Vander Bites

Blending old-fashioned politics and new-fashioned technologies, the State of Illinois announced that it has officially posted the State Senate seat vacated by president-elect Barack Obama on Ebay.

The move, the first of its kind, is designed to fill an empty legislative seat while also generating desperately-needed state income.

“Time are tough, no doubt about it,” Gov. Rod Blagojevich said. “This kills two birds with one stone.”

Blagojevich, who was recently arrested after allegedly trying to sell the seat himself, said the extra income earned through the auction will have an immediate impact. Among the projects slated to receive funding are: repairs to an aging five-lane bridge, rural fire departments and Blagojevich’s family Christmas.

The week-long auction started yesterday, with an initial bid price of $35. Though Illinois hopes to bring home at least $17 million, it has set a modest $115 reserve price. That means if the highest winner doesn’t pony up at least $115, the whole process starts over. For those who would rather cut to the chase, there is a “Buy It Now” option available for $10 million.

After nearly 22 hours on Ebay, 13 bidders have responded. The highest bid so far: $207.

But online auction expert Stan Jankovich said it’s too early to call the auction a failure.

“The most active and competitive bidding happens in the waning moments of an auction,” he said.

His prediction: “This could easily surpass $1,000 by the time it’s said and done.”

Opponents say the auction undermines the U.S. Constitution. But Blagojevich countered, “These seats have been for sale for quite some time. Normally they are paid for under the table, but we realized that left a lot of people – good, middle-class people – out of the running. We feel this is much more inclusive.”

The idea struck a chord in California, where state officials are considering auctioning Paris Hilton.