In a scene bizarre even by Illinois standards, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested by FBI agents and led out of his home in handcuffs, charged with government corruption. The arrest raises plenty of questions:

Q: The governor was arrested and charged with federal crimes. Does that mean he’s no longer governor?

A: No. Blagojevich has only been accused, not convicted, so he remains the governor.

Q: Will he serve the rest of his term?

A: That depends. He could leave early by resigning or he could be tossed out of office through impeachment. He would also lose his job if convicted on the federal corruption charges.

Q: Who decides whether he is impeached?

A: The Illinois House would decide whether to go forward with articles of impeachment. The state Senate would then try the case and decide whether he should be thrown out of office. The process could take two or three months.

Q: If he leaves office, who becomes governor?

A: Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn. Like Blagojevich, he’s a Chicago Democrat, but the two have feuded and are not close.

Q: Does Blagojevich still get to choose Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate?

A: For now, yes. But Illinois lawmakers plan to meet next week and take that power away from him. Instead, the replacement would be chosen by special election. Of course, Blagojevich could veto the legislation to remove his appointment power.

Q: How can they take away his power to fill vacant Senate seats?

A: It’s just a matter of writing a new law. A governor’s power to fill vacancies is granted by Illinois election law, not the Constitution.

Q: What happens if Blagojevich makes an appointment before legislators change the law?

A: U.S. senators say they might refuse to seat his appointee. And it’s possible that Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White could refuse to certify the governor’s action, a step that’s required before decisions are officially recorded.

Q: Who will run state agencies and draft a budget and do all the other things a governor does?

A: Blagojevich will continue doing it. He still has the power to tell his agencies what to do and to sign or veto legislation. Lawmakers can do a lot of work without including the governor, but they can’t ignore him entirely.

Gov. Blagojevich stands his ground

Blagojevich clung defiantly to power Wednesday, ignoring a call to step down from President-elect Barack Obama and a warning that Senate Democrats will not let him appoint a new senator from the state.

“Everyone is calling for his head,” said Barbara Flynn Currie, a leader in the Illinois Senate and, like the governor, a Democrat.

One day after Blagojevich’s arrest, fellow Illinois politicians sought to avoid the taint of scandal-by-association.

Ensconced in his downtown office, the governor gave no sign he would consider resigning.

Jackson up for seat, but not foul play

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Wednesday he openly sought the appointment to Barack Obama’s Senate seat but denied offering Blagojevich favors in return. He said he was not involved “whatsoever in any wrongdoing.”

One of Jackson’s lawyers acknowledged that the Democrat is “Senate Candidate 5” in the 76-page federal complaint filed against Blagojevich. Wiretapped conversations suggest Blagojevich felt the candidate would raise campaign money for him in exchange for being appointed to the Senate seat vacated by the president-elect.

Quinn pushes for governor’s resignation

Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn doesn’t like Gov. Rod Blagojevich. And the feeling is mutual.

The two haven’t spoken in more than a year. Quinn has called Blagojevich “petty and vindictive” for slashing money to the offices of state officials who’ve disagreed with him. He’s pushed for an amendment to allow the recall of constitutional officers, aimed at the governor.

Now he says Blagojevich should step aside or be removed by the government “for the good of the people.” If Blagojevich quits or is forced out, Quinn also would be the incumbent in the 2010 statewide elections.

Madigan wants special election

Hoping to thwart the possibility of an arrested governor picking the next U.S. senator, top Illinois lawmakers said Tuesday they are prepared to call the legislature into session next week to set up a special election.

Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said he is prepared to convene the House on Monday to vote on stripping Gov. Rod Blagojevich of the power to name the successor to President-elect Barack Obama.

“Today’s events are shocking and disappointing. It represents a new low for conduct by public officials,” Madigan said in a statement.