Let the people decide
THE PEOPLE, not the governor, should always pick their representative.
The case against Governor Rod R. Blagojevich makes that clear.
The Illinois governor allegedly tried to sell off his authority to fill the Senate vacancy created by Barack Obama's election as president.
In profanity-laced conversations taped by the FBI, Blagojevich bragged that he controlled something "golden" - a US Senate seat - and he wanted something golden in return - money, a Cabinet appointment, or a job for his wife.
Blagojevich personifies that old but ever-relevant platitude: power corrupts.
His story also highlights a more common consequence of giving a governor the one and only vote for US senator. Given the chance, the powerful often manipulate.
Prior to his arrest, Blagojevich was bombarded by calls and entreaties from interested parties.
"It's unbelievable what this has become; he is hearing it from all sides," a spokesman last month told The New York Times.
Caroline Kennedy reportedly contacted New York Governor David Paterson to discuss the job that Senator Hillary Clinton is leaving to become secretary of state. One cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spoke out publicly on Caroline Kennedy's behalf.
This is just politicking. The Kennedys are using their famous political muscle to advance the cause for JFK's daughter.
But, how many governors can resist that kind of celebrity muscle? Speaking generally, what implicit political bargain may be struck in exchange? And, how many lesser-known, but perhaps more experienced, candidates get passed over as a result?
The 17th Amendment to the US Constitution enables a governor, if authorized by the state legislature, to appoint a senator in the event of a vacancy. Today, the majority of governors have that power.
Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that require a special election to fill Senate vacancies. The Bay State law went into effect in 2004 , when Democrats worried that then-Governor Mitt Romney would appoint a fellow Republican if Senator John Kerry won the presidency. Now that a Democrat controls the governor's office, there is talk of switching back.
Governor Deval Patrick does not discourage that discussion. He suggested that a special election is too costly, given the state's budget crisis. He also said the arrest of Blagojevich on corruption charges shouldn't influence the debate.
"I don't think that's the message," Patrick told the AP. "I mean, these are sensitive calls, but there are sensitive calls and decisions that governors have to make."
As Blagojevich clearly understood, the appointment to fill a Senate vacancy has tremendous value because it gives the anointed the advantage of incumbency when the people finally get to vote. As a result, governors exercise it under huge pressure from would-be candidates and their advocates.
What Blagojevich heard from Obama is unclear. The federal corruption case against the governor contains no allegations of wrongdoing by the president-elect.
Still, the FBI tapes catch Blagojevich complaining that the incoming Obama administration was only willing to give him "appreciation" in exchange for appointing one of Obama's senior advisors to the vacancy.
The president-elect said he had no contact with Blagojevich or his office about his Senate seat. However, Obama's statement contradicts an earlier remark by his chief strategist, David Axelrod. "I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names, many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them," Axelrod told Fox News Chicago on Nov. 23. Axelrod now says he was "mistaken."
In the aftermath of the scandal, Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois urged the state Legislature to quickly schedule a special election to fill Obama's seat. "No appointment by this governor, under these circumstances, could produce a credible replacement," he said.
Democracy is always worth the price of a special election.
It shouldn't take a sordid story of political corruption to give the people the right to vote from the start.
Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com. 