DISQUS

Hotdamn · 11 months ago

One thing is certain---Burris has exponentially more intestinal fortitude than Harry the Cave-Man.

Steve_in_CNJ · 11 months ago

and roland has a MUCH bigger grave marker than harry.

Hm. · 11 months ago

Right. Reid just asked Blago not to appoint a certain 3 African-Americans because he didn't like their taste in clothes.

Bit NOLA · 11 months ago

I think Harry has grown rather fond of being spanked.

Perhaps when the real spanking's done, he won't lead the Senate.

naschkatzehussein · 11 months ago

Still, Obama distancing himself and indicating that if the rules committee seats Burris, he will work with him, is a good sign that it is being worked out. Feinstein is right on this one, not only about the Senate having no legal grounds to impede Burris, but also what not seating him would mean for gubernatorial appointments from here on out. It's time for the Democrats to end this circus which is only playing out for the benefit of the Republicans and the media.

JohnInTexas · 11 months ago

God these people...anything to keep from doing what they were elected to do and get paid to do, and actually got a raise last year to do..actually work. Harry Reid is a spineless wimp

Bubbles · 11 months ago

This entire thing is stupid. Fitzgerald is a Republican. To the extent that the Dems overreacted to this they played into his trap.

Blogo will be indicted, but he wont' be convicted, but he will be impeached...months from now.

In the mean time the tarnished but bonefide Governor of Illinois has appointed Burris. Let him take his seat and get this off of page one.

Reid's reaction throughout this whole affair has been completely stupid. He might become demoted as a result. The case can be made that we need someone in that role that can handle power.

naschkatzehussein · 11 months ago

Agree with you about Fitzgerald. He caused this mess with his precipitous arrest of Blagojevich, and the (Republican?) judge who on Monday granted him three more months when he should be prepared to indict if he arrested and also made it more difficult for the Illinois legislature to impeach Blagojevich has dragged it out even further. As long as Burris himself has done nothing wrong, it's imperative for the Democrats to pull the plug on the battering they are getting from the Republicans. The Obama seat belongs in the Democratic Caucus until the next election at least.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 11 months ago

umm... does Fitzgerald actually HAVE any convictions?

... in the last eight years I mean?

naschkatzehussein · 11 months ago

Or personal ones? If he was willing to serve "at the pleasure" of President Bush, can he genuinely make a switch to serving at the pleasure of President Obama because there are philosophical differences here. For one thing, I know Obama is very much for minimum sentencing for non-violent crimes. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, throws the book at everyone. I've been following him somewhat in Chicago, and as the Bush DOJ wanted of their men, he used the Rico law against anyone he could even when it was inappropriate, against Conrad Black and against a terror charge, Mohammed Salah. BTW, the press never mentions that he does not win those Rico charges. He also has been very involved with the Bush policy to fast track death sentence appeals. I know Obama is not anti-capital punishment like myself, but I don't think he would rush appeals involving the taking of life but make certain that the findings were as correct as they could be to the best of his ability. The MSM media doesn't report this sort of thing. They didn't report how Fitzgerald and his FBI counterpart Grant strong armed a man named Ambose, a marshall accused of giving the mob information, without a lawyer being present. I'm sure if we could hear from lawyers close to the scene in Chicago or even in his office, we would get an earful.

tkd · 11 months ago

If they are simply waiting to find out whether the Illinois secretary of state has to sign the certificate, that means they are planning to seat Burris, and will shortly do so. Obama sent the same signal today by saying that seating Burris is an internal Senate matter, and that he would be glad to work with him.

Rustyzipper · 11 months ago

This has more twists and turns then a Pretzel Factory.

Seat The man!!

.

devlzadvocate · 11 months ago

Really. Am I missing something about the importance of this invented fight? Well, other than the Dems are worried about losing the seat in the NEXT election. Can we worry about that problem AFTER this one? WTF?

tbhull · 11 months ago

This whole fiasco punctautes a widely known fact, namely, that Harry Reid is a feckless folding coward. The Dems need to replace their majority leader in the Senate, sooner rather than later. I think Feingold would be a nice.

devlzadvocate · 11 months ago

Now that Pelosi is showing some guts, it would be interesting to see how a Pelosi/Feingold combo would play.

PS. Hope you are feeling better, Joe.

Steve_in_CNJ · 11 months ago

i thought durbin and schumer were next in line. this came up when hillary was being suggested for ML.

naschkatzehussein · 11 months ago

I'd even take Schumer over Reid.

timncguy · 11 months ago

Does the AP ever verify anythign BEFORE they publish it? They seem to get a lot of stories wrong.

Steve_in_CNJ · 11 months ago

lol. show some respect for the Fournier/Sidoti donut tire-swing tradition.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 11 months ago

well... rumour has it that they didn't publish the whole story about ann coulter being a gloryhole fetishist... but that was because they couldn't confirm whether or not she has a dick.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 11 months ago

"Both Reid and Durbin wanted it known that Burris said this issue wasn't about race."

---

huh? I wouldn't think race had anything to do with this whole 'will we seat him' thing.

however, seeing a statement like that kinda bugs me... sorta like seeing "I'm not homophobic but..."

anyone else get that feeling from that last sentence? odd.

Smitty · 11 months ago

Exactly. It's like the person who says, "I have gay friends..." You know the next statement out of their mouth is going to be a diatribe about what the Bible says about gay sex.

Soundboy_jeff_meanie · 11 months ago

question... what are the rules for changing a majority leader??

Bush_Bites · 11 months ago

Ill Sec. of State Jesse White is required to sign, but he didn't as a "protest."

So now the whole thing is being held up by some hot dogging politician's "protest."

timncguy · 11 months ago

ILL law says the signature of the Sec of State is recommended, it doesn't say it is REQUIRED.

Bush_Bites · 11 months ago

That's not what I read:

I read that US Senate rules say it's "recommended."

Ill. state law says Jesse White has to sign it.

But we'll probably hear from the Ill Supreme Court on this soon.

RitornaVincitor · 11 months ago

Bob Schieffer suggested that there could be a deal in which Burris is seated with the agreement that he will not run in 2010. He said this was to allay concerns that having Burris on the ticket in 2010 could lead to the election of a Republican.

Smitty · 11 months ago

So, Blagojevich supposedly getting political favors for the seat is criminal, but Harry Reid getting political favors for the seat isn't? Maybe the feds have the wiretaps on the wrong person's phone.

RitornaVincitor · 11 months ago

I don't have a thing against Harry Reid, which is why I confine my viewpoint to the issue of whether or not he had a right under the Senate rules to turn Burris away. I don't see how keeping a nutjob from occupying the office and possibly handing a Senate seat to the GOP next year amounts to Reid receiving political favors. And I really don't care.

Smitty · 11 months ago

Of course you don't care. After eight years of crapping on the constitution, why stop now? It doesn't matter if he's a "nutjob" or not. He does not have a right to turn Burris away. You seem to think people can make rules that will supercede the constitution. They can't. Roland Burris has met every constitutional requirement to be senator of Illinois. You should read the constitution sometime. You could learn a lot, especially about this case. Read the 17th amendment first.

RitornaVincitor · 11 months ago

The US Constitution is not being superseded because Burris does not have the right to that Senate seat until he has the proper credentials from Illinois. There. A one sentence rebuttal that negates your entire argument.

Smitty · 11 months ago

Harry Reid needs to worry about his own seat. In a fivethirtyeight.com article, Harry Reid was identified as the weakest Democratic incumbent in 2010. His senate seat was rated essentially a toss-up BEFORE this fiasco. If Roland Burris is as bad as you say he is, Burris won't be on the ticket in 2010. He wouldn't make it through the Democratic primary. Do you think Harry Reid's actions and constantly talking about how corrupt Blagojevich is and what a tainted pick Burris is will help the Democrats in 2010? What Harry Reid needed to do was to STFU, seat the constitutionally appointed junior senator from Illinois and carry on the business that he was elected to do.

RitornaVincitor · 11 months ago

Burris is not constitutionally appointed yet. He must be appointed by the state of Illinois, which requires two signatures.

Bush Bites · 11 months ago

LOL!

Jesse pleads ignorance.

Jesse White: I've been made the fall guy
January 7, 2009 6:52 AM

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said this morning he has been made "the fall guy" by the U.S. Senate, which he said is using him as an excuse to not seat Roland Burris.

"They could have seated him without my signature; my signature is not required," he told WGN-AM 720's John Williams.

The Senate barrred Burris Tuesday, saying he lacked proper credentials because his appointment was not signed by White.

But White said today, "My signature is mostly ceremonial, rather than a point of law."

"They played a little bit of a game with [Burris] yesterday," he added.

Asked by Williams if he had been made "the fall guy," White said, "You're absolutely correct."

White said he had pledged, shortly after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was accused of trying to make a deal for his appointment to the Senate seat, to not sign off on anyone selected by Blagojevich. And he said he will continue to honor that pledge unless ordered otherwise by a court.

Yet at the same time he said he thought Burris should be admitted to the Senate and said he had the highest possible regard for him. He predicted Burris eventually will be seated.

--Staff report

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/01/jess...

Gregory Lyons · 11 months ago

So fascinating that this freeze dried Morman has finally foung a man he can stand up to!

nogopostal · 11 months ago

If Obama has demonstrated anything in the past 2 years it is his ability
to recognize the shiny thing brought out by the GOP/Dino's and the industrial media....of course he is involved..this just may be the first real test of Rahm...
me..I'm just tappin my toes...(we were all kids once)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEke7x4CKSM

Smitty · 11 months ago

It isn't about race? B****S*** The good old boy's club, where pedophilia, soliciting sex in bathroom stalls or from prostitutes is acceptable or where committing felonies will get you a full minute standing ovation but not having your paperwork signed by the SoS, when the constitution doesn't require it, is reason enough not to be admitted to your exclusive club. JEEZ!! I thought the republicans were a bunch of sleaze balls. It's looking like Harry Reid and the democrats are willing to give them a run for their money. Constitution? We don't need no stinkin' constitution!!

elizabethcostello · 11 months ago

Nope, it isn't about race. Seriously. Let it go.

Smitty · 11 months ago

Then what is it about? It certainly isn't about the constitution, because Roland Burris, the only black senator, is being refused his seat because of a Harry Reid created technicality. Harry Reid called Illinois AG White and asked him not to sign Roland Burris' papers. He had previously called Blagojevich with a list of three names he didn't want considered for the appointment, ALL BLACK, and two names that he would like to see appointed, ALL WHITE. Yeah. It's not about race.

elizabethcostello · 11 months ago

Tammy Duckworth IS NOT WHITE. Before you start spouting off, get your facts straight. It's NOT ABOUT RACE. It was about finding someone who would not be tainted by Blagojevich but who could hold the seat. Harry Reid is an ignoramus, but his actions here weren't racist. For God's sake, OBAMA didn't want any of those folks getting the seat. Reid, Obama and everyone else concerned except Blago would much rather have had Blago appoint a BLACK WOMAN, Valerie Jarrett, but when she wasn't going to pay to play, that fell apart. Emil Jones is at the end of his career and would not win reelection. Danny Davis would not win a statewide election either. Jesse Jackson Jr. (a good person, overall), who probably might have been able to win if he faced a weak Republican field, is unfortunately linked to sleazy folks, including his BROTHER, who as you saw is implicated in the taped conversations. If you lived in Illlinois you would grasp this. Tammy Duckworth, who is ASIAN-AMERICAN, probably would not have won either, but she also was not linked in any way to sleaze. The best candidate, Jan Schakowsky, probably will run when she has the chance, if Rahm Emanuel, Luis Gutiérrez, or someone else doesn't before them. His tenure as Cook County President certainly hasn't helped his cause, but Todd Stroger would be one of the leading black candidates for this position.

Smitty · 11 months ago

Let's consider this from another angle, and one that most people on this blog can understand. Let's say that a governor was to appoint an openly gay person to an open senate seat. The Attorney General of that state refuses to sign his papers because he feels that the seat should not go to a "sodomite". In a gop senate, the majority leader would now have a precedent to refuse to seat this constitutionally appointed senator. This is a fight that Harry Reid should never have taken up because he's going to lose, and he's going to prove once again what a weak person he is. His illegal actions have weakened what should have been a powerful Democratic majority senate.