Obama's Senate Seat on Ebay

Obama's Senate seat is being auctioned on Ebay as reported by the Associated Press:

CHICAGO (AP) — For sale: One Senate seat. Goes to the highest BLEEP-ing bidder. Seller's positive feedback rating: since Tuesday, just about zero.

Outraged by the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, more than a dozen people have put the state's vacant Senate seat up for bid on eBay.

The offers popped up on the Internet auction site after Blagojevich was accused Tuesday of trying to benefit financially from his power to appoint a Senate replacement to President-elect Barack Obama.

Daniel Finnegan, a student at the University of Georgia, said he started an auction because he's "extremely upset about what happened" and wants to voice his opinion.

Finnegan says he's glad others posted similar auctions so the accusations against Blagojevich don't go unnoticed.

University of Illinois student Matt Platino says he posted his entry to be funny, but also because he's upset with Blagojevich.

At least one seller carefully noted the ad was "not an offer for actual US Senate seat. ... For entertainment purposes only."

Another wound up with a similar disclaimer, but not before unloading on the gov: "OPEN YOUR CHECKBOOKS, OR PUT THE THUMBSCREWS ON SOMEONE TO GIVE A HIGH PAYING EXECUTIVE JOB TO AN ASSININE, GREEDY VINDICTIVE POL OR HIS WIFE."

And folks are bidding, some jokingly. One posting ("Used Illinois Senate seat, all wood and leather, willing to deal on this one! Please be advised I will be away from my office for a while..."), had 78 bids and was going for $99,999,999.00 Wednesday morning.

Illinois Gov Feeling Sad, Lonely After Arrest in Corruption Probe

An artist's drawing shows Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (2nd R and his Chief of Staff John Harris as they stand in front of U.S. Magistrate Nan Nolan (L) while federal prosecutor Reic Schar watches at the Dirksen Federal building in Chicago, Illinois December 9, 2008. Reuters/Verna Sadock

So, you think you've had a bad day? Already hump day, and still you feel unappreciated, overworked, unloved, not well-compensated, lonely, sad maybe? Well, you've got nothing on Illinois Governor, Rod R. Blagojevich (Democrat) who was arrested, then released on $4,500 bond on Tuesday. But that's just the most recent element of the story. Roddy BlaBla got hammered by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for litterally attempting to sell to the highest bidder, President-elect Barack Obama's (D-IL) now empty Senate Seat.

By laws passed by just about every state, the Governor of a state has the right to appoint a replacement to a US Senate or House of Representatives seat in the event that office holder dies, retires, resigns, or is criminally convicted during his term. The replacement then serves the remainder of his predecessor's term or until a special election is called. Of course, Barack Obama is now President-elect and has resigned from his seat, allowing the Gov to appoint anyone including himself to fill the Illinois Senate vacancy. That's where things got hairy. The feds had been tipped off that the Governor, knowing that the deadline was approaching for enactment of an Illinois ethics in government bill which would drastically limit the influence of big money in Illinois was working overtime to gain monetary favors for himself and his wife. Fittingly enough, Obama's efforts at getting the Illinois Senate President, Emil Jones to lead passage of ethics reform 3 months ago are what got the Gov snagged. You see Rod suffers from the "my Governor's salary of $177,000 is not nearly enough and I need more money" syndrome. Here's more from FBI affidavit as reported by The Huffington Post:

A 76-page FBI affidavit alleges that Blagojevich was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps during the last month conspiring to sell or trade Illinois' U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama for financial and other personal benefits for himself and his wife. At various times, in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich discussed obtaining:

A substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;

Placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year;

Promises of campaign funds - including cash up front; and

A cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.

Just last week, on December 4, Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might "get some (money) up front, maybe" from Senate Candidate 5, if he named Senate Candidate 5 to the Senate seat, to insure that Senate Candidate 5 kept a promise about raising money for Blagojevich if he ran for re-election. In a recorded conversation on October 31, Blagojevich claimed he was approached by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: "We were approached 'pay to play.' That, you know, he'd raise 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator."

On November 7, while talking on the phone about the Senate seat with Harris and an advisor, Blagojevich said he needed to consider his family and that he is "financially" hurting, the affidavit states. Harris allegedly said that they were considering what would help the "financial security" of the Blagojevich family and what will keep Blagojevich "politically viable." Blagojevich stated, "I want to make money," adding later that he is interested in making $250,000 to $300,000 a year, the complaint alleges.

On November 10, in a lengthy telephone call with numerous advisors that included discussion about Blagojevich obtaining a lucrative job with a union-affiliated organization in exchange for appointing a particular Senate Candidate whom he believed was favored by the President-elect and which is described in more detail below, Blagojevich and others discussed various ways Blagojevich could "monetize" the relationships he has made as governor to make money after leaving that office.