For those that don’t understand what happened today, Roland Burris had to travel to Washington, DC to go through the formality of having Harry Reid BREAK THE LAW so that Burris can sue Harry Reid and win in court. Hopefully, all this will happen before January 20th so we can get on with it already.
I don’t care one way or the other, but I love the way we get to see yet another display of political hypocrisy this week with the Roland Burris “seating” controversy.We really can’t get enough of that these days. I mean we ought to be entertained seeing as how these folks have given nearly a trillion of our tax dollars to the financial services industries in exchange for campaign donations.
Lets be clear, Roland Burris is the next Junior Senator from the state of Illinois unless the duly elected representatives of Illinois step in and provide for a special election. Which they will not do because a republican WILL win that seat. Why? because typically the party embroiled in the political scandal of the moment pays the price and I doubt that there are many Illinois Democrats that don’t have ties to governor Blagoavich
Look folks, Blogavich has not been convicted, only accused. If the good people wanted to strip a sitting governor of all power in the event that they become indicted, then the people of Illinois, through their duly elected representative could have passed such a law. They didn’t and it’s not like a corrupt governor stituation hasn’t come up in Illinois before since four past governors have been indicted and jailed in recent memory. Its not as if they couldn’t forsee a govenor being corrupt.
Was nominating Burris a cynical ploy to exploit Burris’ race?ABSOLUTELY. But he’s legally entitled to do it, until such time as he is no longer governor. Just like appointing the WOEFULLY UNQUALIFIED Caroline Kennedy to the United State Senate because she’s rich and has a familiar last name. Roland Burris has actually run for state-wide office and won.
We are a nation of laws and not of men. Aren’t you tired of people in power just making up the rules as the go along because it suits them? You want to torture people? No problem, just make some stuff up. You want to take taxpayer dollars approved to bailout banks to bailout failed auto businesses, no problem, make some stuff up. You want to go to war? No problem, forget the constitution’s little proviso about Congress declaring war while the Executive wages war, just do whatever you feel like.
The law, from everything I’ve seen, provides that this governor, however corrupt you and I may think he is, is entitled to appoint Burris. Reid is holding this up by directing the Illinois Secretary of State not to certify Burris’ appointment, but the judicial branch will take care of that eventually. Then what is Reid going to do?
So this little side show is going to play out over the next few weeks in the courts, IF it takes that long. Eventually the judicial branch will instruct the legislative branch to read its own freaking laws and comply with them, but in the interim we all get to sit back and watch the show because this looks like a good one. I. CAN’T WAIT. to hear the tapes of Harry Reid speaking with Blagoavich about who he should and should not appoint to sit in the US Senate.
I laugh that these people are saying Burris is unqualified because of the character of the person that appointed him, but they have made no investigation into the “qualifications” of any other appointee or prospective Senate appointee and don’t get me started on conflict of interest when your future Secretary of State’s husband is taking on large infusions of cash from regimes she will have to deal with in the future. Nobody in Washington, DC is really in a place to judge the “ethics” of anyone else these days.
I repeat, we are a nation of laws and not of men. You ought to be “careful” when the ruling elites decide that only people who meet “their” approval can be seated and by meeting their approval, I mean rich, and well connected. You have to be very “careful” when the ruling elites pick and choose which laws they choose to follow and which they will not.
This isn’t about who will win in 2010, its about our particular form of government in this country. Under our form of government, the one guided by laws and not the whims of men, Burris should have been seated already.
15 comments ↓
Harry Reid needs to STFU. And so does Dianne Feinstein for that matter. Why isn’t she under indictment for hubby’s shady business dealings? Why is LIERberman still sitting on his lofty perch no worse for the wear? These politicians are ridiculous. And Obama is seriously getting on my nerves trying to duck and cover.
O-M-G PREACH IT!
They’re all over Franken’s tip, but Burris can’t come in.
@Faith
I am withholding all Obama criticism until January 23rd. I’ll give him 48 hours! BWAH! Eventually he will have to get out of “campaign” mode and govern. I don’t blam him for laying low. He isn’t holding any real position. He resigned the Senate and he ain’t in the White House yet. He’s a private citizen. Plus, why take hits early or mess with the Senate when he’s trying to get his appointments through?
This Burris thing is just the latest in a series of lunacies. Seat him already. You dont’ get to jiggle the rules because you want to. 50 democrats signing a letter AIN’T the law.
You bring up an EXCELLENT point with Lieberman. He gets to go to the other party’s convention and gets to keep his chair? Whatever!
Burris is an odd fellow but they do need to seat him. I just hate the fact that some black folks think that Gov. Blago really has their best interests at heart. The Dems are playing a dangerous game.
Over forty member of the Cong. Black Caucus and Bobby “Hush”–excuse me Rush is on the Survivor’s Race Island all by his lonesome. “When need a Black in the Senate.” To do what? You would have expected one member of the CBC to back up Bobby considering he is just coming off chemotherapy (speedy recovery). Perhaps soon someone will cut the Pelosi tether.
Speaking of the CBC, these guy and gals are really jive. Does Obama, a former CBC member consult with the CBC or its members? I have not seen a single photo opt since Nov. 4th of Obama with the CBC or one of its members. Not one CBC member in the cabinet, hey Mel Watt for Commerce. The CBC is simply too quite–quite as a church mouse. Even my once favorite Maxine has mellowed completely. Somebody need to get Cynthia back her seat–or maybe not.
Mr. Burris is in a odd place in deed. Whatever he does going forward, he will always be tied to Blagojevich of course. I think Mr. Burris’ age probably had a lot to do with his decision to accept. At 71 his political life is curving down. I have a feeling a few other suitable, younger AA candidates dodged Blagojevich like they were running from Al Queada.
Amen
Blago is still Governor like it or not. Blaog pulled a “I triple dog dare you” with the appointment of Burris, but no one has a leg to stand on to not seat him.
Who the hell cares what they think (Obama included). Legally they have to seat the man, so seat him already.
This is unnecessary theater with all the ish we got going on.
Blago is playing the age/race card by appointing Burris but it is his legal right to do so at this point.
I don’t want to hear about this here.
Yes, I agree with you. And I felt really sorry for the Brother. But that’s it. These are career politcians. And remember Chicago is rift with corruption. Burris IS literally a part of it!
Black white-and men, don’t matter. Whatever!
They should seat Burris. Plan and simple. Blago may be a crook. But, he’s the current governor. Jesse White should sign his silly form and stop being used as a tool in this fiasco.
AMEN. Burris is old enough, a US citizen, and resides in the state from which he was appointed -> therefore he is QUALIFIED. (I have to laugh when someone mentions “compromise” solutions — it takes either rampant ignorance or massive egomania to propose compromise when you have nothing to bargain with!)
Whether it’s a good idea for Burris to serve, whether he would make a good Senator, whether he will appropriately represent the interests of Illinois citizens — that’s a whole different bunch of questions which can be endlessly debated. It’s pretty clear that a lot of people are opposed to this appointment, but you can’t not sign paperwork or refuse to seat a Senator just because of personal opposition. (Why not go all the way, Democrats, and refuse to seat Republicans? See how far THAT goes.)
I disagree about seating Burris. Burris should represent Illinois. He needs to sit down and let the process of impeachment work and then let the Lt. Gov appoint someone. Burris is too d*%n political. And there lies the problem. If he is seated, what will he get accomplished? His ego?
The people of Illinois deserve so much better. For Bobby Rush and some of the members of the CBC playing the race thing was degrading and an embarassment to our community.
Correction. Burris should not represent Illinois.
@womenfolktalk If the people of Illinois didn’t want him as their Senator, they could have changed their law to allow for a special election. They chose not to. So in effect, they chose to let their govenor make that choice.
We aren’t ruled by how we feel. We’re supposed to be ruled by the law in cases such as this and there is no legal basis NOT to seat him. What happens when the Republican’s control the Senate and they decide they don’t like the governor of State X, Y, Z? under your analysis, Senators can keep out whomever they want to based on any reason they feel is sufficient.
It works great when you agree with them, not so great when you don’t
that’s why fairness requires you follow whatever law exists at the time.
I agree Gem2001, however, I still think he should not be seated. I could careless about the law. But in the end Burris will be seated.