The Worst Senate Democrat?

Senate Democrats are treating Roland Burris, the choice of Rod Blagojevich to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, as not just the worst prospective Senator but so bad that his taking the office is beyond the pale.

But is he?

Sure, it is offensive that the auctioneer-in-chief of Illinois gets to pick anyone for the Senate seat he attempted to sell. But Illinois Democrats, who control the state legislature, could have avoided this problem by passing a law requiring a special election, rather than appointment by the governor, for open Senate seats.

Immediately after the Blagojevich scandal hit, that's what Illinois Democrats suggested they would do. But when they started worrying that a Republican might win the special election, they decided it was better to risk Blagojevich making a Democratic appointment than risk a Republican victory.

Burris is an ex-state attorney general, so while not the strongest candidate, he is certainly a politician of some accomplishment.

What really upsets Obama and Washington Democrats is not that Burris is unqualified to be Senator, but that if Burris becomes a Senator, the Blagojevich scandal won't be far from public view.

In reality, Burris would not be worst current or prospective Senate Democrat. Several can vie for that title:

• Al Franken: he is currently leading by 49 votes in his battle with Norm Coleman for the Senate seat from Minnesota, and is truly a joke (no pun intended) for a candidate. It is astounding that Minnesota Democrats couldn't come up with a better candidate than Franken, but they didn't - and now he is likely to enter the Senate.

• Caroline Kennedy: in a state laden with Democrats, New York may end up with the newest member of the Kennedy clan to enter government. She has never held elected office, nor has articulated her views for public inspection until some recent efforts to do so - which included uttering "you know" 142 times in an interview.

• Robert Byrd: Byrd has been a Senator from West Virginia for 50 years, so his problems aren't new, but it is a biggie: he was a member of the KKK until at least the age of 29 or 30.

• Chris Dodd: aside from being a defender of Hugo Chavez, the would-be dictator of Venezuela, Dodd received low-interest rate mortgages from Countrywide Financial - and sat in judgment on the industry as a member, and now Chairman, of the Senate Banking committee.

Do you think Senate Democrats will go after any of these for their failings, as they have Burris for Blagojevich's faults? Don't hold your breath.