Feinstein sees the light

Regardless of the charges against him, IL Gov. Milorad R. "Rod" Blagojevich still has the right [better: the authority] to fill the Senate vacancy, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said, and keeping Roland Burris from taking his seat could have implications for appointments by other governors.

Feinstein, most significantly, is the chairman of the Senate Rules & Administration Committee.

I really hope Burris and his "small mob of lawyers" keep pushing this. There are some suggestions out there that Harry Reid will offer the seat to Burris so long as Burris promises not to contest it in 2010.

If that is the case, Burris should resist, but publicize Reid's negotiations in a context that likens them to the very "pay for play" allegations of which Blagojevich is accused and form the basis for Reid's resistance in the first place. Now that would be devious.

Then, the next time Harry Reid says "We lost the war," he'll be right.