Reporters converge on Blagojevich appointee Roland Burris at Midway airport today

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Things are coming to a head this week in Washington, Chicago and Springfield in the continued political drama surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, accused of widespread corruption. A lot is still in flux right now (some of it changing hourly) but here’s a roundup of the latest:

From Chicago: A federal judge this afternoon approved a request by federal prosecutors to release wiretap tapes that purport to catch Blagojevich trying to cut a deal with a lobbyist to sign an industry bill into law in exchange for campaign donations. The tapes won’t be released immediately, however, and a Thursday hearing has been set to iron out details.

From Washington: Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris - Blagojevich’s pick to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat - has been making the rounds in media appearance and talk shows in preparation for what could be a showdown Tuesday.

Burris insists he has a legitimate right to the seat; Senate leaders are poised to block him, saying no Blagojevich appointee is acceptable because of allegations that the Democratic governor tried auction off the seat. “I intend to be sworn in,” Burris told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer a little while ago.

From Springfield - The Illinois House committee considering impeachment against Blagojevich will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday. The committee wants to hear the federal wiretaps, and has subpoenaed Burris to testify about how his nomination came about (he has indicated he might show up later this week).

Blagojevich’s decision to make a Senate appointment and spark the current constitutional showdown hasn’t helped his cause among committee members, who already seemed heavily inclinded to recommend impeachment. “We’re all kind of frustrated - here is Gov. Blagojevich being himself again. He’s going to do as he darn well pleases,” state Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Gillespie, a committee member, told the Post-Dispatch a little while ago.