There is kind of a perverse pleasure in claiming your home town or home state as host to the most flamboyantly corrupt political figures.

The troubles of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have stimulated a kind of spirited race to the bottom among folks who like to think their leaders trump anyone and everybody when it comes to corruption and political shenanigans.

Now, the New York Times has stepped in with its own handicapping of the corruption index. In a Dec. 14 story by Bill Marsh (www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/weekinreview/14marsh.html?ref=us), the Times used federal public corruption conviction numbers to conclude that Florida wins the prize for most corrupt state, based on the sheer number of public officials convicted on federal charges (1998-2007).

On a per capita basis, the District of Columbia and our island friends the Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands win. (What is it that makes corruption so popular among those guys who cannot claim the title of "state"?)

But, you ask, where is Hawai'i? It's No. 38 in raw numbers — right above our sister state of Nevada and right below Alaska, the home state of our good buddy Sen. Ted Stevens. And, because we are relatively small, Hawai'i ranks No. 20 in per capita guilty politicians. Not too bad, worth bragging about, but surely we could do better.

But the Times also took another cut at the matter. It also asked reporters who cover state politics for their own ranking. In this case, local reporters (I was not among them) ranked Hawai'i No. 16.

Does this mean reporters are just more cynical than they should be, or do they know things they cannot get into print?

I maintain a personal list of people I have known (mostly from politics) who have either gone to jail or have been found guilty of something or another by a competent court of law. The list is long and the names are well known.

It would be hard to think of another profession which would grant one the dubious privilege of knowing, on a first-name basis, so many people who have spent time behind bars.

Now, there is a point to remember here: Politics is a brutal business. If you are on the inside, or winning side, things tend to go your way. But fall out of favor and the authorities can find any number of reasons to go after you, find a way to injure or embarrass you or otherwise put you out of play.

Keep that in mind the next time one of your favorite public officials is indicted for some high or low crime or misdemeanor. Someone is out to get him.

Jerry Burris' column appears Wednesdays in this space. See his blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com/akamaipolitics. Reach him at jrryburris@yahoo.com.