Indicted or not, former Illiniois Governor George Ryan remains a hero to a lot of people, including African-Americans in Illinois. He's one to us as well:

WVON-1450 morning talk show on Tuesday were asked who they would have picked as Time magazine's "Person of the Year." Although several African-Americans have played critical roles in national and international issues this year, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, one man's name was mentioned several times--and he isn't black. At least three callers named indicted former Gov. George Ryan, Kelley told me.

Ryan's insistence on a death penalty moratorium and his blanket clemency of Death Row inmates, has guaranteed that -- at least among most African-Americans -- his legacy would not be buried under federal corruption charges.

Obviously, three votes as "Person of the Year," is not enough to gauge the sentiments of an entire ethnic group. Still, given that Ryan is a Republican and one is hard-pressed to find a handful of black Republicans in the Chicago region, I would say Kelley's callers are expressing a widely held sentiment.

Ryan has been honored by both the local NAACP and Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition. These civil rights groups aren't likely to abandon him now in his battle to stay out of prison.