The embarrassment that is Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor who has been accused of trying to effectively auction off Obama’s Senate seat, isn’t going away for Illinois, the Democrats or Obama. Rather than resigning in shame following Patrick Fitzgerald’s devastating press conference, Blagojevich has tried to brazen it out.
Today, he is set to name a replacement for Obama, 71 year old former Illinois Attorney-General Roland Burris. If seated, Burris would be the only black senator—Blagojevich presumably thinks that this factor would force the Senate to seat him despite Blagojevich appointing him while indicted for, among things, attempting to sell this position.
Judging from the statement from the office of Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, Burris won’t be seated anyway. But it does seem that this scandal is going to roll on, shining a distracting spotlight on the notoriously corrupt politics of Obama’s adopted home town.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in