Unless U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has a wiretap with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich chatting with Barack Obama about how many dollars it will take to buy a Senate seat for David Axelrod, Peddle-gate will have little impact on the fortunes of the President-elect.

The biggest impact of the whole sordid mess will be on the political career of Fitzgerald, the pride of Brooklyn. Is it too late for Blago to offer Fitzgerald Obama’s old Senate seat, no-strings (or dollars) attached? No-nonsense Pat is a young Rudy Giuliani without the arrogance and attitude. It's Republicans like Fitzy who have Democrats worried there might still be some life in the Grand Old Party.

Meanwhile, Americans are tired of political scandals like peddle-gate and are begging Obama to lead the country out of the woods. The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released Dec. 11 shows a whopping 73 percent of Americans approve the way that Obama is handling the transition and preparing for the White House. About forty percent of respondents have a more favorable view of Barry then they had on Election Day. Even McCain supporters see the light when it comes to Obama. Nearly three-in-ten (29 percent) of them now think positively about Obama. That is up from nine percent since October.

The country has never been more united behind an incoming President. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents believe the President-elect faces challenges far greater than any recent President has. Only 16 percent of Americans have a negative view of Obama. BHO’s support is similar to the backing that President Bush received following the 9/11 attacks. Bush failed to cash-in on that goodwill. He squandered that support with a “my way or the highway” attitude and launch of an unnecessary war. Obama is too smart to blow it.

As Bush slithers out of Washington, only 18 percent say they are sorry he is leaving town. That is half of those who said they would miss the impeached Bill Clinton. The poll found that half of the respondents rate 2008 as “one of the worst years in U.S. history,” a fitting capstone on the last eight years of Bush.

The slimy Blago episode is a mere sideshow to the massive challenges faced by this country. We all know it. Blago will be kicked out of office, tossed into jail and forgotten. It’s up to the rest of us to get the country back on track. A good sign: more than half of Americans see the upcoming year as one of unity, where Democrats and Republicans work together.

Let’s get rolling.

(Photo: AP via Washington Times)