Hello and welcome to the Slate Political Gab Fest for New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31st, 2008, the last day of the year.

We're doing a special early podcast this week because Rod Blagojevich decided we should. So we're actually talking to you.

We're actually on, it's actually Tuesday afternoon. So we've just heard from Blagojevich

who's announcing a new senator. So we're going to talk about that. And we'll talk about

topic two, which will be Gaza. And topic three, which is going to be what, Terry, it's going to talk about that and we'll talk about topic two which will be Gaza and topic three

which is going to be what Terry it's going to be football football you bet I'm here with me

david plotz and special guests Terrence Samuel deputy of our colleagues over at the root

and slate v executive producer Bill Smee, source of

profanity and wisdom for the past 40 years.

Not urbane, profane.

Yes.

Well, urbane and profane.

So let's talk first about Blagojevich, who did what, Terry?

He decided that he was going to do what governors do and appoints about Blagojevich, who did what, Terry?

He decided that he was going to do what governors do and appoint senators when there is a vacancy.

There is a long discussion about whether he had the right to do this, but clearly, legally, he did.

It's got this, you know, this is a story. Who did you point?

He appointed Roland Boris, the former attorney general and two-time controller of, uh, of the state of Illinois, African

American, 71 years old, I think, a guy who people thought should have known better than to

accept it. But I think this speaks to what it means to want to be a

U.S. Senator. It's not something you turn away. I mean, Kennedy's want to be senators, as we know.

The Blagoivitt's story, though, just keeps on getting better. It's, again, the thing that keeps on

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