Burris Drama

For nothing that he's done wrong? So accepting the nomination was somehow right? Playing the race card after an African-American was elected President in a landslide was right?

He should be laughed out of town, and likely will be. This is a non-story. His footnote will appear in an end-of-the-year piece of journalism in 360 days, and his name will be remembered no longer.

While Blago matches William Marcy Tweed and George Washington Plunkitt in lack of ethos, he is the duly elected Governor of a sovereign state. He has been arrested but neither indicted nor brought before a preliminary hearing to be bound over for trial and has the power to appoint anyone he chooses to fill the vacancy held by Barack Obama.
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while the recordings paint Blago as a reprehensible person, Burris should be granted the seat by the Senate. they have no legal grounds for not seating him. The courts will validate that in the coming days.

Ask me the questions, Senatekeeper.

Just seat the guy. The Republicans are the ones that ignore/change the rules when they don't like the outcome.

Whadya mean, "Panetta aside"?

It's looking more and more as though the diss of torture-and-warrantless-wiretapping-enablers Feinstein and Rockefeller was intentional, because both of them are complicit in the crimes Panetta denounced, and Obama is distancing himself from those war criminals like he's distancing himself from criminals like Blagojevich.

If it's true, all I can say is "BOO-YAH OBAMA!"

I look forward to Justice investigating Richard C. Blum's war profiteering, and Feinstein's involvement in it.

Harry Reid is completely ineffectual as Majority leader. He should step down and focus on getting re-elected in 2010.

We should start a pool here at Swampland to determine what day and hour Harry Reid caves in? Any takers?

P-Caf: excellent choice.
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Ditto Tom. Clean house.

Speaking of debacles and drama, how about covering this tasty bit MS?
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The Return Of Schiavo: Conservatives Plan To Revive Embarrassing Debacle To Block Obama's DOJ Nominee
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Oh wait, my mistake. MS doesn't do repuglican debacles.

My mistake ^3, this is not a MS post. Sorry for the mistake JNS.

I've arleady said that Reid doesn't have a legal basis for doing what he's doing. It's not the first time Constitutional principles have been gutted for political expedience and it won't be the last. Seat him and be done with it.

I know we've gone over this before but what is the legal, not moral or political, case for not seating Burris? Blago hasn't been removed as governor. - but then IANAL.
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Ditto Tom and wvng. Feinstein and Rockefeller have zero credibility on this issue.

as this circus lands in washington i have yet to hear from the people from ill or chicago. this is their problem that needs to be solved.They elected these officials. To be considered an elite city of the US you need to take care of own corruption. Come on people of the windy city go get your pride back!

With apologies to Swamplanders and out of love for Groucho, JNS, haven't you always been abroad?

We should start a pool here at Swampland to determine what day and hour Harry Reid caves in? Any takers?
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Fifteen minutes after his meeting with Burris.
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Welcome back, JNS!

Cliff, I'll take Friday at noon ET.

JNS, I guess my generational joke really backfired. If preview was my friend I would have inserted a space between a and broad. All I can say JNS is that you're no Margaret Dumont. Please go rent "A Night at the Opera."

I have to agree with Andy, from a legal perspective, the best thing they should do is seat him. Does that mean they have to engage him, treat him as a valuable member of the Senate. No, and to be honest, Burris is not doing himself any favors. Does he really think no one in IL thinks he's just an opportunist whose trying to use the race card as a way of avoiding such a radioactive political situation. Of course, the IL electorate did put Blagojevich and his predecessor in the gov office in the first place.

Anyway, the Senate should be clear, it is a state matter, and IL must come up with a solution themselves. The Senate can treat Burris as a glorified observer, but behaving this way, just makes the whole thing worse.

Viaduct? Why not a duck? I got your joke, Andy.

Anyone who worked in law enforcement and knowingly tried to execute an innocent man, as Burris did, should be in jail, not in the Senate, but the powerful do protect their own, political differences notwithstanding. That said, there's no way ultimately they can keep him out and they'll look weak when he gets in anyway.

Apparently, the rules of the Senate require the certificate of appointment to the Senate to be signed by both the Governor and the Secretary of State. Blago has signed, but the Illinois SOS, Jesse White, has not. So, as long as White continues to refuse to sign off on the certificate, Reid can continue refusing not to seat him.

Andy #15: I got it without the space, and I don't even know the Groucho reference!

could the dems just lock it up in the courts for 2yrs? seems like alot of more important issues have been locked up longer