Quinn (D) might appoint Edgar (R) to Illinois Senate seat?

[franksolich]

I'm not sure if this goes here, or in the Election 2008 forum, but because I'm using a headline more appropriate to the story than the official headline, I'll put it here. 

If it belongs somewhere else, feel free to move this.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081212/D950R4O80.html

The official headline is "Ill. contenders for Senate seat walking fine line," and the story deals with the predicaments peculiar to each of the Democrats who had hoped to be named to replace 0bama.

There's lots and lots of complications for everybody.

But then out of the blue pops this, when the article describes the candidates available to Patrick Quinn, the current lieutenant governor (and not especially enamored of the current governor); Quinn of course is a Democrat:

.....Part of the difficulty for potential appointees is that Quinn hasn't formed many close alliances in Springfield, so there are few favors to cash in, Mooney said.

"Quinn is a populist, good-government guy," Mooney said. "I think he would base it on whatever criteria he has, but it wouldn't be so much a lobbying situation."

Mooney doesn't believe Quinn would appoint any of the candidates Blagojevich was considering. Instead, he suggested Quinn might make a clean break by appointing someone outside the current political establishment like former Gov. Jim Edgar, a Republican with an unblemished reputation.....

Of course, for that to happen, depends upon a whole lot of things, and one assumes the current Democrat-controlled Illinois state legislature would rather enact a special election for the seat, if it looks as if the new governor's going to appoint a Republican.

But it's an interesting possibility, maybe a 5-in-100 shot.
 

[thundley4]

That would be a smart move on the part of Pat Quinn.  It would show that he is willing to put the states interests ahead of party politics.  Of course, it won't happen because it would be a sensible thing to do.

[Eupher]

Edgar has a bit of an image problem of his own to deal with. While he was exonerated from any wrongdoing, he might've been uncomfortably close to this:

Illinois - the last bastion of corruption

[docstew]

Of course, for that to happen, depends upon a whole lot of things, and one assumes the current Democrat-controlled Illinois state legislature would rather enact a special election for the seat, if it looks as if the new governor's going to appoint a Republican.

But it's an interesting possibility, maybe a 5-in-100 shot.
 

as the current law grants sole authority to make the appointment, how could they put in a special election without looking like the to-the-bone partisan hacks we know they are?  is there some kind of confirmation process? it's a given that appointing alan keyes is a non-starter, considering how badly he was beaten by obama, he would truly be a repudiation of the voter's will.  but Edgar doesn't seem to have that issue as long as he left the governor's office of his own accord.  he will have been a winner of his last election at a statewide level, that has to be seen as some type of stamp of approval for him.

[franksolich]

As of this morning (Friday morning), the press is reporting that Blagobama is inching closer to resignation, and his lieutenant governor Quinn, who would replace him, is finally responding to questions.

It pretty much seems as if all those who approached Blagobama about filling the seat are "out."  They're tainted, and they all appear to realize that.

Quinn has not ruled out naming a Republican to the vacant seat.