Is Illinois Poised to Get a GOP Senator?

Illinois use to be known as the "Land of Lincoln," but in recent years may be better described as the "Land of Corruption." After a series of governors who spend their retirement years in jail and a new one (Blagojevich) seemingly not far behind, I think many citizens of Illinois are ready for change, especially when we consider how its latest Senator was appointed.

Roland Burris was chosen a US Senator by then Governor Blagojevich after a scandal broke out that the latter was being accused of actually trying to sell Obama's seat. It was concluded that Burris was some how above the scandal following an impeachment committee hearing that the Senate appointee testified. During that hearing he indicated that he had only spoken with Blagojevich Chief of Staff Lon Monk and there was no discussion for "pay to play." However, it appears the Feds may have recorded conversations that indicate that Burris had several other discussions with those connected to Blagojevich. The question is, did such recordings lead to Burris modifying his list of contacts?

USA Today reports that "Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., said Monday that it is "positively not true" that the reason he filed an affidavit revealing new contacts with ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich's associates was because federal authorities had told him conversations had been secretly recorded." Republican legislators are using this modification of this list as grounds for an investigation and GOP leaders around the country are wetting their lips at the prospects of getting that seat on the GOP side. With barely sixty votes and the power of the filibuster, the Democrats can hardly afford losing such an important seat, but Burris is extremely vulnerable.

The next election for Burris is 2010 and with the exception of one short six year term (of Senator Peter Fitzgerald), Illinois has been represented exclusively by Democrats for decades. This is clearly a Democratic state. But how much more can this poor state sustain when it comes to the quality of government? It is poised for a serious house cleaning like Washington, DC saw following Watergate.

Following two years of absorbing the costs and trauma of Barack Obama's "stimulus package" I think many more House and Senate seats will be found off the Democrat's column. 2010 should be an interesting year.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Elliot Spitzer Learns Tough Lesson

Governor Elliot Spitzer (D-NY) had a reputation as "Mister Clean" when he went after New York investment firms for behaving badly. He used his "get tough" approach for dealing with greedy businesses as a spring board to get elected governor. Now Spitzer finds himself under a highly unwelcome microscope.

In a short statement (see video above also), Spitzer said:

"For the past nine years, eight years as attorney general, and one as governor, I have tried to uphold a vision of progressive politics that would rebuild New York and create opportunity for all. We sought to bring real change to New York and that will continue.

"Today I want to briefly address a private matter. I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong. I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better.

"I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good, and doing what is best for the state of New York. But I have disappointed and failed to live up to the standard I expected of myself. I must now dedicate some time to regain the trust of my family.

"I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much. I will report back to you in short order. Thank you very much."

This is, of course, just enough blood to make the media sharks swarm. This is the beginning of a great deal of trouble for the liberal governor. Interestingly, the media said that the "governor apologized" but "did not resign." That's pretty tough and is an indicator of what the governor can expect. The Governor placed a very high standard on others, I'm not surprised that he is being held to it.

I strongly disagree with his statement "that politics in the long run is not about individuals." This is the typical double talk used by politicians who are caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "Personal integrity doesn't matter in public policy." Both arenas require trust. The person who is untrustworthy in one arena is likely to be untrustworthy in the other. We will have to see how quickly the Governor gets this incident behind him, if at all.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.