If it wasn’t enough for Ill. Gov. Rob Blagojevich to have been accused of trying to sell President-elect Obama’s open senate seat to the highest bidder — apparently tapes exist of his using foul-mouthed language implicating himself — and not stepping down, then his actions this week certainly earn him the description of "defiant."

 Blagojevich, who is likely on the cusp of impeachment, decided to claw at his constitutional right to appoint Ronald Burris as Illinois junior senator.

 Unfortunately, Burris is a great candidate whose good name will now be tainted by his association with Blagojevich. Burris, a Democrat, truly is a public servant having served Illinois from 1972 to 1992, first as state comptroller and later as attorney general. But, despite all his qualifications, he will probably never take a seat in Congress.

 Blagojevich truly is a rat — a rat trying to play the race card in a desperate grasp at authority. With an understanding that Obama’s absence from the Senate will leave zero of 100 African-Americans serving that body, he chose a qualified black man attempting to scare Democrats into not speaking up because of Burris’ color.

 Democrats and the Illinois secretary of state did speak up though; both vowed to block the appointment, which is sad but understandable. We also understand why Burris would accept having failed previously to win a senate seat and the governorship of Illinois, once against Blagojevich.

 Bottom line: Burris should not have accepted the appointment — he would have had a better chance at Washington that way — and Blagojevich should resign his post and move to a remote Pacific island, never to return to American politics.