In his choice of former Illinois attorney general and repeated failed-candidate Roland Burris, Rod Blagojevich demonstrates further his intention to be a major pain in the a** to his adversaries. But I don't see any reason to think that Harry Reid and the Democrats won't abide by their vow not to seat anyone tapped by Blago. The talking point that they would be blocking what would be the sole African-American member of the Senate doesn't seem powerful enough, especially when Burris or Jesse Jackson Jr. or another African-American could be tapped by a Blago successor or chosen in a special election.
More generally I just don't see what in the world Blago is thinking. The frame for this story, properly or not, is that the more trouble he causes the more it's a distraction for Obama, given that this is Obama's home state, his former Senate seat, and Obama's clear desire to see Blago go quietly. So the widely reviled and ridiculed Blago is currently waging a fight against the most admired man in America. He really does seem to be simply nuts.
--Michael Crowley