James W. Pindell's blog

The arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his top aide on charges, among other things, that he attempted to sell off his pick to replace President-elect Barack Obama's former Senate seat, creates a drama for political junkies just in time for the Holidays.

It has high drama allegation of bribes. It has big political families. It has ties to Obama. It involves the most exclusive club in the world and possibly the most corrupt office in the land.

Before Barack Obama's grandmother died today she cast an absentee ballot to help Obama become president.

Under Hawaii law, though, that ballot will not count. The state law says that if the local election clerk is notified before the polls open on Election Day the ballot is invalid.

The issue is whether or not someone conveniently forgets to tell the clerk.

If Democrats wind up with 59 U.S. Senate seats on Election Day, they can still reach the magic filibuster-proof number of 60 if the new President appoints Republican Olympia Snowe to his cabinet. The Governor of Maine, John Baldacci, would presumably appoint a fellow Democrat to serve until a November 2010 special election to fill the balance of Snowe's term.