Blagojevich and Burris

Jack Kelly, this past Sunday, declared that Rod Blagojevich had outsmarted all the Democrats in Illinois, if not the country, by appointing Roland Burris to fill Obama’s seat. I am not seeing the outsmarting part, but I will concede that Blagojevich has handed the Illinois State Legislature a considerable problem. They are going to find it difficult to impeach Blagojevich in this situation.

By appointing Burris Blagojevich can claim that was his intention all along. He can say he always had an Illinois trailblazer in mind. As for the wiretapped phone calls, well, (as Jack Kelly suggested) Blagojevich knew the Feds were listening in, and he was a-just funnin’ with ‘em (as they probably never said in the South).

I assume the Feds have some additional evidence against Blagojevich, or they have so many damning phone call tapes that Blagojevich can not wriggle out of an eventual federal conviction. But it is funny; Blagojevich said he would not give his appointment power away for free, and he hasn’t. Burris may not have gotten Blagojevich a political appointment or anything, but Burris does give Blagojevich cover, something currently much more valuable to the Illinois Governor.