Our Founders knew all about corruption a la Madigan.
If you’re at all familiar with history from ancient to modern (1700s), you’d know that the Founders knew about and recognized that the archetype of Madigan had existed in every age and place and would return again to infest our country.
It may surprise you, but even during the lifetimes of the Founders power-mongers, sociopaths and charlatans existed.
It may also surprise you that the same people who elected a Madigan elected a Durbin and a Kirk. There’s no reason to believe that we wouldn’t end up with exactly those two again if the 17th didn’t ever pass.
The difference would be a Senate made up of representatives of state interests, as opposed to what we have today - a House with six year terms.
Sure, Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas could easily be elected Senator Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas, since there's no difference between the two houses since the 17th passed. I'm sure her constituents in her ultra-liberal safe Democrat house district are exactly like the statewide electorate.
Give it a rest.