Michael Sneed, Chicago's own Liz Smith, isn't letting the fact that she was revealed to be the preferred press mouthpiece of disgraced Guv Blagojevich stop her from continuing to weigh in.

We want to say, first, that we love Michael Sneed. Just looking at that photo still cracks us up. "And yes," her bio insists, "Michael is her real name." Ok! Also her bio says this: "Whether it's the latest local lore, political probe or Hollywood gossip, Sneed has the scoop and is always eager to share it with her readers."

Her brief mention, at the top of a column, of White House Chief of Staff-to-be Rahm Emanuel's shady doings in the Blago transcripts is especially golden coming, as it does, from a columnist known to be the recipient of politically expedient and misleading leaks from Governor Blago.

Sneed hears rumbles President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is reportedly on 21 different taped conversations by the feds — dealing with his boss' vacant Senate seat!

A lot of chit-chat?

Hot air?

Or trouble?

• • To date: Rahm's been mum. Stay tuned.

Well yes, Emanuel has already been outed as one of the participants in the taped Blago calls. Specifically he is the guy from the White House who won't give Blago anything but fucking appreciation even as he insists Blago appoint the Obama team's preferred candidate to Obama's vacated Senate seat. HOT AIR? TROUBLE? Sure, yes, both of those things. Rahm Emanuel talked on the phone to a criminal!

Bonus: Today's Sneed column features this ITEM:

Gamesmanship in the White House? Sneed hears that Obama is a big fan of the game Scrabble, a trait similar to former President Bill Clinton.

• Background: Clinton used to play a Scrabble-like game called Upwards until the wee hours of the morning with White House guests.

Only in Chicago, kiddies!