Blogging Blagojevich et al.

I've been meaning to write something about this Blagojevich scandal for the past few days, but I've had a hard time coming up with words to appropriately convey my disgust. The violation of public trust, the greed, the ego, the blatant disregard for even a nod to ethical conduct in what amounted to auctioning off a seat in the United States Senate to the highest bidder borders on the incredible.

But what is more incredible to me is not the extent of this alleged crime - although Blagojevich's unethical conduct is proven already by the content of the released tape recordings beyond any legal ruling - nor its particular unsavory character, but rather that behavior such as this - unethical, shameful, criminal behavior - is so prevalent, unsurprising, and almost expected of our elected representatives in the highest of public offices.

Spitzer, Stevens, Jefferson, Blagojevich - the list of recent disgraces goes on and on.

While the so-called "Blagola" scandal highlights the potential corruption associated with executive appointment to an otherwise elected legislative office, it helps raise the issue of these appointments in general. Even absent any intent of wrongdoing, for the responsibility of selecting a seat in the U.S. Senator to fall upon one individual seems to run counter to our democratic ideals. Several states have worked around the Constitutional amendment allowing for state governors to appoint senators to fill vacancies, but others - Illinois obviously included - do not have any such legislation on the books (although happily it appears that Illinois is pursuing this as well as other options to foil an appointment by Blago, who refuses to resign).

This election season presents additional thorny appointment questions:

• Delaware: An elderly Biden aide appointed in what cynics say is a clear placeholder for Beau Biden upon his return from Iraq
• New York: Hullabaloo galore over Caroline Kennedy's apparent front-runner status in the Empire State Senate Sweepstakes.
  
• Colorado: The departure of Salazar to join Obama's Cabinet leaves another Senate vacancy.
  
• Illinois: Blagola, but also the coming House vacancy of one Rahm Emanuel.
  

These are not decisions for one man to make. Let the people decide. I can appreciate the need for expediency, and temporary appointments may make sense within certain restrictions, but special elections should be required within 90 days or some similar variation. There is too much at stake to entrust this to executive fiat. It's up to the individual states to enact legislation to protect their citizens - and their seats in Congress - from such potential abuses of power. (Luckily the Commonwealth enacted such legislation in 2004.)

Its history-making aspects aside, there are a lot of crazy and interesting things going on from a Constitutional/legal/political standpoint with the fallout from this presidential election.

I mean, check out what's going on up in Minnesota!