Until Blagojevich got jammed up, Burris thought his own political career was over. Now, he has a chance to attain the kind of celebrity he always wanted, but only by selling himself in a way that dovetails with Blagojevich’s own needs. Hence Burris’ announcement two weeks ago that he’d be interested in serving as a caretaker, a move designed to make himself seem like an elder statesman figure, not another ambitious politician…

The bigger reason that Reid wants no part of this, though, is because Burris’ appointment would endanger what would otherwise be a very winnable Senate seat for Democrats in 2010. By taking the seat as a caretaker, Burris would deny another Democrat a two-year head start on the ’10 election. Plus, he would serve as a day-to-day reminder to Illinois voters of Blagojevich clear through next year’s election, even if the governor has long since stepped aside by then. An electorate that is still thinking about Blagojevich would present a serious problem for whichever Democrat ends up running for the seat.