Politics As Usual No More

I hope today signals that the era of politics as usual has ended.

• In Illinois, not a single member of the Illinois state senate voted against removing Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office — even though Blagojevich made a lengthy speech defending himself.
  
  Moments later, the state senate took it a step further, voting unanimously to prevent Blagojevich from ever holding political office in Illinois again. If he's going to practice his smarmy style of politics in the future, it will have to be in another state.
  
  Well, he can't say he wasn't warned. Seth Meyers told Blagojevich in a "Saturday Night Live" skit last month, "Illinois politicians are saying you should resign. And when Illinois politicians think you're too corrupt ... YOU'RE TOO CORRUPT!"
  
  Blagojevich could have saved the taxpayers of his state a lot of anxiety and money if he had followed Meyers' advice — instead of pursuing his vain hope of staying in office.
  
  Well, if it's any consolation to the folks in Illinois, Blagojevich is history now.


• President Obama scolded Wall Street bankers for giving themselves billions in bonuses. Obama called it "the height of irresponsibility" — as well he should.
  
  The tally for the bonuses exceeds $18 billion. Talk about a golden parachute.
  
  And now, finally ...


• In the U.S. Senate, Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky lamented the fact that the GOP is becoming irrelevant.
  
  "We're all concerned about the fact that the very wealthy and the very poor, the most and least educated, and a majority of minority voters, seem to have more or less stopped paying attention to us," McConnell said. "And we should be concerned that, as a result of all this, the Republican Party seems to be slipping into a position of being more of a regional party than a national one."
  
  Well, Mitch, it might not have come to this if you folks had done your jobs. But you might still be able to salvage at least a shred of respect if you'll step up to the plate and support the stimulus package when it comes to the Senate.
  
  Yeah, right. Like that's going to happen.