Somehow my comment that corruption on the national level was probably as bad as in Illinois got morphed into a defense of Illinois corruption.

For the record, and like Steve, The Villages is my hometown now and Chicago and Illinois are only my birthplace and longtime home. I am disgusted by the abhorent behavior of the Governor there. I think he should resign today. The State Legislature should take the power to appoint a Senate nominee away from him immediately and order a special election. He's a punk, and a stupid punk at that.

By the way, things I've read today suggest that the Governor really couldn't get "his" choice into the U.S. Senate if he appointed one today. Apparently his nomination would have to be both confirmed by the Illinois Secretary of State and the seating of his choice would also have to be approved by the Senate itself. Apparently both have said that no nominee of the Illinois Governor would be either approved at the state level or seated by vote of the Senate.

Also, in case no one has read the 79 page complaint issued by the federal prosecutor in Chicago, the Governor was enraged at President-elect Obama because all he had offered was his thanks for the Governor's support in the presidential election and a suggestion that whichever replacement Senatorial nominee nominated by the Governor be re-electable in 2010. The Governor's taped statement went something along the lines of "...all that #&%#@ Obama offered was his #&%*@ thanks..."