Blagojevich's Payback

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has suffered a lot of humiliation recently. First, he was arrested by the feds for trying to sell the senate seat vacated by Obama to the highest bidder. Then Democrats in Illinois and across the country demanded he resign as governor. They also wanted him to leave the senate nomination to his successor.

But yesterday, Blagojevich thumbed his nose at everyone as he tried to get a little payback. Ignoring the wishes of his party and his state, Blagojevich decided he would pick the next senator anyway. He held a press conference and announced he had picked former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris for the position.

Knowing the Democrats in the United States Senate would not be happy, Blagojevich then tried to make his pick a racial issue. Burris is an African-American, and the governor brought another African-American (Rep. Bobby Rush) to speak in favor of the pick and frame it in racial terms.

Rush compared the possibility of Burris not being seated by the U.S. Senate to a "hanging" or "lynching", and said no senator would dare vote against the only African-American in the senate (Burris). Blagojevich and Rush should both be ashamed of themselves for so shamelessly playing the race card.

This is not a racial issue. It's about corruption and payback -- nothing else.

Majority Leader Harry Reid said no pick by Blagovich would be seated in the senate. I hope he has the courage to stick by that decision. The people of Illinois deserve a senator without the taint of corruption, and anyone picked by Blagojevich will have that smell of corruption.

I have to wonder why Burris accepted the nomination. It shows a serious lack of judgement on his part, especially since he has been known to raise funds for Blagojevich in the past. Did he promise Blagojevich anything? That question will always haunt him. He must have wanted to be a senator really bad!

For the good of the U.S. Senate, the state of Illinois and the Democratic Party, Burris should not be allowed to be sworn in and serve the appointed term. And Blagojevich should be impeached so a new governor can appoint a senator not tainted by corruption.

Blagojevich has embarrassed himself, his party and his state. He's a selfish and small-minded fool.