No Welcome Mat For Burris

Hey, I just realized something: the ongoing Senate controversies add up to an "Abraham, Martin & John" Mode: Abraham = Franken, Martin = Burris, John = Caroline.

Why would hairy Reid and the other Democrats refuse to seat someone who is much more qualified to serve as a U.S. senator than the thoroughly unqualified, terrorist fraternizing, community organizer whom he is replacing? Racism, anyone?

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kathy, dunno. I was just questioning the statement that the "failure to certify has no legal foundation." I think it is litigable question, is all I'm saying. Other than that, I don't really have an opinion on the whole mess.
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kathy
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Innocent until proven guilty. Thats what our legal system is founded on. Besides that nobody is alledging that Blago sold the seat to Burris. What it comes down to is that Reid and other Senate Dems said long before Blago picked Burris that they wouldn't accept any appointment from him. That was a political move and yes its because Blago is tainted. Hey Reid has to get re elected in 2010 and he knows the Republicans are gonna paint all Dems as soft on corruption and crime. Now here is the thing, if Blago had picked some random white guy who had a similar background to Burris I don't think as much attention would be paid to Reid actually keeping his frikkin word for once. Thats why as sqr1 said Blago was brilliant on this one. He picked the one guy that would actually make some people feel like Reid would be wrong to stick to his word and keep him out. Phucking brilliant truly.
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To those that don't know Bobby Rush is the big phucking hypocrite in all this though because he backed Obama's white opponent in 04 in the primary but now he acts like having a black face, any black face, in the Senate should be every American's duty. I lost mad respect for dude over this.

textee
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Just wtf are you? male/female? white/black/hispanic/other? moron/idiot?

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The calibre of trollism has certainly gone south since the overwhelming Democratic victories of the past November. Trite word puns, recycled and stale characterizations, and that old standby of "accusations in a mirror" is all poor text is able to muster. It's pretty limp and pallid stuff. I look forward to the time it regains some of its past vigor and spews forth with some more original invective. Come text! Get a grip!
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I don't understand why Bobby Rush isn't being called out on this quote:

Mr. Rush also opposed any suggestion that Mr. Blagojevich make the appointment while he is fighting the corruption charges. [Link]

Kathy: I don't think this is an election. The Gov of Ill can appoint someone to fill a vacant Senate seat for a fixed term. So I am not sure what you are getting at. James has raised a good question countering my assertion "without legal foundation". Maybe the Courts will deal with that. But the optics when Burris, with Bush (no not that one )at his side turns up at the Senate entrace? And the Circus accompanying them? Someone above mentioned Bull Connors? Looks like another own goal for our side. I weep.

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bitter,
I had missed your post above, pointing out that it is a pro-forma signature. I agree with that, under normal circumstances, I'm just saying that the actual requirement must have a function under the law, and therefore, it should be litigable. I have no opinion about what that outcome should be.
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Everytime I think Harry Reid can't be more stupid, he is. Obviously I lack imagination.
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I agree with sqr1, this was a brilliant political move. There is no good to come from blocking Burris from the Senate floor. As sgw so eloquently described, this is a picture that will live through elections for years to come.
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Bluster, fuss, and move on. As others have pointed out, the comparison with the way they dealt with convicted felon Ted Stephens will not be lost.

Hey Cliff if you are lurking, remember my statement about not being immpressed with Greenwald's numbers the other day? He has new numbers today which prove what I was saying.
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http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/01/02/israel/index.html

If Blago had picked some random white guy [...]

Tell me more about this idea of yours. I like what I'm hearing so far.

So this is what Reid wants to dominate the new Congress?
The Democrats blamed a lack of action during this session, justifiably, on republican interference.
I'm not sure they have an understanding of what their voters are expecting.

wv gives good link up at #2 from one of my favorite Irish-American online humorists, the incomparable Thersites:

Senators take the Senate very very seriously and are very very impressed with their status as Senators. It is of course understandable that they do so, in that being a Senator is, obviously, a big deal. But it is also rather bizarre, in that pretty much the entire country thinks Senators are a bunch of clowns. ...
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The perfect expression of this was the standing ovation for Ted Stevens, which made perfect sense from the perspective of Senatorial Dignity, but from any other perspective was completely embarrassing. And then there was the Democratic caucus's refusal to do anything at all about the fact that their colleague Joe Lieberman had, essentially, publicly and repeatedly mooned them -- and that they apparently saw this refusal as some sort of a "principled" poke-in-the-eye for Liberal Bloggers.

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Thers forgets compleeeeeetly about

When Sen. David Vitter, R-La., showed up in Washington, D.C., again last week after hiding with the equivalent of a paper bag on his head, he was welcomed back to a closed Republican Senate luncheon with a loud standing ovation.

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Senatorial diapers and all.
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And then there's Larry Craig..... Whatever DID happen with that ethics investigations, anyway?
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pourme
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If you want an actual "black" perspective on this you should go to this blog
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http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/
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And read not only the posts about it but also the comments section as many of the commenters are black. Bobby Rush has been called out for his words since the day he said them. Just not by the talking heads on TV

@sgw - I know he's taken a beating on the race card. I'm not talking about that; I'm talking about his flat on-the-record statement that Blagojevich should not make an appointment. That's huge. That's news. I haven't heard anyone ask him about this. I also really like your idea: The Senatron 2000 -- every ping pong ball represents a white guy.

He has taken a beating because of his statement about Blago not seating anyone too.

SG-I think pourme may have been looking for some integrity and leadership from the CBC on Bobby's words. However, I think that is asking a lot from the people who did this:
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http://www.oliverwillis.com/2007/06/04/william-jefferson-could-we-remove-him-from-his-committee-now/

gysgt
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Thankfully the CBC does not equal average black folks

@gysgt - I can understand defections from the party line by CBC members. With every day that passes, I hear a little voice in my head that says, "Screw it. Seat him and save the economy/world." I'm sure that voice would be louder and more persuasive if I were black. I get that. It's not the CBC that caused this mess. I blame first and foremost Blago, then Burris, then Reid.

K-Tum, thanks for that link. So many of the comments were exactly right.

From here on out (or for at least the next few hours), I answer only to "K-Tum"

Healthy. Men typically need a divorce and Miata to get that feeling.

Jane's last sentence is the key:
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I have never gone wrong betting that in the end, Harry Reid will do the el-foldo. I think my money is safe there once again.
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At least he has the cover of knowing that folding=following the law=doing the right thing.

I agree that Reid is handling this badly, but there are political risks to quietly accepting the Burris appointment. Burris is politically tainted because of his connection to Blago; Welcoming Burris will probably look like welcoming Blago to some people.
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Maybe Quinn could say that he would appoint Burris anyway once he becomes Governor, in which case it would be in Burris' interests to wait until Quinn can appoint him before he joins the Senate. He needs to think about 2010. Joining the Senate as Blago's appointment before Obama's inauguration will look worse than joining as Quinn's appointment, when the Senate is about to vote on Obama's economic plan and votes are desperately needed.