Governor, make a decision on Senate
In many respects, it makes sense that Gov. Rod Blagojevich would take time to thoughtfully deliberate who should be appointed to fill the U.S. Senate term of President-Elect Barack Obama.
This is an important and, most likely, lasting decision, and the governor shouldn't make it casually or get it wrong.
At the same time, this isn't rocket science, and there's been plenty of time to think it through. It's been more than six months since Obama sewed up the Democratic presidential nomination, making it a real possibility that a replacement would have to be named. It's been more than a month since he was elected president, making it a certainty. And it's been more than three weeks since Obama resigned his Senate seat, making it a necessity.
How much more time or thought does the governor need?
There are many reasons to get going on the appointment. An obvious one is to guarantee Illinois' junior senator gets a step ahead of other newcomers (such as one who will be coming from New York to replace Hillary Clinton) in terms of seniority. Another is that needless delays in making the appointment create suspicions that the seat may be horse traded to the highest bidder - speculation that does no one any good, not the governor, not whomever is appointed and not the state.
The most important reason is the need to get Illinois' second Senate office functioning again. Rightly or wrongly, after all, the presidential race so distracted Obama that it's been more than a year since he was giving serious attention to his Senate duties.
It's not that Blagojevich doesn't have good candidates to choose from. There's been a proverbial laundry list - virtually all from the Chicago area to balance the downstate perspective that is provided by Sen. Dick Durbin.
Among those mentioned have been three with connections to the suburbs - U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates and unsuccessful Congressional candidate Dan Seals of Wilmette.
Among others are Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, all of Chicago.
The most intriguing candidate of all is U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago, a thoughtful, articulate and independent veteran of 13 years in Congress who, as Obama's national campaign co-chairman, clearly shares the values and goals of the man he would be replacing.
It is easy to envision Jackson, son of a legendary civil rights activist and distinguished in his own right, as a national figure in the Senate. That is a status that would be much more challenging for the other candidates to achieve. As such, he warrants the governor's strong consideration.
But one way or another, Jackson or someone else, it's time to make a decision on this important appointment, and we hope Gov. Blagojevich does so soon.