A while ago, when the question of filling Mr. Obama's Senate seat was first floating around in the media, a close friend of mine, born and bred in Illinois, but disillusioned enough to find himself now in Southern California, suggested that maybe, just maybe, the folks in both Chicago and Springfield had been drinking some bad "Kool Aid."

I agreed with him then. I agree with him now. I feel sorry for Illinoisans: they've missed out on being properly represented in the Senate. For that matter, so have Minnesotans, until recently.

SWR