I'm a member of a union. My father was a proud union member. His father was a union member and, for a time, a union organizer. I own a business. My maternal grandparents, whom I cherished more than anyone else when I was a kid, were farmers. My mother was a public-school teacher for several years. Both of my parents are now retired and rely heavily on their government pensions.

What the heck does any of that have to do with anything?

As we are all now aware, the $700-billion bailout has become the law of the land. A lot of people are, understandably, upset about this and are pointing out the flaws of this legislation: that it is, ultimately, unfunded; that it rewards failure and penalizes success; and that it represents an increase in government's control over the economy unseen since the Great Depression.

All valid arguments, of course - and totally irrelevant: Such critiques miss the crucial point completely.

Every four years about this time, news stories start to appear about the Electoral College, the constitutionally established system we use to elect the president of the United States. Invariably, pundits use this season to lambast and ignore the important role the Electoral College plays in preserving our republic. Recently the attacks have gotten worse, and they have even convinced four states (Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, and Hawaii) to enact legislation to do away with the Electoral College. Nationally, U.S Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) has introduced legislation to abolish it.

But before we discard the Electoral College, we need to understand its importance. As President Lyndon Johnson said of the Electoral College, "Our present system of computing and awarding electoral votes by states is an essential counterpart of our federal system and the provisions of our Constitution, which recognize and maintain our nation as a union of states."

It's no secret that Governor Rod Blagojevich is probably the most unpopular Illinois governor in living memory.

The entrenched politicians and special-interest groups who oppose a state constitutional convention are rightly worried that the public's mistrust, even hatred, of this governor will skew November's vote. Every 20 years, voters are given the right to call a constitutional convention, and the next opportunity is November 4. Opponents fret that Illinoisans may decide to make the constitutional convention vote a referendum on Rod Blagojevich. If that happens, they say, illogic and emotion will prevail, and terrible consequences could follow.

Ridiculous.

The truth is that Rod Blagojevich is a walking, talking poster child for a constitutional convention.