No, that's not a check Roland Burris is taking from his pocket as Gov. Blagojevich introduces him Tuesday. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In a way, we don’t blame Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for defying the leadership of his own Democratic Party last week and appointing Roland Burris to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

It probably was the governor’s last shot at glory, his last chance to play the big shot. From now on, Mr. Blagojevich will be playing defense in impeachment proceedings and almost certainly as a criminal defendant. Indeed, the coming week promises to be a very bad one for him: By Thursday, a federal grand jury in Chicago may hand up indictments on charges based on the alleged conduct for which the governor was arrested on Dec. 9.

Under federal rules of criminal procedure, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald had 20 working days from the date of arrest to seek indictments. On Wednesday, he asked a federal court for a  90-day extension for bringing indictments, saying new witnesses had come forward.

Without indictments, a judge would order a preliminary hearing to determine whether there was sufficient cause to bring the case to trial. Such a hearing would give Mr. Blagojevich and his lawyers insight into the evidence the prosecution holds; Mr. Fitzgerald is not known for tipping his hand.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said last week that he expects the Illinois House to vote on articles of impeachment against the governor by Feb. 12. For fans of irony, that is the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

So Tuesday probably was Mr. Blagojevich’s last hurrah, his last play as a supposed rebel. Sadly, Roland Burris — perhaps desperate for his own last hurrah — went along with it.

Downstate Illinois knows Mr. Burris well. A native of Centralia and a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, he was elected Illinois comptroller in 1978, becoming the first African-American elected to statewide office. In 12 years as comptroller and four more as attorney general, he was a dull but generally competent public servant. Still, in Illinois, serving 16 years in statewide office without a corruption scandal is an accomplishment for any officeholder.

Democratic voters thrice turned down his primary bids to move up to the governor’s office or the U.S. Senate. In a three-way gubernatorial primary in 2002, Mr. Burris siphoned off enough votes from former Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas to give the nomination to Mr Blagojevich.

Now, at 71, Mr. Burris gets the equivalent of an intentional walk: an appointment, however radioactive, to the U.S. Senate. Never mind that Mr. Fitzgerald has Mr. Blagojevich on tape musing about how much he could get for the appointment. Never mind that nearly every other leading Democrat in the state has said he or she would turn down the job. Never mind that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada says the Democratic caucus won’t seat anyone Mr. Blagojevich sends its way.

How sad that Mr. Burris would be so desperate. How pathetic that Mr. Blagojevich thought the well needed further poisoning. U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, a Chicago Democrat, who has been recovering from cancer, got off his sickbed to play the race card at Tuesday’s announcement. He warned Senate Democrats not to “hang and lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer.”

Neither race nor gender is an entitlement for any public office, elective or appointive; Mr. Obama’s election should have settled that issue. Still, for all of Mr. Reid’s posturing, the Senate may have no choice but to seat Mr. Burris. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 four decades ago in a case involving New York Democratic Rep. Adam Clayton Powell that if a member of Congress meets minimal constitutional standards, he must be seated.

Desperation does not disqualify. A legal challenge would drag on for months; the Senate, the nation and, for that matter, the state of Illinois have larger priorities. Mr. Burris will make an effective placeholder and even could run for election to a full term in 2010. True, campaigning as the “Senator from Blagojevich” could be a bit of a problem, but in Illinois, not, alas, an insurmountable one.