John Edwards, move over! Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich may not have your kind of wealth for haircuts, but when backed by the deep pockets of Illinois taxpayers he can spend money like... well, like John Edwards. Mike Riopell, of the Journal Gazette- Times Courier ("serving Mattoon and and Charleston, Illinois") reports:

Going before bright lights and television cameras to deliver his annual budget speech, Gov. Rod Blagojevich paid a professional makeup artist $600 to help him look good, state records show.

Records show the state paid $600 to Deborah Dee, a professional stylist from the Chicago-area town of Crystal Lake. Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the $600 amount included payment for Dee's travel and consultation on the lighting.

When asked Friday why state government paid for makeup, the administration said the billing was a mistake and produced documents showing that Blagojevich's personal campaign fund paid Dee.

But the state paid her with tax money, too. Ottenhoff said Friday that Dee has sent a reimbursement check, but a spokeswoman for the comptroller's office said the state hasn't yet received it.

Web sites show that Dee has done hair and makeup work on television shows including the "The West Wing" and major films such as "Stranger than Fiction" and "Groundhog Day" - both of which were at least partly filmed in Illinois.