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Gov. Blagojevich Appoints African American Replacement for Obama

In an attempt to right his piling list of wrongs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has chosen a candidate to fill the Senatorial seat left vacant by President-elect Obama.  The question is whether or not the governor’s many opponents will honor his decision.

I am here to announce my intention to appoint an individual who has unquestioned integrity, extensive experience and is a wise and distinguished senior statesman of Illinois," Blagojevich said at an afternoon press conference yesterday. 

Roland Burris, 71, was the second African American in the United States elected to the office of attorney general, but failed to win the seat he’s been appointed to when he ran for the Democratic nomination back in 1982.  He also failed to win his party's nomination for mayor of Chicago in 1995 and for governor in 1998 and 2002.

But Burris' record of losses is of much less concern than the fact that he, as the Governor’s choice, is not likely to be taken seriously by the state Senate in light of the recent FBI investigation into his plans to sell the senator turn president-elect’s seat to the highest bidder. 

According to AFP, Senate leaders warned the governor after his December 9th arrest that they would not seat anyone he appointed after the fraud and bribery charges surfaced.  Illinois Republicans are also accusing Democrats of blocking moves to hold a special Senate election out of fear that they could lose the seat to the other side.

Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man," Blagojevich urged.  

But a call from this Governor may not be enough to save the life of Burris’s dream come true.

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