Blagojevich and Burris

Everyone's making such a stink about Blagojevich's appointment of Burris to represent Illinois in the senate, however I think that perhaps my perspective is slightly different.

1. First, I believe that Blagojevich is a disgrace. I qualify this only slightly because I (nor many others for that matter) have really seen the supposed evidence against him. Often things aren't what they seem which is why our country deems us innocent until proven guilty. That said, it sure doesn't look good at all.

2. Even if he is innocent he should have resigned. The nation as well as Illinois is in a financial meltdown. States are operating in crisis mode to balance their budgets since they are unable to raise and/or print new money like the federal government. These times call for an effective leader. Even if we give Blagojevich the benefit of the doubt, there is still no doubt that he has become completely ineffective as governor.

However...

Until he resigns or is legally removed, he does remain the democratically, elected governor of Illinois with all of the responsibilities and authorities that that implies. Illinois law (and perhaps it's constitution) states that he can make this appointment. Illinois' elected representatives wrote the law that granted the governor the ability to make this appointment and the citizens of Illinois elected its governor. So although I'm totally with the current impeachment proceedings and genuinely hope they work and work fast, it seems somehow perverse for the senate Democrats to decide not to seat someone legally selected to represent the people of their state.

I mean think of it... whatever precedent that they might set for refusing to seat Burris could also be used for not seating someone else deemed to "radical" or "unfit" in some other way. Of course the problem with these words is that they are so subjective. Too radical or unfit according to who? One could always come up with such a justification to bar the people's representatives because we don't like their politics.

I actually hope they find a true way (not a technicality) to not seat Burris, however, I hope that they don't trample on the rule of law and the concepts of Democratic representation in the process.

Postscript: References by Burris and others to race has been absolutely not just distasteful but despicable. If it's a bad idea for Blago to seat someone does it become ok if that person is Black? Hell no!