Newly christened lame duck Illinois Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, nominally a Republican, did one good thing while in office before deciding he didn’t have it in him to run again without the backing of his own party.

He appointed three independent U.S. attorneys in the state of Illinois, prosecutors committed to ending our state’s infamous history — er, present — of political chicanery, corruption and outright silliness.

That hurts pols on both sides, as the Trib’s John Kass pointed out yesterday.

So there’s at least one good thing. He also played a key role in saving the homes of thousands of suburbanites who would have been bulldozed, literally, by the Daley machine that had the Senate this close to federalizing the decision about whether to expand O’Hare Airport. Now that deal is dead because the airlines are broke.

But it almost happened. And Fitzgerald stopped it. I guess that’s two good things. I should learn to count. Fitzgerald knew how to count what matters — not the support of Illinois’ all-too-cozy two-headed monsters, but right on one hand and wrong on the other.

“So now as I’m leavin’
I’m weary as Hell
The confusion I’m feelin’
Ain’t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God is on our side
He’ll stop the next war”

— Bob Dylan, “With God On Our Side”

Dubya’s lookin’ at you, Syria.