Spare The Rod

The IL Supreme Court this afternoon rejected AG Lisa Madigan's (D) request to have Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) declared unfit to hold office.

While that avenue to anti-Blagojevich forces may be closed, impeachment proceedings are moving forward in the state legislature.

GOPers, however, are using the Supreme Court's ruling to continue to push for a special election. IL GOP Chair Andy McKenna: "The Supreme Court's decision today is yet another reason the General Assembly must immediately convene a special session and strip Governor Blagojevich of his power to appoint our next United States Senator and give that power to the people in the form of a special election."

Last week, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was one of many Dems to call for a special election, but the party appears to have backed away from that idea. Some believe an '09 SEN special election may benefit GOPers, as the poisonous cloud that surrounds Blagojevich may still be hovering over Dems.

(TIM SAHD)