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Blago to Name Replacement to Obama in Senate

There’s only one guy in the country who thinks that, in the wake of the Blagojevich scandal, it’s still business as usual in Springfield, Ill., and that’s Gov.

Jul 31, 2020196.5K Shares3.1M Views
There’s only one guy in the country who thinks that, in the wake of the Blagojevich scandal, it’s still business as usual in Springfield, Ill., and that’s Gov. Rod Blagojevich himself.
According to reports, the embattled governor, who was arrested earlier in the month for allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat recently vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, is expected today to name former state Attorney General Roland Burris to that post.
Never mind that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has already said publicly that he won’t seat any Blagojevich pick, and never mind that all 50 sitting Democrats (including Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin) signed a letter stating the same. The governor, reversing course on past statements, wants to be a part of the process.
As The Chicago Tribunepoints out, the state legislature could be partly to blame:
Blagojevich’s criminal defense attorney Ed Genson had said Blagojevich would not name a Senate successor to Obama. The governor had indicated he agreed with other Illinois politicians that the best option might be a special election to fill Obama’s seat. But state lawmakers have not taken up the necessary legislation.
Burris, according to the Trib, couldn’t be reached for comment. You can bet, though, that the 71-year-old doesn’t want to go to the grave known best for his ties to the disgraced Blagojevich.
The Blagojevich announcement is expected at 2 p.m. CST.
Rhyley Carney

Rhyley Carney

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