Reply #115: Okay, so you want some specifics: how about the loaded handgun in Hinchey's luggage?

[frazzled]

Those are the kinds of things (when you plead no contest and receive a suspended sentence) that can kind of, um, explode in your face when you're running for the senate. (And I assume you'd want the appointed senator to be able to actually run for election eventually.) Just saying ... because you seem to want to know some disqualifying facts about your candidates. I really could care less who Governor Patterson appoints: Hinchey would probably be fine. And so would Kennedy (or the other Kennedy, or any one of a number of Democrats). But no one is a saint. And no one is really a sinner, either.

Whoever gets appointed from New York will probably be good. I'm more worried about who Howdy-Doody Blagojovich will appoint to be the junior senator from Illinois.