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Blagojevich Taps Plaxico Burress for Senate Seat

Posted by Aaron Wiener on Dec. 31, 2008, at 3:00 pm

Over the objections of President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress, embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has chosen Plaxico Burress to replace Obama in the United States Senate.

The selection of Burress, the New York Giants’ star wide receiver who faces criminal charges after accidentally shooting himself in the leg last month, took lawmakers by surprise. Blagojevich, himself facing federal prosecution for corruption, was not expected to fill the vacant Senate seat, but he said that the opportunity to select Burress was “too good to pass up.”

“In Plaxico Burress, we have a man who has inspired millions of average Americans to dream that they too can someday make headlines – in both the sports section and the police blotter,” said Blagojevich. “Sure, he doesn’t have any political experience or knowledge of what goes on in the Senate, but he does have heart. That, and millions of dollars to contribute to my 2016 presidential campaign.”