Arrest tempers joy over Obama

The Daily Herald was remarkably prescient in its Dec. 9 "Governor, make a decision on Senate" editorial published the same day as Blagojevich's arrest.

Included was the phrase "needless delays in making the appointment create suspicions that the seat may be horse traded to the highest bidder". How sadly true appears the editorial's foresight, at least as far as what was apparently being attempted.

How weird it must have been for anybody reading it while watching the news hit about the arrest.

The joy over Barack Obama's election is temporarily tempered by the shame another one of our governor's has brought upon us. It's a cruel paradox for them to be occurring simultaneously. A Dickens-inspired comment on the radio summed it up well, as Illinoisan's experience "the best of times and the worst of times" in our highest officials.

But let's hope the inspiration of President-elect Obama's ascendancy to represent our country in the most powerful office in the world transcends the outrage/disappointment/cynicism about our current state and federal chief executives. Candidates inspired to follow Obama's example and message to seek and hold public office in order to serve their constituency and the greater good of our community is our best hope for positive change.

Barry Newman

Schaumburg