If the President (Pro Tem) of the Senate can reject legally appointed Senators then he becomes the ultimate decider of who a Governor appoints to the Senate.

Both of these set a dangerous precedent. If the laws on the books say that the Governor of Illinois appoints the replacement, that’s his right (and duty). If the law says something about ‘except when under a cloud of suspicion’ (which I doubt it does as that’s very hard to define legally), they’ve got nothing.

The Illinois Governor gave the State Senate the option to change how things work and make it a special election instead, but, they didn’t want to make it a permanent change.

He doesn’t seem like a good guy and both Blago and Burris appear to come from the “what’s in it for me” school of politics, but, both of them are fully in their rights to appoint, be appointed and get certified and seated. The Dems best bet now is to seat him as quickly as possible and hope that the ADD public will forget about this in 2 years.

OneGyT on January 6, 2009 at 1:41 PM

Reid is trying to usurp power by fraudulently misconstruing A1S5C1 of the Constitution. There’s already SCOTUS precedent in opposition to Reid’s devious bullshit.
All Reid can legitimately do is encourage the use of A1S5C2 to get rid of Burris…and then the burning crosses will be on display for all to see.

As I said on an earlier post, “this will set a bad precedent”. Harry Reid can’t/shouldn’t have this kind of power.

Tommy_G on January 6, 2009 at 12:25 PM

I was going to make the same point. Soon the Democratic leadership will just decide willy-nilly (I like that phrase) who gets into the Senate and who doesn’t.

the nv gop needs to get their ‘10 candidate lined up NOW …

Buckaroo on January 6, 2009 at 12:44 PM

There is no candidate…

the mayor of LV seems to be an ok guy but i’m pretty sure he’s a donk …

You mean the Tanqueray Gin salesman?? Sir Oscar?? The mobbed up mayor?? Ok guy?? Snort….

if ensign can basically come out of nowhere and defeat jimmuh’s son last time out it should be pretty easy to find some body with some appeal to reno and LV and wide appeal to the rural areas — this isn’t rocket science …

Buckaroo on January 6, 2009 at 12:52 PM

Senator Ensign was Congressman Ensign and a well respected businessman in Las Vegas before running for the Senate in 1998, barely losing to Senator Two-Face. He beat ambulance chaser Ed Bernstein handily in 2000. He didn’t come out of nowhere to retain his seat against the junior Carter. It was no contest, 55% to 41%. Carter is a fake Nevadan. Sadly we don’t have a candidate with any stature right now to contest Land Office Harry’s seat….

madmonkphotog on January 6, 2009 at 1:19 PM

Well…he’s kinda grey & dingy really…

A black democrat denied entrance by a white democrat.

How Delicious!!! How delicious indeed.

Tommy_G on January 6, 2009 at 12:27 PM

how’s valparaiso doinfg these days?

Rule of law is done folks…. we are now officialy living in a Banana Republic.

Romeo13 on January 6, 2009 at 1:03 PM

Yep. BTW, we decided “banana republic” is racist. Don’t make me report you to the thought police.

I thought that the Secretary of State was obligated to sign off on this appointment. I thought the SoS’s role was just to certify that the governor chose an eligible person, not to approve it in some way.

Y-not on January 6, 2009 at 12:27 PM

Yes… isn’t it amusing that this Sec of State will NOT certify a clearly legal appointment…

And yet would not even ask Obama for his birth cert or Citizenship docs?

Rule of law is done folks…. we are now officialy living in a Banana Republic.

And to you stinking liberals who defile this thread, tax cuts are NOT the same thing. Tax reduction lets people keep their own money. NOT take coin from their fellow citizens. This is despite Juan’s ignoring The One’s comment justifying (or excusing) his (The One’s) millions in earmarks since there was a $275 Billion tax cut.

Dem statesmanship at its finest. What a bunch of clowns.

califcon on January 6, 2009 at 12:35 PM

Are the clown cars hybrid?

grapeknutz on January 6, 2009 at 12:38 PM

Ab Fab! Cheers! ROFL!

Reid’s “compromises” amuse me even more than. There’s no way that someone as delightfully deluded as Burris would step down after two years. So purchase that popcorn and get ready for some more political theatre, topped off with lots of race-baiting goodness.

I am serious
Apparently from all that ihave heard this man is over qualified..
And because he is a black man appointed by a white governor in the middle of a scandle he is being denied his rightful SEAT???

Where is the Reverend al sharp tongue
where is jesses jacksome..?
Where is the ACLU?
Where is the Outrage?

MORONS

I don’t see Burris, or even in some ways Blago, as the culprit in this. The culprits are the Illinois legislators (democrats) who are stalling on removing Blagojevich and/or enacting legislation to require a special election and the Senate democrats who are working in collusion with the Secretary of State to ignore the law.

They are more concerned with hanging on to their power to hand-pick a political lackey (ok, their political lackey instead of Blago’s) and protect Obama (hence the calls for Blago to resign to avoid any risk that damaging things will come out in the impeachment trial) than they are concerned with ensuring that the people of Illinois have two senators… or, worse yet, that the people of Illinois get the chance to vote for their senator sooner rather than later.

Disgusting.

Y-not on January 6, 2009 at 12:50 PM

The IL SoS should be impeached for failing to do his duty.
The citizens of IL are being dis-enfranchised by the US Senate Democrats and the IL SoS.

I feel like I’m living in a banana republic.

How racist. You wouldn’t say that if the PE was white. Next you’ll be accusing Obama of ‘monkeying’ around with the economy.

LimeyGeek on January 6, 2009 at 12:46 PM

I’m sorry. I was intending to be fruitist. Let me fix it.

I feel like I’m living in a banana [insert member of the stone fruit family here picked by our helpful friends from south of the (porous) border] republic.