Senate leaders edge toward letting Burris have his seat
By David Neiwert Wednesday Jan 07, 2009 10:00am
In today's episode of As The Stomach Turns, Harry Reid signaled at this morning's presser that he's leaving open a door for Roland Burris to walk through.
After a 45-minute meeting this morning between Burris, Reid and his lieutenant, Sen.Dick Durbin, Reid said Senate Democrats would wait to see if the Illinois Supreme Court would order Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to sign Burris' appointment by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
I think we can probably count on the Illinois Supreme Court informing Jesse White he has to sign the appointment. Which leaves Harry Reid holding a nice stinky bag of crap.
If it's any consolation, the public agrees with Reid that Burris' appointment is tainted and he shouldn't be seated. That will make it tougher for Burris to win the seat in two years, but that's the price Rod Blagojevich is making us all pay. Including Harry Reid.
Meanwhile, Reid is saying he expects to keep leading the Senate for a good long time. All he's really doing is making an argument against seniority and incumbency, because he has done nothing to demonstrate he's worthy of leading the Senate. Especially not recently. As Jane says, I'd sure like to play poker with Reid -- and I usually make a habit of never playing against guys from Nevada.
Roland Martin thinks Democrats just need to suck it up and accept that Burris is the selection. I suspect he's right.
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Seat the man, be done with it, move on to more important things.
Thank you.
All this unecessary drama. Reid hasn't got the gots to allow this much drama when questioning the criminal tactics of the republican crime syndicate.
No shit...
The GOP mafia must have lotsa dirt on Reid and Pelosi...
I'll vouch for mine in California. Feinstien and Boxer, both covered in taint.
I can't think of one that isn't. Burris is perfect for this club.
goin around lately...
http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=3346
I posted it yesterday in another thread...only ONE person looked at it...this if funny stuff by gawd!
Mr Show was a great, short-lived comedy sketch series that has a lot of other excellent skits.
I looked up "taint" on google trends and it seems we aren't using the word enough.
http://www.google.com/trends?q=taint
I used to have the entire collection on DVD...but I loaned it out like an idiot...and it's gone now...
Yes...the word "taint" is such a versatile word, and it's a shame it's not being used to its potential.
I wish I could say it twernt me, but I cannot tell a lie, it twas me.
I can't say I t'wouldn't.
And not just by power-brokers smelling something stinky.
Blago is still the governor. The IL senate is taking its time, and our crazy gov is wielding power for as long as he has it. And no one's taken it away yet.
Burris is not the best choice by far, but he's also not the worst by far. He's not going to have a chance in hell of regaining the seat in 2 years by popular vote, since the man can't win a seat by popular vote.
He's an opportunist, which is why he accepted the "tainted" seat, but he's also the junior senator from Illinois. There's no current, legal way to prevent that.
Either we walk the walk, or we just talk the talk.
As for Reid continuing to "lead"? Give me a break. Why do you think Congress' approval rating is lower than Bush's? B/c the Dems were put in power to do something about Bush, and they didn't.
Spineless =/= Leadership
on all points.
I think in two years this seat will go to a republican. However I'm curious, who do you think should have gotten the seat based on their qualifications. No one has talked about this and since you're from Illinois I would like to know your opinion.
Rather than that, lets hope Burris loses the seat in the Primaries in 2010 ... and have that Democrat win in the General.
Seat the man, and then move on to more important things...
Like picking a new majority leader for the Senate - someone who's not a spineless idiot.
Sorry
Hillary's got anudder job.
She'd have mofo's pissin and poopin themselves...HA!
Who has the petition and how many times can I sign?
I need to edge my nose and ears.
.
Smells like a pork slaughterhouse.
that bacon comes from a magical, happy place!
Hog heaven?
Or Billy Bonkers and the Bacon Factory?
But wherever it is...it seems that the porcine species has somehow gained the ability of flight.
I like what Hamsher said.
Reid wouldn't enforce Senate Subpoenas withe the Sgt at Arms against Republican villians
but he will block a 71 yr old African American.
Booooyaaaahhhh!!!!
in US politics today.
you got played and skooled by blago, one of the most reviled politicians in the land. and, how did you get to be majority leader, the bottom of a crackjack box?
It seems to me that it would be smart to go ahead and seat Burris now. For one, Dems will have an extra vote. Beyond that, though, imagine what will happen if they continue to stall his seating, then Blagojevich gets impeached and removed and the Lt. Gov appoints someone new. This already messy situation now becomes much more messy. Whose appointment is valid? There will be lawsuits all over the place and the Dems look like a bunch of infighting idiots. Burris has not been linked to any pay-for-play dealings and has an outstanding record of public service. Yes, Blago got one over on the Dem leadership...so what? He got one over with what is overall a very good choice to replace Obama. Take the appointment, seat him, and get on with it already.
Wow!
It's amazing how Reid was willing to stand up and fight to avoid having a stronger majority.
Even though the fight was hopeless and losing would likely mean the loss of a Democratic seat in the Senate come the next elections, Reid bravely threw caution to the wind for principle! No dry powder here!
Yes, this is sarcasm. Reid is not on our side.
on the allegations till after the appointment. Then everything would be clean right now.
What, it worked for Palin's daughter's mother-in-law-to-be-jailed-soon.
This sort of thing is bound to happen when a single official is allowed to make an appointment by himself. Probably, by just adding a mandatory legislative confirmation process to the Illinois law they could have prevented this. Folks should be glad that Blago didn't appoint a wino off the street.
On the other hand, if Reid had just showed a little bit of diplomacy rather than spouting off to the press, he wouldn't have yet again come off looking like a cup of "tepid tea".
Or so he claims.
It's clear he doesn't work for us, either, after toadying up to Bush and his fellow ideologues in the GOP. The merest hint of impropriety got him to bluster that Burris would never be seated, but let someone like Dennis Kucinich actually file Articles of Impeachment, and Reid's spine turns to jello.
Now, Burris is a dope for accepting an appointment from a guy who is under federal investigation, and stinks to high heaven for his 'I'm not going to showboat' comedy routine (he just invites cameras to his church and says Da Lawd Done Ordained Me!).
Their options are few. Blago has pulled off one the best political revenges..evah. Burris will be a burr in the saddle blanket for the duration.
Harry folds like a cheap lawnchair.
Again.
Path-et-ic.
I would say like a Chinese laundryman on speed.
wrong.
What a pussy.
Sounds like you reeeaaallly like his daughter.
The Democrats just need to shut up!!!!!
They say one thing and then do the opposite on all sorts of issues, demonstrating that they're wimps and noodle-spines. How often has this kind of thing happened? It seems like it's been endless the last 8 years. Nancy you're-the-advocates-we're-the-leaders Pelosi is Reid's do-nothing soulmate, too.
I cannot say how "disappointed" I am in the Democrats, from Obama on down the line, with a few exceptions that don't make any difference to the rest of them.
Seat the guy and move on with the public's business. We've taken way too damned long just electing people this time around and every minute spent on crap like this is simply giving the Congresstwits an excuse not to be doing anything constructive.
One question though... Has Reid ever HAD a spine or is this some kind of birth defect?
Tom
I think it was removed along with his tonsils when he was a child.
... I would like to hear the threat of 'NUCLEAR OPTION' at every sign of a possible filibuster threatened by the repug scum.
Why not replace Reid with Feingold or Dodd? That should shake up a few things
Talk about intestinal fortitude
With all them old guys in the Senate this has to be a common issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6dm9rN6oTs
staving off a majority in the Senate, Reid is the best friend the Repugs have. How long before Faux "accidently" puts an R after his name?
And does anyone think the Repugs would hesitate to seat Coleman if the MN results were reversed?
IMHO this is all a fabulous ruse to draw attention away from what’s going on in MN. Reid took the bait and now he’s floundering on shore. Stupid spineless fishy.
After his passing, Harry Reid's body should be donated to science. I am sure that scientists are just itching to investigate the phenomenon of a man who was born with absolutely no spine and no balls. Totatlly spineless and balls-less. Possibly a Ripley's Believe it or Not hall of famer.
Majority Leader my a**.
that would be a SHARK; ever circling its prey.
Reid has to comply to what the GOP wants as he was in their back pocket for 8 years and profitted from the corrupt deals, now it's time for pay back. Feinstein and Pelosi are also up to their neck in the corrupt deals these two have made with the GOP. Feinstein is so confused she forgot she wrote a letter denying something she now supports. Diane forgot she said that President Bush could appoint who ever he wanted while now denying Obama the same right. Diane approved unqualified appointees like Connie Rice, Al Gonzales and even Porter Goss without one question asked but now she want to attack each of Obama's appointees to stop the progress Obama wants to make in the US Economy Recovery. Burris was appointed by a Govenor who will soon be Impeached. Now Obama has sent the old school Politicians to running to cover up their crimes. Poltics as usual will cause money Law Makers with years in office to resign. Reid is even told to ask for Ted Stevens to get a pardon that's how deep he's in with the GOP. Next we'll hear Feinstein/Pelosi/Reid campaign for Sarah Palin in Obama's Cabinet.
A funny silly song from the 60's to accompany this thread. If I had either the energy or the talent, I'd create a video..with Burris pounding on one side of the Senate door, and the rest of the Democrats on the other...with this music in the background.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br10qPMq1Vk
Seriously, Burris and Blago seem to have the law on their side for this one, and I don't think the Senators have much choice. Laws and constitutions are like that. But after 8 years of Bush-Cheney treating laws and constitutions like scraps of meaningless paper, I guess we may have forgotten how following the law is sometimes messy and politically inconvenient.
the Democrats are gonna do to Obama's agenda what they did to Carter's.
I hope you're wrong but it was revealing the way Reid felt the need to poke Obama today with his "I don't work for Obama" remark. That was totally unnecessary this early in the game.
As long as Reid is where he is, Obama's agenda is at risk. Reid would have trouble convincing people to flee a burning building, let alone getting passed a progressive, Democratic agenda.
There you are. Senators like the idea of controlling each of the three branches, but only insofar as it eases their efforts to push through ideals that appeal to THEM. There is no such thing as a Democrat government. Unlike the Republicans, the Democrats represent an incredibly broad ideology, and that often works against a progressive Executive.
Once again, MARK MY WORDS.
Seat the man and move on the next back room deal and corrupt political move. I have taken an oath to lie, cheat, swindle and hey, whore around. Why not. I can say, that tape is out of context, that was not money I was handed ... that stack of paper could be anything (actual quote from a MA Representative caught on photo stuffing her bra with money), etc, etc.
Seat the man, he's about as good as the next asshole.
This is the first time in my 60 years that I've witnessed a President-Elect being undercut BEFORE taking the oath of office.
The legacy of Bush is that he changed the dynamics of the presidency.
Gosh, Harry Reid's post-election vagina is a lot roomier than it was before November. There's even room for a sofa now.
Yessirrrreee Harry , tough and principled and brilliant as usual ! What a nutless wonder ! With people like the Boner and Bitch on the one side and Reid on the other good luck getting anything meaningful done Barack .
It's time like this I wonder why I supported the Democrats at all.
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