Nope. Obama made a statement, but it was relatively low-key and the press didn’t hype the contradiction as the show progressed. They kept the spotlight on Blago vs. Reid (Surpise!).

Obama did not choose this as a hill to die on. He’s still looking for a fight that is truly worth engaging, and didn’t seem to find an issue that was worth laying his reputation on the line in Illinois govt. or the Senate.

It’ll be a little harder to vote present after 1/20, though. Buckly up, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!

…

So.. will any of Burris’s bills ever make it to the Senate Floor? or die slow deaths in committee?

DaveC on January 12, 2009 at 7:39 PM

Bills?! This clown isn’t smart enough to get from the door to his seat without help. He isn’t going to write any bills; he’s just in this for a two year ego trip and another line on his mausoleum.

All this was feigned outrage to keep the seat Dem.

Rogue on January 12, 2009 at 5:20 PM

I disagree, Rogue. IMHO, it wasn’t ever so cut and dried as that.

Reid et.al. suffer from shortsighted thinking, buttressed by smarter Dem handlers who know how to work a willing Press. Therefore I believe that Reid did initially make all of his bluster by thinking that a “unanimous” show of support against Burris would somehow cower him into running back to Chicago.

Blago called that bluff in a moment – yes, thuja, everything Blago did with regards to appointing Burris was legal. You won’t hear anyone on this site arguing that point – and once the bluff was called, Obama quickly realized that Harry was bluffing his hand. Not only did Reid have no legal means to prevent the appointment, but his potentially dragging out the stink of the issue, and the Dems collective inability to do squat about it, was about to bring the press cycle around to notice in broad distribution what we saw here from the beginning:

* Reid blusters, threatening to do things that are blatantly unconstitutional

* Reid has no ability to act on his threats

* Burris et.al. call the bluff and play the race card in the process

* Focus on the situation threatens to detract from the One’s coronation swearing in

So the One whispers to Reid to make the problem go away, because he’s got bigger fish to fry. It all works out to look like it was planned bluster, but the whole thing smacks of Reid getting in over his head, and the prospect of the situation embarrassing the One is what made them want it to go away. Period.

The Democrats’ retreat is complete:

Roland Burris gets his seat:

And together they still couldn’t figure out a way to stop him.

What I finding disgusting about the right-wing are the hypocritical double standards. Burris had to be allowed his Senate, because it’s the law. You can’t pretend that the law is so sacrosanct that Bill Clinton had to be impeached because of perjury over sex and then turn around say we aren’t going to seat a legally appointed Senator, because we don’t like the governor who appointed the Senator. Either always follow the law or stop condemning others for petty missteps.

Aww, I’m disappointed. I was hoping for a few more weeks of entertainment.

… turns to focus on the fun of watching Obama backtrack everyday.

mjk on January 12, 2009 at 5:10 PM

Fret not, mjk… You still get to watch the entertaining Blago impeachment trial. Then you get to watch the indictments turn into charges by Fitzgerald. Then you get to watch Blago’s criminal trial.

All the while, the Chicago machine, will be more and more exposed. The same Chicago machine cesspool that Obama crawled out of will not smell any better as time goes on.

What I don’t understand is why they made themselves look so foolish in the process.

duff65 on January 12, 2009 at 6:09 PM

It comes naturally to Reid.

Those of you who lament that this “has gone away” just ahead of the inauguration – sit back and relax, while acquiring more popcorn. Blago has just started the circus. That man has recited great poems – wait until he sings.

Senate Democrats to swear in Burris this week

Durbin, Reid, Madigan and the whole Illinois Democrat party capitulate to Blago the Jester, and put a babbling buffoon in the Senate. Bwaaaaaaaaa!

Jaibones on January 12, 2009 at 5:57 PM

Heh again. Don’t be despondent. The publicity this thing has generated has got to be resonating, at least a little bit. Did you want The Machine to win the preliminary bout? this thing has done what the media failed to do,…create focus on Obama’s background.