The courage Illinois Democrats show in this one is just breathtaking. 
What’s especially heartwarming to see is how they link their personal
well being with that of our nation’s heroes.  They’ll have to
reissue a new edition of Profiles
in Courage.

SPRINGFIELD — On its own, a plan to
grant Gov. Blagojevich, his Cabinet, statewide officeholders and rank-and-file
lawmakers nearly 10 percent pay raises might as well have had an anvil tied to
it.

But tie the politically unpalatable
plan to a funding bill that also provided money to the families of deceased
soldiers, police officers or firefighters, and the $1.4 million in pay raises
are on a fast track to the governor to approve.

That's what happened late Thursday
night as the Illinois Senate raced to beat a midnight adjournment deadline.

Thanks to the Chicago
Sun Times for bringing this one to our national attention. 
Really brings a tear to our eyes.