Now this is getting fun.(CNN) – The secretary of the U.S. Senate on Monday rejected the certificiate of appointment for Roland Burris, named by Illinois’ controversial governor to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat, according to an aide to the secretar…

Democrats may block Burris from seat — physically

Bahahahahaha, Harry Reid lying on the railroad tracks…that I’ve got see! I’d be the first time this dope did anything right.

The 111th Congress will go down in history as the body that lost America.

Perhaps it is unfair to label this a Democrat issue. It is the players themselves who are so compelling, more than the flag they are flying.

I personally think that Burris should be seated. ………………………..

Instead, Blago wins. He names a Senator, in accordance with the laws of Illinois and the United States. The Warren Court already ruled on a similar situation, and the Court found that the Senate and the House have no authority to block a member duly elected or appointed from attending. Harry Reid is planning on violating the constitution, and we think that’s good?

Blago hasn’t been indicted yet, much less convicted. I thought that this nation operated on the Innocent until Proven Guilty principal. Apparently, we only mouth those words, we don’t really mean them.

Blago is the elected Governor of Illinois, and is well within his rights to appoint a Senator. The only ones who could have stopped him was the Legislature, who decided the risk of a special election was too high. So they prayed that he wouldn’t do anything, while they fiddled with the rules of impeachment. Now, it’s too late, and they have their second Senator.

Congratulations Senator Burris, may you serve your state well.

Snake307 on January 2, 2009 at 3:11 PM

Thank you, Snake. You’ve articulated it perfectly. Blago, guilty or innocent, is doing his job as Gov of Illinois. The DEMs in the Senate didn’t ‘do the right thing’; they did what their party leadership told them to do. The ‘right thing’ is to follow Constituional government, and live with Senator Burris for 2 years.

The voters of Illinois have had no say in the matter, thanks to the IL legislature.
Nichevo on January 2, 2009 at 6:15 PM

“Have had no say”? The colonists had no say either I guess. At least Illinoisans have the ability to elect representatives, but they’ve wasted their votes on a bunch of politicians who decided to pass the buck to the courts rather than do their elected duty. The people didn’t act by electing individuals, but rather fell into the trap of the two-party system. “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties… This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.” ~John Adams
When government fails, it’s the responsibility of the people to act. The people did not act responsibly when they voted and are not acting now that their irresponsible elected officials have failed. That is my point.

Assuming Franken wins and is seated by then, there will still only be 58 dems without … Obama’s seat. Dare we dream that Republicans will disciplined and brave enough to all vote present on this?

Blagojevich knew full well when he announced Burris’ name that no one would stop him. This is the growing sentiment among Americans: nothing is inherently wrong, but only that which is caught and/or enforceable.
Send_Me on January 2, 2009 at 6:02 PM

I’m not buying that argument. Once again, Blago could have been prevented, by the IL legislature, from making an appointment, by the passage of a law requiring a special election. The IL legislature, fearing they might lose the seat to a Republican, didn’t act, but, in a hare-brained move, the State AG (a candidate for the Senate seat herself) went to court to prove Blago “incompetent.” The Court laughed, and she lost.

The voters of Illinois have had no say in the matter, thanks to the IL legislature.

“The question for the Senate isn’t whether the Illinois governor truly is a crook, but whether reasonable observers would deem the process too crooked to produce a credible result. “
LarryD on January 2, 2009 at 5:51 PM

One would assume then, they’d have to prove this particular appointment was “crooked,” when Burris takes it to court, which he will.

Tribe makes the point that Powell v. McCormack does block Congress from refusing to seat properly elected members just because the majority doesn’t like their ideology.

The essence of the argument against seating anyone Blago has appointed is this:

“The question for the Senate isn’t whether the Illinois governor truly is a crook, but whether reasonable observers would deem the process too crooked to produce a credible result. “

Don’t ya just love Rod “Frag the Lieutenant” Blago?
mr.blacksheep on January 2, 2009 at 4:50 PM

I can’t say I admire corruption, or playing the race card, but I have even less regard for hypocrisy.

Can anyone honestly believe that Emanuel — or anyone of hundreds of IL politicians — hasn’t played the same game as Blago? It’s a way of life there. Obama played the game, as well, only in a much more sophisticated form obviously admired and excused by the intelligentsia.
And the race card? Have we forgotten JJ,Jr. shilling on TV for Obama, calling Hillary a racist for not crying about Katrina? And how about “I don’t look like the Presidents on the dollar bills?” Real subtle.
Let the race chickens come home to roost.

My take is this: Either Blagois completely innocent, which I doubt so he honestly feels he is in the right.

Or: He knows he is guilty, of what exactly we don’t know, and is just going his own merry way until they indict him since he knows he is going down in flames.

One final choice: He is guilty, but knows something on bigger fish (OBAMA), andhispushing them until he is offered a deal.

Obama has lied before so I don’t take his investigation as anything but face value since he has constantly changed what he has said, from no contact, to some contact, to no inappropriate contact. I think his main goal is to keep the buffers between him and Blago and for that to happen somebody besides Blago is going to have to fall.

It is sad to see my state represented to the nation & world like this.

Nichevo on January 2, 2009 at 4:38 PM

I think you’re right. Don’t ya just love Rod “Frag the Lieutenant” Blago? And this is just his opening salvo. My bet is that it’s going to get really, really nasty; nasty as only Demoncraps really know how.

Consensus legal opinion is that Reid’s stuck with him, but see Slate for a contrarian view arguing that the Senate’s constitutionally entitled to examine the fairness of appointments.

Right. And the Senate wants to go there — judging whether a candidate is morally fit for office? That would be some can of worms they’d open, considering the escapades of some of the characters they already have seated in both Houses.

I like the idea near the end of passing a resolution now stating that Burris will be expelled by a two-thirds vote even if he wins in court.

On what grounds? Burris was legally appointed, due to the refusal of the state legislature to pass a law for a special election — which they were legally entitled to do. Expulsion was meant to be used for misconduct — Burris hasn’t doesn’t anything wrong. Is this now a banana republic?

All 50 Senate Democrats signed a letter to Blago a few weeks ago warning him not to appoint anyone; presumably the nine new members soon to be seated feel the same way. Surely they can find eight Republicans to make it happen.

They signed a letter in lieu of urging the state legislature to pass a law allowing for a special election. They didn’t, for fear they’d lose the seat, and Obama was silent on the issue, as usual. What legal standing does a letter have? Any Republican who “makes this happen” is a damn fool. Let them stew in the situation they created; if Burris takes it to court, the Dems will be minus a seat for quite a while, and the light will continue to shine on the corrupt political swamp that spawned Obama.

Haven’t we heard this song before? Reid has said he won’t do something (previously opposing Bush on WOT, etc.), then caves when he has to- after flatly stating he will never do it.

Of course, it’s different with the Democratic issues. Still feels like deja vu.

cs89 on January 2, 2009 at 3:21 PM

Harry “Pinky” Reid couldn’t find his balls if he had holes in both pockets.

Blago hasn’t been indicted yet, much less convicted. I thought that this nation operated on the Innocent until Proven Guilty principal.

Well, “Innocent until Proven Guilty” is a principle of the criminal justice system. It doesn’t really necessarily apply anywhere else, particularly in matters of judgment about who is or is not under a cloud of suspicion sufficient to make their subsequent actions unseemly or inappropriate. It’s a matter of simple ethics: if you are accused of behavior that could bring your office into disrepute, out of respect of the office, it is considered proper to step aside until your name is cleared. So, for example, would you have wanted your daughter to date OJ in the late 90′s?

So to say that Blago’s in the clear to do what he likes until he’s convicted by a criminal court is a ridiculous canard. Now, that being said, don’t get me wrong: I’m enjoying every second of this, and I think this trap is sticky enough to get lots of cockroaches stuck in it, maybe even the Big Cockroach. We’ll see!

The only ones who could have stopped him was the Legislature, who decided the risk of a special election was too high. So they prayed that he wouldn’t do anything, while they fiddled with the rules of impeachment. Now, it’s too late, and they have their second Senator.

Congratulations Senator Burris, may you serve your state well.

Snake307 on January 2, 2009 at 3:11 PM

Precisely – they already have a special election set to replace Emanuel in Congress. Alas, they’re scared, wimpering crooks – why give the people of Illinois the power to decide for themselves? In the end the people of IL deserve this, so long as they don’t revolt against it. I don’t see a poll which claims that they’re too upset.

Snake307 on January 2, 2009 at 3:11 PM

I loved your comment and agree with its sentiment. I don’t think anyone here is for anything unconstitutional. Most are just enjoying the fools’ circus. Of course, the ultimate victim is our beloved America. May she suffer really good for what is self-inflicted.