What strikes me about the Blago scandal is the going rate for a Senate seat. $500,000 seems low to me. Given the amount of money spent in the recent campaign it is almost paltry. Is that a reflection on Blago’s low-rent mentality or on the institution of the Senate? If the latter, we should be concerned about the market value of other Senate seats, and the influence of people for whom $500,000 is just a good day at the office.