Thursday, February 19, 2009

We the People Deserve a Special Election

We, the people of Illinois, deserve a special election. Chicago Tribune editorial today, in part:
Gov. Pat Quinn, you built your career as a populist advocating voter initiatives, public referendums and recall of public officials. So say it now and say it long: You won't play any role in filling a vacancy if, for whatever reason, a U.S. senator from Illinois leaves early.

Remember, Governor, one day after FBI agents led the then-governor of Illinois out of his house, you said you favored a special election to fill the empty Barack Obama seat at the core of that scandal. [snip]

But you and Durbin—he briefly supported a special election to fill the Obama seat, but then fell mute—have been silent on whether Burris should resign and create a vacancy.

We understand, Governor, that you're probably calibrating the political effects of telling Burris that people who don't tell the whole truth don't deserve Senate seats. But you and Durbin can't duck the obvious: Burris has to go. Now.
Sigh.

Another view--let the legal process work. Look, I don't want to truncate prosecutions that may lead to more politico crooks being put in jail--to clean up this corrupt state once and for all. Burris is our Senator for now--does anyone think he is really acting independently? He is inconvenient for the Dems now that they've passed their porkulus bill--he's too obvious a pay to player, just like Blago--that's why they want to get rid of him, because he's too stupid for words and keeps the heat on the rest of them. And just yesterday Governor Quinn appoints a Rezko player to handle the porkulus. The Dems must think Illinois voters are stupid...

Have we already reached the tipping point in Illinois? Where the people who benefit from pay to play and don't pay taxes outnumber the law-abiding, long-suffering people who do? I don't know, but maybe we would find out, if not in a special election in the next one.

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