I try not to do New Year’s resolutions, but instead set goals for the year ahead.  That usually gives me plenty of time to meet them, drop the ball, and meet them again by the end of the year.  So with that in mind, here’s my advice for some your favorite elected officials.

Barack Obama - Make sure you keep the good will and high approval ratings you have with the public, you will need it as this economy probably won’t start to turn around late 2010 or early 2011.

National Democrats - Talk all the liberal policy stuff you want, but make sure you pass some center/right of center legislation because that’s where the country still is.

National Republicans - Get a clue.  Figure out what you are and stick with it.  And remember you can’t win being the party of the South and the national talk radio crowd.

Mitch Daniels - If you can balance the budget without touching the surplus, you’re my hero.

Pat Bauer - You’re a smart guy and  can walk and chew gum at the same time, so let government consolidation have a full hearing and vote.

Greg Ballard - Keep being a nice guy, but you still need to leave a horse’s head in the bed of a political friend and foe to show them you do know how to the play the game.

Council Democrats - Get your act together and come up with an alternative plan to run the city .

Council Republicans - Get your act together and come up with a plan to help the Mayor run the city.

The 20 million Democrats who want to be Mayor in 2011 - Good luck in not tripping over each over and showing the racial and geographical divisions in the County party.

Remaining Township Officials - Go away.

Obama conspiracy theorists and bloggers - Move out of your parents’ basements and start dating.

Just when I thought the situation in my home state could not get any more bizzare, it just did.  Soon to be formally indicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich today appointed former state Attorney General Roland Burris to the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Burris is a nice guy, but hasn’t held elected office since 1994 and lost every race he ran for (Governor and Mayor of Chicago) since then.  His term as Attorney General was mediocre at best.  As soon as he was elected his goal was to run for Governor.  I know this because I worked with his staff when I went to work for his successor, Jim Ryan.

What I can’t understand is why Burris is letting himself be pimped by Blago like this.  Anyone can see Blagojevich is trying to pander to Black voters by appointing Burris, thinking they will get up in arms if he is not allowed to take the seat.  Also, President-elect Obama was a longtime Burris supporter.

However, someone should remind Burris that Blago is more radioactive than Uranium 236 and there is no way, he will be allowed to serve in the U.S. Senate without a court fight.  The only hope he has is a case involving Harlem Congressman Adam Clayton Powell who Congress tried to deny seating back in the 1940s.  Powell won that case as the Court held Congress could only decide if someone met the qualifications for the office, and unfortunately Blago still has the legal authority to fill the vacancy.

And just a note, will someone tell Gray Panther Bobby Rush to get somewhere and sit down.  He looks like he had a stroke and made absolutely no sense what-so-ever.

If this is what my home state is turning into, maybe I can start calling myself a Hoosier or Missourian or Hawkeye.  Heck, even British Columbia looks good right now.