ILLINOIS COMES THROUGH – AT 8:18 P.M. ET:  On Tuesday Illinois elected Republican Mark Kirk to the U.S. Senate.  He will fill the Obama seat.  We all asked:  "Will Illinois come through, as it always does, for the machine?" 

It seemed impossible that Illinoisans would repudiate corruption entirely.

Well, not to worry.  Although the race for the governship wasn't decided until today, the AP finally called it for incumbent Democratic Governor Pat Quinn.  The machine is saved.  Our great national nightmare is over.

Quinn succeeded former Governor Rod Blagojevich, when the latter became unavailable due to corruption charges.  But the people of Illinois, generous and forgiving, apparently didn't hold Quinn's associations against him.  Illinois should be called the Second Chance State, and Third, and Fourth...

The Illinois state government is in deep debt.  So are the governments of California and New York. Yet, all three states defied national trends and elected Democrats as governors.  It's like the guy who swears off drinking, yet takes one more drink.

The Washington state Senate race is still in limbo, still too close to call.

November 4, 2010