfrey to take over the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.

"Nobody would assail this pick," he says in tapes recorded on Nov. 21, 2008. "It's huge!"

Winfrey undoubtedly looked like an attractive candidate for senate, despite her lack of political experience. She's perhaps the most recognizable figure from Chicago, she's black -- a trait Blagojevich highly favored -- and she has clout among legislators.

"She's a kingmaker!" Blagojevich says. "She made Obama!"

And she's been watching her audience abandon her since.

But even Blagojevich understood that she might not be willing to serve.

"Oprah is not far-fetched," Blagojevich contends. Then he concedes, "The odds of her f----ing taking it are slim to none."