Blago to fill senate seat

This is shaping up to be a very interesting week to say the least. Al Franken now leads Norm Coleman by 225 votes. Tomorrow,the canvassing board should declare him the winner and the R's have pledged to obstruct his seating.

This sheds some light:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0104chapmanjan04,0,6983915.column

Why Burris Should Be Seated

That was a good column, especially this part:

The senators insist they may shut the door to Burris because the Constitution says, "Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members." But that doesn't mean the right to exclude anyone they wish. If it did, a Democratic Senate would be perfectly entitled to refuse to admit any Republican, and vice versa.

What it means is that the Senate may ensure members meet the requirements established in the Constitution. Each senator is supposed to be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years and a resident of the state he or she represents.

In a 1969 case involving Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who was barred from the House because of corruption allegations, the Supreme Court said that "in judging the qualifications of its members, Congress is limited to the standing qualifications prescribed in the Constitution" and that "since Adam Clayton Powell Jr. was duly elected by the voters of the 18th Congressional District of New York and was not ineligible to serve under any provision of the Constitution, the House was without power to exclude him from its membership."

Nor does it matter that Powell was elected by his constituents and Burris was not. It's not Burris' fault that there was no election. Like Powell, he secured his seat under the procedures set out by his state.

There is virtually no way that the Democrats can gracefully, or legally, weasel their way out of seating Burris.
Blagojevich gave them a big, fat poke in the eye on his way out the door.
Some people might even think it's kind of funny.
Others might think it's hilarious.

There is no way the Dems can keep Burris out. This was a very good column.

It also goes to show ya just how little respect Blagojevich has for his own party too.

Burris wouldn't have been my first choice,but I do hope he gets seated without any drama. What I don't want is a special election that would cost 50 million dollars.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17022.html

Reid’s office isn’t backing down on its plan to not seat Burris — and top advisers to Burris are suggesting that Reid doesn’t want an African-American to succeed Obama.

“It’s interesting that all those who are viable are white women and the ones who are unacceptable are black men,” Prince Riley, a senior consultant to Burris, told Politico.

Riley was alluding to a Chicago Sun-Times story Saturday indicating that Reid called Blagojevich on Dec. 3, shortly before the governor was arrested on corruption charges, including the allegation that he'd tried to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder.

In the call — which was presumably taped by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who'd tapped the governor's phones in the course of the investigation — Reid reportedly argued against appointing Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Danny Davis or state Senate President Emil Jones, all of whom are black, in favor of either state Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who is Thai-American, or Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who is white.

“If Mr. Reid and others are offended by his presence, I’m left with no answers,” Riley said. “Sen. Burris is a former attorney general, former comptroller, he has impeccable credentials. Why wouldn’t a man of that character be an asset to the Senate?”

So the Democrats are being painted as racists.
That’s a shame.
Some people might think it's kind of funny.
Still others might think it's hilarious.

Yes I heard this too. BTW, wasn't it Rush that had a stroke a year or so ago?

Actually I just googled Bobby Rush and others seem to be asking the same thing. Nobody knows for sure. I could be thinking of someone else but I really thought he had a stroke.

party42 wrote:

Actually I just googled Bobby Rush and others seem to be asking the same thing. Nobody knows for sure. I could be thinking of someone else but I really thought he had a stroke.

John Stroger?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Rush#Health

Quote :

Rush is a cancer survivor, having battled a malignant tumor in his salivary gland. While he says that he is currently cancer-free, the ordeal, including the removal of the tumor and surrounding area, have left his speech slurred and resulted in his gaunt appearance

Sounds like Stroger was a mess-

Quote :

Stroger had an extensive history of medical complications. He was a diabetic, had battled prostate cancer and underwent a quadruple bypass in 2001. In March 2006 the Board President suffered a severe stroke, which caused him to suffer partial paralysis. Other neurological complications occurred. After the stroke John Stroger never again appeared in public.

Further information about Stroger's condition was released to the public through indirect disclosures. In July 2006, WBBM-TV reported that he was back in the hospital after suffering seizures.[5] Todd Stroger broke a long public silence in December 2007, telling the Sun-Times that his father had been improving until the seizures began. Now, though, "it's just a matter of making sure he's comfortable," Todd said. He also noted that once the seizures started, "He's not been better since."[6]

John Stroger died on January 18, 2008, aged 78.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stroger#Health_problems_and_death

I stand corrected.

One thing everyone is not mentioning is that the Illinois Sec. of State has to certify the appointment of the governer. The Sec. of State is Jesse White, an African American and currently has not signed off on the appointment yet. The US Senate requires this signature.

The Ill. courts could insist White do that. In any case, I hear it is just a technicality.

http://www.thepoliticalcesspool.org/jamesedwards/tag/roland-burris-headstone/


This is just unbelievable. I guess he thinks he is special.

party42 wrote:

The Ill. courts could insist White do that. In any case, I hear it is just a technicality.

A technicality the entire Senate in DC can use to not seat him

Harry Reid said it best, "its not about Burris, its about who appointed him"

Well, for one thing, had the legislatures demanded an election, and say,
Tammy Duckworth, Lisa Madigan, Jesse Jr., and whomever was running, and Burris was thrown in the election...how do you think Burris would fare?

At the bottom. What I don't clearly understand is, since an April 7th election is now scheduled for Biden's seat, why didn't they wait and throw that in with Obama's seat?

They've gone two years without Obama.

Nevertheless, the tapes of conversations (4) will be released to the impeachment panel this week. They predicted he will be impeached by Feb. 7th.

Aside all of this, what disturbs me most is a man that is 71 years old, is asking to make a statement that he will not file for re-election if he does go to the senate. What the hell would a 71 year old want to go for? Oh, the pension & goodies. That's all it's about as to why he accepted.

Yes, it was Blago's way of poking the state in the eye.

Another note: no matter the cost of the re-election, Blago has sunk the state is such debt, and the money would have gone for a good cause had they held an election. Look what he's cost the state, even asking the taxpayers to pay his legal fees. Whatever happened to people being able to vote for whom they want to represent them. There's no price tag to voting...compared to this clown costing IL more, by sending a retiree to the hill. Ignoring even Obama's suggestion not to appoint anyone.

Blago is so uncooth. Gosh, even his old lady never smiles. They must have a marriage in heaven.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-talk-ethicsjan06,0,3165633.story


Gov. Rod Blagojevich's staffers to speak at ethics lecture for state workers

They should have included Stroger and Daley.....

Man, that state is crazy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_go_co/senate_burris

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama's appointed successor was turned away when he appeared at the U.S. Capitol to take his seat.

Roland Burris announced the decision to deny him the seat as he stood before a large throng of reporters and cameras in the rain outside the Capitol building.

Speaking just an hour before the convening of the 111th Congress Tuesday, Burris said he was looking at a host of options for getting the seat.

I think he thinks he OWNS the seat...now he's gonna want his money back from Blagoitch.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_go_co/senate_burris
Burris denied seat in US Senate to succeed Obama

By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer Laurie Kellman, Associated Press Writer – 1 min ago

WASHINGTON – Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris announced his rejection for Barack Obama's Senate seat Tuesday in a bizarre rainy-day scene on the Capitol grounds as lawmakers awaited the gaveling of the 111th Congress into session.
Standing amid a huge throng of reporters and television cameras in a cold and steady rain, Burris, 71, declared that he had been informed that "my credentials are not in order and will not be accepted."
He said he was "not seeking to have any type of confrontation" over taking the seat that he was appointed to by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But Burris also said he was looking at options for taking the seat.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama's appointed successor was turned away when he appeared at the U.S. Capitol to take his seat.
Roland Burris announced the decision to deny him the seat as he stood before a large throng of reporters and cameras in the rain outside the Capitol building.
Speaking just an hour before the convening of the 111th Congress Tuesday, Burris said he was looking at a host of options for getting the seat.

Top This One!

My ole'Buddy - couldn't have explained it better - (excerpt below)

http://www.southtownstar.com/news/kadner/1363559,010608Kadner.article

I liked the ending....

"Burris should do the honorable thing and refuse this Senate appointment.

But that's the real problem here, isn't it? There is no honor among these thieves, egomaniacs and political cutthroats.

There are no ethics laws that you could write that would prevent them from damaging the people of this state.

Burris is the classic example. He claims his appointment is legal. He says he is entitled to the Senate seat.

I'm tired of hearing politicians in Illinois claim they have done nothing illegal.

Forget what's legal. What about right and wrong? That's much clearer. What the governor has done is wrong. What Burris is doing is wrong.

But they can't see it. They refuse to listen even as millions of voices scream, "Do the right thing."

And then they have the gall to claim they are doing what's best for the people of this state, when it's only their own interests that concern them.

Nobody who represents the dirty, underhanded political prostitution of Rod Blagojevich and his ilk can represent me.

I will refuse to acknowledge Burris as a U.S. Senator.

If he is seated, I will simply refer to him as Gov. Pimp's appointee."