South Dakota congressman should resign immediately

Apparently a South Dakota congressman figures that even though he's been convicted of manslaughter and knows that he must resign or he'll face a hearing by the ethics committee, he might as well feed at the public trough for another six weeks. That $18,000 or so in salary could come in handy for a guy headed for the unemployment line.
Rep. Bill Janklow, South Dakota's only member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was convicted Monday of reckless driving, running a stop sign and speeding in an Aug. 16 crash that killed motorcyclist Randy Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn.
The jury's verdict, which came after only five hours of deliberation, obviously spelled an end to Janklow's long political career. He has had a distinguished career in South Dakota politics for 30 years, having been elected governor four times before entering Congress.
His driving record has not been nearly as distinguished. It includes 12 speeding tickets, dating from 1990 through 1994, and three traffic accidents in 1993 alone.
The jury noticed
His pattern of careless driving was obviously a factor in the jury finding him guilty of the most serious charge, second-degree manslaughter, a felony. It was apparently also a factor in the jury discounting his defense, that his failure to eat that day had caused a diabetic reaction.
A paramedic who treated Janklow at the scene testified that the congressman said he had eaten that day. But even if he hadn't, the jury foreman said, it was Janklow's responsibility to do so, since he knew that he was diabetic and knew the possible consequences of not eating.
Janklow is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 20. South Dakota does not require minimum sentences, and the judge's discretion on the four convictions ranges from no time behind bars and no fines up to a total of 10 years in prison, 14 months in jail and $11,400 in fines.
It will be interesting to see if the judge can rise to the high standard set by the jury of treating Janklow not like a former governor and congressman, but for what he is: a habitually reckless driver whose disregard for the rules of the road cost an innocent man his life.
In this case, Janklow's recklessness has also cost the people of South Dakota representation in the House. Based on its population, South Dakota has only one representative. Janklow's replacement will be chosen through a primary election in April and a special election in June.
Adding insult to injury
That's unfortunate for the people of South Dakota. But Janklow's decision to stay on the payroll until his sentencing date is an insult to the people of his state and to the nation.
He is a proven criminal and should be out of the House now. He knew going into the trial that there was a possibility that he would be found guilty. Indeed, given the circumstances, he had every reason to expect to be found guilty. He had ample time to prepare.
He should have used that time to prepare a statement of apology to the family of Randy Scott and a letter tendering his resignation immediately.
Instead, he used it to work out just how long he could comfortably stay on the public payroll and he rushed from the courthouse, refusing any comment.
His colleagues should be embarrassed.