Does Rod Blagojevich have a personality disorder?

When you work in the medical field, you tend to explain everything you can in medical terms. As they say, when you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Such is the case with Rod Blagojevich, a strong contender for knucklehead of the year.

I have been pondering why a man in such a prominent and visible position, such as Governor of Illinois, would act like he has. He has been accused by authorities of attempting to sell a vacant senate seat, and the DA says there are audio tapes that prove this. The governor has denied any wrongdoing. The President-elect has said Blagojevich should step down, but instead he has appointed a replacement to the Senate, all while Illinois considers impeachment. This does not sound like normal behavior.

What we need here is a diagnosis, so let’s consider Narcissistic personality disorder.

To meet criteria for this diagnosis, a person has to have 5 of the following criteria:

1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance

2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

3) believes that he or she is “special” and unique

4) requires excessive admiration

5) has a sense of entitlement

6) is interpersonally exploitative

7) lacks empathy

8 ) is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her

9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Hmm. Sounds like we have a winner. The good news for Blagojevich is that now he has a diagnosis to blame everything on. He’s a victim too! Well, at least it’s better than the Twinkie defense.