The NY Post reports the "certain" pick, and the NY Times has a front page puff piece on her public service, so it does look like it's in the bag.

The Senate is truly the millionaire's club, our House of Lords. And the majority are Democrats. (Brought to you in part by McCain's campaign finance "reform".) Of course there are other ways of buying a seat:

Rep. Jim Durkin said Burris was the recipient of the single largest contribution that was made to a campaign in Illinois history, and the company that made it also contributed to Blagojevich.

"Telephone USA Investments made a $1.2 million contribution to Burris in the 2002 campaign. The only other person to receive a contribution from Telephone USA Investments ever was Rod Blagojevich," Durkin said.

The loan hasn't been paid back.

P.S. This sets up the Republican revival to be a populist one-- I just pray it's not the Huckster. I like Sarah Palin's more libertarian West approach. We shall see. Sen. Mitch McConnell is a smart guy, which is the best we have now to slow liberal legislation there, but longterm our revival will not start in the Senate.