An editorial cartoonist’s dream, Blagojevich’s hair has been commented upon widely, including by many mainstream news outlets that see it as diagnostic of…something. The New York Times’ Gail Collins, wondering how someone with Blagojevich’s 13 percent approval rating won election in the first place, writes, “I am personally leaning toward the theory that it was the hair. Blagojevich tossed his thick brown mane and the voters told each other: ‘Yes, he sounds a little dumb. But truly, this is the hair of a reformer.’”

Then there’s the angle that Blago’s locks may mean he’s loco. The Chicago Sun-Times talked to psychologists who say the governor’s perfectly managed image and “grandiose sense of self” could be indicative of “narcissistic personality disorder” (the “hairbrained” story includes a reader poll: “Do you think Blagojevich is crazy?”).

And, of course, comedians are having a field day. Wonkette’s headline says the governor’s “terrible hair has been found guilty of everything,” while Jon Stewart reported that The Daily Show would have “complete coverage of Blagojevich tomorrow, including what I can only assume will be the filing of charges alleging beaver-pelt smuggling as well.”

Now, a look at the visual side of things:

In 2005, the blog The Inside Dope joked that the governor’s hair was going rogue:

A courtroom sketch this week by Cheryl Cook captures Blagojevich, apparently on his way to modeling sportswear in the 1983 JC Penney catalogue:

Then came the cartoonists, who seemed to give the hair equal billing to the “seat” Blagojevich wanted to sell (images via Political Humor at About.com):

Curiously, a look at Google Trends shows that during the last month, the number of American news references to “Blagojevich” was catching up to the number of media mentions for the more generic “hair.”

Update: David Brauer presents an eerie similarity (at least hairwise)– between Blagojevich and ousted Star Tribune CEO Par Ridder.

And from Mediation, one wild and crazy guy:

Got a favorite Blago image/story? Leave a link in comments.