Mr. Lead Paint buys a federal judgeship

The Washington Examiner reports:

We have learned from the sordid saga of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois of the lengths to which some people will go for an appointment to the United States Senate. Apparently, it's not all that different for Blago's fellow Democrats in Washington, D.C. when the prize is a federal judgeship. How else to explain President Obama's nomination of Jack McConnell, a Rhode Island trial lawyer, for the federal district court in his state. McConnell made his fortune at the Motley Rice class-action law firm litigating asbestos, tobacco, and lead paint cases. Since 1993, he and his wife have contributed $694,000 to Democrats. Among the beneficiaries of this campaign largesse were Obama, four members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that approved his nomination, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. All 12 Democrats on the panel voted yes on McConnell's nomination.