Thursday, January 01, 2009

Blago Slago....

Once he was exposed as putting a vacancy in the US Senate up for auction, the value of the appointment to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich drropped almost hourly. Faced with a looming impeachment or more likely a resignation, Blagojevich had to make an appointment soonest or else lose all over the intermediate term. Therefore a sort of "bully economics" comes into play, what is the maximum damage he can inflict on his hated rival Barack Obama before vanishing into obscurity?
Short of appointing himself or the remains of Lavrenty Beria to the job, Blagojevich went with Roland Burris Illinois elderly former Attorney General a weathered democrat to whom no scandal yet clings.
The fact that Burris is African American is the icing on the cake for Blagojevich as well as a last futile kick at the national party. The sad part is, Burris might've been a good appointment if an honest democrat was Governor in Illinois, but tainted by Blagojevich's lust of vengeance the man faces long odds as a US Senator.
I strongly suspect the appointment is legal and will withstand any challenges in the Senate and the Courts. no precedent exists for deposing a US Senator on grounds that the whole of the senate finds the governor who appointed him odious.
Well that is where we stand, just goes to show ya how much depends on finding honest people to serve in public life.

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