Drop the Burris issue...

State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias was on the radio this morning urging the state to carry out a general election to replace Senator Roland Burris. When asked if he would back the election even if it would cost the financially strapped state over 50 million dollars, Giannoulias stuck to his guns claiming; "we need to put some integrity back in the process."

And guess who he thinks is the right guy for the job?

Why himself of course.

Now I'm in favor of integrity in politicians as much as the next guy. I'm also in favor of free public transportation, peace, love and understanding and all that, but I don't expect to see any of those things in my lifetime.

Show me a politician who wouldn't do just about anything short of stabbing his own mother in the back to get votes and I'll show you a losing politician. Which is why of course Carolyn Kennedy dropped out of the running for her own Senate appointment. She just couldn't stomach the crap she'd have to put up with trying to win an election. Few of us could.

As far as the integritometer rating on Burris, compared with his new colleagues in the Senate, my suspicion is he'd come in somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Giannoulias for his part said he's done a terrific job as Treasurer, a curious claim given the current state of the state. Of course the Treasurer can't be held personally liable for the financial troubles of the state. But anyone who has a connection with the train wreck that is Illinois State government these days has to be held suspect. Especially the guy who holds the purse strings.

While he may have an in at the White House as the president's go to guy on the basketball court, I think Alexi had better keep a low profile or else he and his party will have a day of reckoning at the polls if a general election is held any time soon. In this climate a Democrat in Illinois has about as much chance of winning statewide as Blago has any chance of getting elected to ... well anything.

And God knows that the state and federal governments have more pressing matters right now than replacing our current senator.

So let's stick with Burris to keep the seat warm in Washington and in two years the voters will throw the bum out.

And elect another one.