Blagojevich--Time to Get this Guy OUT!

Watching this whole charade take place, with Governor Rod Blagojevich appointing Roland Burris to the open US Senate seat, I have moved through different reaction "stages"--from shock to amusement to sorrow to outrage.

Shocked that the Governor would actually think he has the credibility to appoint someone to the seat.

Amused that the whole press conference reminded me of a cross between a Don King fight promotion press conference, and a Dr. Evil scheme to take over the world. The attempts to prove to the country that he is not a discredited, absurd cartoon character at this point is actually funny.

But then I think about the fact that I am not watching a James Bond spoof. This is not a heavyweight boxing match. This is an elected official, trying to pretend to the world that he is justified and credible in his appointment of a US Senator. I start to feel sorry for the Governor, and his appointee, trying to justify an unjustifiable act.

Finally, it dawns on me. This isn't something to pity. This is OUTRAGEOUS! It is something to flat out reject. Wholeheartedly. Unabashedly. Unmistakeably.

I flat out reject the notion that protesting Roland Burris as an African American, or even a qualified candidate is somehow racist, or even the point here. This is a situation where the intent of Rod Blagojevich to sell the US Senate Seat to the highest bidder is not in doubt. Whether he is eventually found guilty of the crime is relatively inconsequential. He is in the process of being impeached, and his credibility on this topic is tainted. The US Senate will not seat any appointment from this Governor, the Secretary of State has refused to execute the order, and frankly, any cnadidate who would accept the appointment in the first place is either desperate for power, or delusional if they think their appointment has any legitimacy.

Roland Burris may have the qualifications to be appointed, and he may very well end up a Senate appointment at some point in the near future. However, that consideration should be left to the Lieutenant Governor, or a special election runoff.

By the way, if I were Roland Burris, going out on news shows like Rachael Maddow, and making your case to be seated in the US Senate is NOT a good idea. If you aren't getting a favorable reception from an Air America host, and noted Liberal commentator, who would you expect to receive one from? Sean Hannity?

For all of our sakes, this issue needs to be dealt with. Harshly, swiftly, and completely. Here's what should happen in this matter:

1. Federal Indictment--Time for Patrick Fitzgerald to fish or cut bait. Indict this guy, or release the tapes. The US Attorney has a month from his Dec. 9 announcement to do something on this matter, and that time is coming up (9 more days as of this writing). It's time to get something moving already. Every day you wait creates a debasement of the Governors office, and a mockery of the whole appointment process. Not to mention we have to look at this Governor's mug each day, and endure his delusions of grandeur.

2. Impeachment--The Illinois House and Senate need to get moving NOW to get this guy impeached. And then thrown out of office. Some of it may have to wait until the indictment or the tapes are made available. But a short and pointed debate in the house is a must. No "Present" votes, please!

3. Promotion of Lieutenant Governor--get Pat Quinn in the role, already.

4. Special Election--at this point, the whole appointment process is so tainted, that Pat Quinn wouldn't stand a chance putting anyone in the seat. The whole concept of a Governor's appointment is as antiquated as the Electoral College, and the sooner we make the process more representative of the people, the better. Democrats hate this idea, and as I have blogged about here recently, they know that a special election could result in a Republican Senator. Mark Kirk is the name that I hear most often. All I can say to Democrats on this is "so what?" Any objective look at this situation makes it clear that a runoff election is the only way to make this process fair.

5. A Giamatti moment--Finally, there needs to be a Bart Giamatti moment here. For those of you unfamiliar with the reference, there was a time in 1989 where Pete Rose, the baseball legend, was being investigated, and indicted for betting on baseball games. Giamatti was the baseball commissioner, and had been under tremendous pressure from the Rose camp and Rose apologists, to exonerate, or not ban Rose from baseball as a result. That Rose had committed the crime somehow seemed trivial to his followers, and he pressed on with his delusions of grandeur, thinking that he was somehow bigger than the game that he had sullied.

Blago is currently doing something similar to his office. By his actions, he is flaunting the delays in the due process of justice, to try to take advantage of his power, and prove that he is bigger than the allegations against him. It's outrageous.

In Giamatti's case, he took about 9 months of abuse, before coming out, announcing the banishment of Rose from the game, and made one of the great all time speeches, chastising the hubiris of Rose, and making he point that no one is bigger than the game, no one has the right to break the rules, and the sanctity of the the game (or in Blago's case, the Governorship).

It was a speech that vindicated Giamatti's decision in the public's eyes, and humbled Rose at the same time. (as an obscure twist to the story, Giamatti was the father of the current Hollywood actor Paul Giamatti, who could be the greatest actor in recent memory. Loved him in the John Adams docu-drama. Seriously, name a better pure actor...)

It's time for Patrick Fitzgerald, Dick Durbin, or perhaps even Barack Obama, to not just "reject" Blagojevich's actions, or express disappointment. It's time to flat out REFUSE to accept such an appointment, and make it clear that such behavior cannot continue. PERIOD. Make the point that no one is bigger than the US Constitution, and the rule of law. For all of our sakes.

Before yesterday, Blago was just another big scandal. Now it's getting to the point where this guy can do damage to the political process. Time to get this guy out of office.