Free Roland Burris! He's going to be seated
By John Amato Monday Jan 12, 2009 1:23pm
(via CNN)
I was writing a post earlier called "Free Roland Burris" because Harry Reid has turned this whole episode into a bad joke and an embarrassment, but it now looks like he will be seated and fast.
CNN's Dana Bash is reporting that Roland Burris will finally be seated after she read a few statements from the Democratic leadership in the Senate (haha). Even Dick Cheney will be there swearing him in. It was pretty cold to leave him standing in the rain last week after it was apparent that this was the only card left the Dems had left to play.
So the national joke is finally coming to an end.
Susie Madrak says:
It's not as if they had a choice. There's really no legal basis to deny him the seat:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Illinois senior senator and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin said Monday that the Senate would accept the credentials of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.
The Secretary of the Senate has determined that the new credentials presented today on behalf of Mr. Burris now satisfy Senate Rules and validate his appointment to the vacant Illinois Senate seat. In addition, as we requested, Mr. Burris has provided sworn testimony before the Illinois House Committee on Impeachment regarding the circumstances of his appointment," the two said in a statement.
"We have spoken to Mr. Burris to let him know that he is now the Senator-designate from Illinois and as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a Senator-elect," the statement said. "Accordingly, barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week. We are working with him and the office of the Vice President to determine the date and time of the swearing-in."
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Not a fan of Blago, but he was within his right as Governor of Illinois to appoint Burris.
Time to start a pool on the date on which Al Franken will be allowed to take his seat.
The appointment is tainted. Just because it was 'legal' does not make it right. Once again the Democrats from the "Good 'Ole Boys Club" show they have no more honor than the Republicans. This was done only in an effort to insure a majority. I wouldn't blame the Republicans if they screamed bloody murder on this. I hope they do. If the shoe were the other foot, you can bet your bottom dollar the Dems would.
The majority is already insured. What they can't insure is the 60 votes needed to win cloture votes (filibustering), and something tells me Mitch McConnell is getting ready to ask for a lot of those. One more warm ass in a Majority seat means one less vote needed to drag away from the Minority.
And let 'em scream bloody murder. It's completely legal. No questions. No provisions in Illinois' constitution or legal code that keeps Blago from making the appointment, and there's no way to make it smell any better whether Burris is in now or if there's an appointment or special election months down the road.
You want this Congress to be progressive? Stalled legislation won't help the forward momentum at all.
Where is the humor?
Yes, I agree. As from my name, I'm from IL and I'm not laughing...at all!
Not a fan of Blago or Burris at all...but yeah, it was really lame of them to take a stand on THIS, of all things.
I'm not a fan of anyone involved in this but I'm glad they are going to seat him and put this bs behind us. Is there any way to replace Reid? Maybe with a democrat who knows when to keep his mouth shut and when to fight.
The joke is not over until Reid is freed!
Like anyone else?
He's a dealmaker between the Dems- that's how Majority (or Minority) Leaders are usually chosen. But if the deals don't happen, keep an eye out for someone like Debbie Stabenow (another dealmaker, who stays out of the limelight) to make a run for the spot
is going to do one hell of a job.
He's no dummy.
And he's got nothing to lose and is beholden to no one.
Wish all senators conformed to this model.
under the impression from reading about his record online that Burris is a corporatist.
This looks like a job for
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN_UK-81Xuw
wow...........finally that ongoing saga was boring. i suspect blago will sign on with hair klub for former governors.
Free the Springfield Two...Free the Springfield Two...
This joke will go on and on and on. I'm not sure how it's all Reids fault. Even Obama flip flopped on this. Rolands a worm that proves once and for all that affirmative action is a bad idea. Was he really the best black politician from Illinois? I find it hard to believe.
I doubt he is the best pol black or white, but Blago chose him and he's legally able to take the seat. Obama picks his battles and this one wasn't worth the effort.
Your right on point. I think this seat will now go to a republican in 2010. Blago sure is a worthless piece of shit. One big nasty stain the democrats don't need at he moment.
Nelsons office and asked if Reid was dumb or what and told him to tell Reid to end this joke and seat him.
The Illinois voters can decide in 2010 whether to keep him or not
I read he told Reid that he never had contact with Blago or his office regarding the seat. Then at the impeachment hearing he said that he did have a conversation with an aide stating that he was interested. So which was it? Did he lie to Reid. He was under oath at the hearing.
Is Blago- or any other Governor in the same circumstances (that is, appointing a Senator) just going to appoint someone to the seat without contacting the candidate?
Now if you've got a link about the behind-the-scenes goings-on that cast Burris in a truly bad light, link away, please.
With Caroline Kennedy the other day. Uhm, er, ah, yea.
Well, we should be very proud of our fine American Senators.
Once again. Name a GOOD American Senator.
I thought so. I can't name one either.
Wellstone is the only one
Agree 100%
Russ Fiengold is at the least a "GOOD" American Senator.
I would say Damn.
Then I'll say Tom Harkin too if we're not getting pure here
I've voted for him five times. He does right by the state- and that's what Senators are there for.
I knew there may be a few but you can count them on one hand.
Forgot about Feingold. never hear much from him.
Notice how the good senators never go anywhere near a cabinet position?
and he can do more good in Congress than in a job that lasts eight years, tops (and cabinet members don't usually stay that long).
There are a lot of people who would be great for other jobs, but who are too good at what they're currently doing to quit. Not everyone can be Buckaroo Banzai.
the dickhead GOP governor of MN won't let Al Franken take his rightfully elected seat.
Burris (D-Blagojevich) will not have a snowball's chance of being elected in 2010. He DOES have the potential to divide Illinois Democrats along racial lines. Do not think that Illinois is such a Blue State that there will automatically be a Dem in this seat in 2010. Obama won in 2004 primarily because the ousted Republican Governor (now in prison) was a still-current example of Republican corruption and the Republican primary was a circus, with divorce records, accusations of abuse, and Alan Keyes all providing the entertainment.
Now Blagojevich is the poster child of Democratic corruption and our party provides the circus. Roland Burris (D-Burris) has done neither the state of Illinois nor the Democratic Party any favors by his ready willingness to fill the seat for two years. We stand to lose it for the next six.
Reid D-umbshit wouldn't have made a circus out of it and sat him right away, maybe nothing would have happened.
"So the national joke is finally coming to an end."
The joke's on us. The fact that he accepted the seat is all you have to know about his moral character. 'Blago's Choice' is going to be sitting in the Senate Chamber -- serving as a direct link and constant reminder of his patron's criminal proceedings taking place back in Chicago.
How about Ted Stevenson receiving a standing obation when he went back into the senate by the republicans.
Look at the republican crooks in the senate and they do not even draw a third page mention...
Republicans subsidize foreign auto makers, but leave Detroit hanging
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/12/1...
or this a republican breakdown..
http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/about/gopco...
Bill Clinton set both the example and the gold standard for Democratic capitulation in which settling for something less extreme than pure neoconservatism is considered a shining triumph of bipartisanship.
We're seeing the same thing now with Obama and these Willie Wetlegs in Congress. And to deny that is make ourselves as willfully blind as Bush's supporters have been these past 8 years.
So he must have done something correctly when he tacked to the right.
But that last time we elected him was 12 years ago. The voters have shifted to the left. WJCv.1996 could've still won a Presidential election in 2008, but he wouldn't need the tack to the right. In fact, that kind of move would probably result in failure in the primaries (see HRCv.2008), imo.
Won because of Perot
Even after the Dems were tossed out of power in the Congress in '94. No viable third party candidates to deal with. In '96 (and continuing until AFTER WJC left office) the GOP did everything it could to knock him off and FAILED. That should impress you more than it apparently does, imo. ;D
I guess for a black Republican ;p
Something about Dick Clarks restaurant and Welfare reform from a Michael Moore movie turned me away from him after the fact.
But, goodness, how that man can talk! That's why I still love the guy no matter how much I disagree with much of what he did.
Clinton, that is. Not Dick Clark or Michael Moore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL0Jh6MHFEM&fe...
Seating him guarantees a rethug victory for this seat in 2010.
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