The end has been in sight for years, and yet, with all that advance warning, no one managed to predict the choice that David Chase made about the fate of Tony, his family, and his crew.

NEWYORKER: Dead in the Water

Journalists were given minimal information and Tony Blair made it plain he was not going to pitch his family into the limelight or allow their privacy to be invaded.

BBC: How to spin a baby

Federal authorities also allege the governor and Harris schemed with others -- including convicted real estate developer Antoin "Tony" Rezko -- to obtain financial benefits for himself, his family and others, including his campaign committee, Friends of Blagojevich.

CNN: Illinois governor back at work after corruption arrest

On his nightly radio show on Wednesday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins mentioned the plea deal and accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of playing a role in the shooting by inciting hatred and violence rather than fighting it -- a claim he has repeatedly made since the shooting.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS