Yes do it

There will be a crowded primary mind.

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by: conspiracy @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 13:28:33 PM CST

Someone was saying that the legislature

was out of session and could not come back unless called back by Blago.  Anyone know if this is true?

If it is, he may appoint someone between now and Jan. when the legislature comes back in session.

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by: wmlawman @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 13:37:27 PM CST

Emil Jones has called for an emergency legislative session to prepare such legislation.

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by: JeremiahTheMessiah @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 15:37:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Do it now. Do it everywhere.

Governors appointing Senators is an inherently corruptible process.  The potential for self-dealing is absurdly high, and there's no need for this process in the modern era.  With the transportation and communications infrastructure we now have, there's no obstacle to running real statewide campaigns, to be held 120 days after a vacancy (rounded to the nearest Tuesday or whatever).

Massachusetts and Alaska have already ended the process of gubernatorial appointments of Senators.  Illinois is about to, now that it has been burned by the process.  Do we have to wait for 50 consecutive mistakes to be exposed, or can we just learn the lesson and start instituting special elections in every state that we control (17, last I heard)?  The electorate has the right and the ability to fill these open seats.  There is no need to delegate that power to governors, who in New York and Delaware as well as in Illinois, have been thinking as much of the self-interest of specific politicians as they have been of the will and interests of the electorate.  (Obviously these other governors are calculating their self-interested in less crass and naked terms as Blago, but it's self-interest nonetheless.)

And we might have won Mississippi if it had been a special election in November 2007, with no incumbent.

There's no reason for appointed Senators any longer.  Let's end it.  We have 17 states on the table...

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by: texas dem @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 13:52:05 PM CST

Well this didn't take long...

Calls for immediate resignation come from Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, Comptroller Dan Hynes (D), and the GOP House Leader.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/m...

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by: Tyler Oakley @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 13:53:29 PM CST

If there's one thing that unites people in Illinois

It's hatred for Blago.  And rightfully so.

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by: ChadInFL @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 14:00:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Obama

"Like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the U.S.. Attorneys office today. But as this is an ongoing investigation involving the governor, I don?t think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time."

"I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so I was not aware of what was happening," Mr. Obama said. "And as I said it is a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that I don't think it's appropriate to comment."

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by: conspiracy @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 15:00:43 PM CST

Problem with the idea... it may violate the IL Constitution

http://hotlineblog.nationaljou...

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by: jeisrael @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 15:10:49 PM CST

Apparently Not

A comment on that post cites the Gov's appointment power as originating by statute, not constitution.

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by: sicembears @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 16:06:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Hold it! The GOP might win this special election...

Nearly all the Dems who can compete and raise money are from Cook County and I bet you it will be a crowded field with lots of infighting. The GOP can coalesce quickly around someone like Mark Kirk, a relatively good government Republican and with the suburbs, which already hate Chicago and cook county, along with downstate could swing the state to the GOP. A GOP senator from IL like Mark Kirk would make it hard for Dems to retake the seat in the future.  

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by: Shinigami @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 17:06:01 PM CST

I'm from IL

and most people don't know who Mark Kirk. He'll run a good campaign and in this toxic anti-Blago atmosphere he could do well. But Illinois is rapidly bluing. What you are saying might have been true in the 90s, but Chicago far drowns out the rest of downstate. The suburbs are turning blue. I'd say that Illinois is inherently as 55-45 Democratic state. Of course the taint of Blago looms large.  

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by: sulthernao @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 17:18:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Possibly, but is it worth risking a Senate seat?

I mean it doesn't take that long for a candidate to get his name out, especially if he is not the other guy. The worst thing that could happen to a minority candidate is a special election of contested primary (Obama got a break when the other candidates imploded). here the candidates will be more on their guard and if it looks like a Jesse Jackson or another minority is facing stiff odds in a Dem primary, they might make it hard for the party to come coaelse behind the eventual Dem nominee. God forbid, the Dem nomine is ends up being a weak one (see NY-26 debacle). A weak Dem nominee + a divided Dem primary coupled with an anti-Blago atmosphere is ripe for a GOP takeover.  

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by: Shinigami @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 17:32:11 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It is most DEFINITELY worth risking a Senate seat

if it means booting corruption out of elected offices.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 21:50:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Note that Kirk recently got reelected

in face of an Obama Tsunami in his district. I would not discount his cross over potential even in a bluing IL suburbia.  

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by: Shinigami @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 17:33:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That was because

We couldn't give the voters of his district a good reason to fire him.
Now he'd be asking the whole state to hire him.
Related concepts, but not the same.
Also, the district is still surely somewhat more Republican than the state at large.
I agree that it's within the realm of possibility that Kirk could win, but all this Blago crap would have to get significantly messier, the Dem primary would have to be a clusterfuck, and Kirk would have to run uncontested (remember: many Repubs are convinced that the reason they're losing is because they're giving too much power to moderates, that's hardly a guarantee).  So, it's within the realm of possibility that we could be bowing to Senator Kirk, but the chances of a taint-free Dem Senator are much greater.  I think it's a worthwhile risk.

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by: Nico @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 22:33:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

This is asinine

Would someone please remind me what's preventing the Illinois legislature from just drawing up articles of impeachment tomorrow?

My fragile constitution cannot handle another (even vaguely) competitive election at this point... especially given the specter of Bill Jefferson's defeat hanging over us.

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by: JFM110 @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 17:39:17 PM CST

Well who else is involved? We don't yet know

Whose to say Senate President Emil Jones isn't one of the guys involved in this scandel?  I hope it's not true, but it could be.

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by: ChadInFL @ Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 18:27:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]