I say we keep him. People need to remember this in every election. We shouldn't forget what can happen when elections are based on who raises the most money and the public fails to pay close attention to our elected officials. It should be there the next time someone argues that patronage hiring and pay-to-play politics are a normal and relatively harmless part of the system.
Serious challengers were scared off in 2006 because Blagojevich raised $10 million for his campaign, mostly from state contractors. Weak campaign finance laws are a primary reason for this fiasco. Optimistically, the portrait should be a reminder in years to come of what Illinois politics used to be like before we embraced reform and a new style of politics.
The good news is that we can save money by using one of the artistic courtroom sketches made the day he was arrested. Any of them would be perfect to represent Blagojevich to posterity.
