New Senator, Maybe

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has surprised the political world by announcing an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Barack Obama. You can find more details in this post on The Caucus blog on the website of The New York Times.

Blagojevich's choice, former state Attorney General Roland Burris, strikes me as someone who, in more ordinary circumstances, would be a logical candidate to be a caretaker senator to serve until the 2010 election. Burris is 71 years old, and a veteran of state politics. Therefore, it seems as though he could handle the job, but would not seek a lengthy tenure.

But in the wake of accusations that Blagojevich had attempted to profit financially from an appointment, we'll see whether Senate leaders stick to their guns, and exercise their constitutional power to reject the appointment.