It looks like even though he's still in the "Screw It" Zone, lame duck Cook County Board President Todd Stroger got a reality check and has pulled the controversial appointment of Vincent Williams, a former Stroger campaign chairman. Stroger had tried to appoint Williams to a seat on the Board of Zoning Appeals - worth $38,000 a year - but was met with stiff resistance from commissioners. As a result, Stroger asked the board to indefinitely defer their consideration of the appointment. Republican Commissioner Peter Sliverstri quipped, “As far as I’m concerned, it can wait until the next administration." Ouch. more ›

With news that Justice David H. Souter will be retiring from the Supreme Court in June, a Democratic president has his first chance in 15 years to appoint a justice to the bench of the highest U.S. court. more ›

Senator Dick Durbin (of our great state of Illinois) has announced Roland Burris won't be seated without the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. This proclamation comes in spite of the assertion from both White and the Illinois Supreme Court that White's signature is symbolic and not necessary to seat Burris in the U.S. Senate. Durbin maintains that while the situation as is may meet state standards, it doesn't meet the standards of the U.S. Senate. He added, "I think it's best to suspend activities the filling of that vacancy, until this impeachment trial in the Illinois state senate is concluded." more ›

U.S. Congressman from Illinois' 4th District Luis Gutierrez has asked Gov. Blagojevich to be appointed to President-Elect Barack Obama's vacant senate seat. But Gutierrez's request comes with stipulation that will probably take him out of the running: he doesn't want to run for re-election in 2010 even though Blago's preference is for someone more long-term. Gutierrez issued a statement, saying, "Gov. Blagojevich shared with me today that he was very interested in me as a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat, but that his preference is to appoint someone who will run for a full term in 2010." Thanks for sharing with the class, Luis. more ›