From NBC's John Yang and Stephanie Himango, with WMAQ's Phil Rogers
The prosecution in the trial of disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was dry, systematic, methodical, using a PowerPoint presentation to walk through the evidence in its closing argument.

The defense was dramatic and emotional.

Blago lawyer Sam Adam Jr. started right in with his biggest challenge -- what he called, "The pink elephant in the room" -- his opening statement promise that the jury would hear from Blagojevich directly. "I had no idea that in two months of trial, they would prove nothing," he said of the prosecution. "I told you he'd testify. We were wrong. I was wrong. Blame me."

(After a few other references to himself, Judge James Zagel interrupted: "It's nice if we didn't talk about one's self.")

"He had no intention of bribing anybody, no intent of extorting anybody," Adam said of his client. "Think about it: They're telling you he's trying to extort the President of the United States! Give me a break!"

Adam tried to dismiss the secret FBI wiretaps. "If you put Joan and Melissa Rivers in one room, you wouldn't get that much talk," he said, describing his client's comments are merely the talk of an insecure man surrounded by weak aides. Turning to Blagojevich, Adam said: "I'm sorry, guv, but you've got absolutely horrible judgement in people." Turning to the jury: "And they want you to find him guilty of these horrible things because of that."

From NBC's John Yang
Judge James B. Zagel has denied Blagojevich attorney Sam Adam Jr.'s request that he revisit his Friday ruling that Adam may not refer in his closing argument to witnesses not called. Adam is not making a fuss today, as he did late yesterday.

Zagel wondered aloud: "This raises the question if what I have before me is tactics -- and if successful, not bad tactics."

Earlier, Zagel assured Adam that going to jail for contempt was never a possibility (though a contempt citation was). "So if you were wonder who to give your watch to, you don't have to worry about that," the judge told Adam.

The net result is that Adam will be allowed to deliver his closing in one chunk today rather than splitting it into a bit on Monday afternoon and the rest this morning, which is what he had asked Zagel to allow him to do -- and Zagel denied -- just before yesterday's blow-up.

Zagel has warned Adam that if he violates his ruling and "repeatedly" mentions witnesses not called, he will end the defense's closing argument. "The last thing I want to do is sit the defense down in closing arguments," he said. "But I am willing to do it and will do it at the point that I can no longer repair damage done to the jury."

All this was done outside the presence of the jury. They then recessed for 10 minutes. When they resume, the jury will be brought back in and Adam will begin Blago's closing arugment.

From NBC's John Yang
It's a problem many families face every Thanksgiving: What to do with that crazy relative.

But what if the host is the President-elect and the embarrassing relation is the governor of his home state?

In testimony at the federal corruption trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich today, a former top aide described the delicate dance between the two sides over the Blagojevich's presence at Barack Obama's historic election night victory party in Chicago's Grant Park.

Former Deputy Gov. Bob Greenlee testified that he "suggested" to the Obama camp that if Blagojevich was invited, he wouldn't attend. That way, Blagojevich would be spared the embarrassment of being snubbed and Mr. Obama would be spared the embarrassment of having the tarnished governor as an honored guest.

But on Election Day, Blagojevich gummed up with works by deciding that he really did want to attend.

When the governor's office asked the Obama camp for credentials, Greenlee testified, "the Obama campaign raised red flags." Top Obama staffer and former White House communications director Anita Dunn shot Blagojevich consultant Bill Knapp an e-mail with the subject line: "WTF."

Greenlee said the best he could do was to tell the Obama campaign that he "couldn't be sure he would show up."

In the end, Blagojevich did show up.

Yesterday's testimony at the Blagojevich trial read like something out of a Goodfellas script:

"You learn two great things in life: never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut."

That was essentially the charge anyway from the disgraced Illinois governor's former chief of staff.

AP's recap:

Rod Blagojevich drew his hand across his throat in a slashing gesture to signal that he didn't want anyone told about alleged moneymaking plans involving his power as governor, his former chief of staff testified Thursday.

In testimony Thursday, Alonzo Monk told jurors at Blagojevich's corruption trial that the governor gave the signal when they were alone in his campaign office in 2007 or 2008 — indicating that if anybody asked about the alleged plans he should tell them nothing. ...

Monk testified Thursday that Blagojevich fundraiser Tony Rezko, currently awaiting sentencing for fraud and other charges, slipped him as much as $90,000 in cash when he was the governor's chief of staff — typically $10,000 at a time stuffed in an envelope.

Blagojevich has pleaded not guilty to trying to profit from his power to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama and squeezing people for campaign contributions. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 415 years in prison, though a judge would consider many factors. Blagojevich also could face fines totaling $6 million.

Monk has pleaded guilty to scheming to pressure a racetrack owner for a contribution and is testifying in hopes of getting a lighter sentence.