A reflective California Senate President pro Tem Don Perata made clear this week what most in the Bay Area political world already suspected - he will be gunning to become the mayor of Oakland in 2010.

The termed-out Perata, who will be leaving state office at the end of this month, said that while in the short term he "will have to go out and earn a living" in the private sector, he will be a candidate for mayor of Oakland when current Mayor Ron Dellums' first term is up in 2010.

"Politics is in my blood - public service is in my blood. I love Oakland," Perata told Michael Krazny on KQED's Forum Wednesday morning. "I've never been shy (about saying) that being mayor of Oakland is something that I want to do."

During the interview Perata discounted that he would seek a chair on the state Board of Equalization - a position that some observers felt would be his next move after leaving office in the Senate.

But in public office or not, Perata still has a years-long FBI corruption probe over his head. Although he normally - under the advice of his attorneys - refuses to talk about the case, he did so Wednesday.

"It's one of those situations where you just learn to live with it, as hard as that may be to believe.... " Perata said.

The veteran lawmaker blamed the corruption probe directly on the Bush Administration - an administration that he says has no respect for the constitution, the Bill of Rights and for privacy.

"It was just my time in the bucket," Perata said. "I wish it were otherwise, but it wasn't. And, I've tried to not let it interfere with my work. (Being the subject of an FBI probe) tends to separate you from your friends and your family. It's the ugliest thing that I've ever been through."