But, I don't want that senate seat to go vacant.  In his press conference today Blago pointed out that we're entitled to representation and I personally don't want to be underrepresented while the state either a) fights over who gets to make the appointment if Blago can't or b) spends way too much money on a special election that will leave us without a senator for the few months it will take to get one set up.  And for those of you who think option a) is a good idea then I would ask you - do you really think the people leveraging for the power to appoint or receive the appointment are any less corrupt?  Certainly they are not, they're just more subtle about it.

And here's where it gets murkier - I kind of like Burris.  I think he'd be a good senator.  I've actually voted for him in a few primaries (including 2002 when he ran against Blago).  He's done a good job, and unlike most of the representation we get to D.C., he's from downstate, not Chicago.  It is HARD for a politician from downstate to achieve a statewide office because of the close-knit Chicago machine and the expense of running ads in the Chicago media market.  This is pretty much the only way a dude from downstate can get spot as a US senator in Illinois.

That said, this press conference is a joke and Burris, despite his resume, doesn't seem prepared for the spotlight he's been pushed into (and what's with Bobby Rush rushing the stage?!?).  I also would like to know more about the campaign contributions Burris' firm made to Blago.  

However, I sincerely hope Harry Reid does ONE thing right and does not dismiss Burris out of hand because of Blago - that would be doing the people of Illinois a big (and expensive) disservice.

Anyway, the whole experience gave me a renewed appreciation for all the "families" we have - the ones we came from who called often to cheer us up at the airport, the new one we are forging in our first year of marriage, the friends who met us at home with re-gifted gifts and a bottle of booze and let us thank them with a delicious dinner the following night, and my "virtual" family whose posts were definitely entertaining and thought provoking and whose comments to my post were encouraging and funny.

Many thanks to you and my best to Quinn.  I hope you made it home safe and sound too.

Next battle is to get a refund from United...and I hear that despite promises by their call center that's much easier said than done.  Whee!