Gov. Rod Blagojevich has rocked the boat in Illinois politics since he took the oath of office in 2003.

The Democrat has stepped on toes as he's tried to reform state government and push his priorities through the legislature. He has worked mostly out of Chicago, resisting calls for him to move to Springfield and work more closely with elected officials, appointed officials and state workers.

The voters in Illinois admire his independence, to an extent. They want him to conduct business differently by establishing a government free of patronage, favors and backroom deals. They are sickened by the stain of corruption left over from the George Ryan administration.

That's why reports of possible favoritism in Blagojevich's office last week were troubling.

Although there's no evidence the governor or his staff acted illegally, a computerized clout list uncovered by the Chicago Sun-Times and The Associated Press smacks of backroom politics. The list includes names of state employees recommended by lobbyists, legislators and fundraisers. It was stored off state property, presumably to stay out of public view.

The list obtained by AP showed the candidate's name, the job, the agency and the person recommending the candidate. Keeping track of job candidates is routine. Keeping the names of the person recommending applicants would seem reasonable, too, except that it comes on the heels of the Ryan scandals.

The Sun-Times reported that a 2003 computerized list found the relatives of influential Blagojevich supporters on the state payroll. One was the son of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, who was hired for a $52,000-a-year job in corrections. AP's investigation found 291 names on the list, accompanied by the names of clout-heavy administration officials, lawmakers, county chairmen and some of the people closest to Blagojevich at the time, including his father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Richard Mell.

Recommendations go a long way toward deciding who to hire for a state job. A recommendation from a loyal state worker about his next-door neighbor or cousin, for example, would go further than a recommendation from an unknown voice on the telephone. The governor needs recommendations, especially when he received 15,000 applications for jobs in his first 18 months in office alone.

"You get resumes," said Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, who passed on recommendations to the governor. "Some, if you know them and they do a good job, you write a letter or send them up. The hiring decision is not mine."

Blagojevich's opponent in the governor's race, Republican Judy Baar Topinka, demanded Blagojevich release the list to the public. Her running mate for lieutenant governor, DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, called it "eerily reminiscent" of a list of political favors maintained by Ryan, who was convicted last month on federal corruption charges. "We've been down this road before," Birkett said.

In Illinois politics, such hirings seem to be a common practice by our elected state officials, Democrats and Republicans. So what the current governor has done isn't breaking new ground in the state's highest office.

But Blagojevich promised in the 2002 campaign not to hire based on an applicant's connections. Illinoisans deserve an explanation from him. Let's hope one is forthcoming.