Burris turned away at Senate door

[© tweed]

silly kids

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/burris/index.html

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

YES! Awesome.

[YRABNNRM]

Good.

[minionofmidas]

Silly old men. All of them.

[Lunar]

"Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who also was considered a contender for the open Senate seat, spoke out on behalf of Burris.

There is a strong constitutional and legal case for his seating," he said. "The longer this process takes the more racialized this seat becomes and the more difficult it becomes for Democrats to hold it in 2010."

STFU J3 UR DA 1 MAKIN IT RACIAL

[YRABNNRM]

It looks like Blagojevich's goal of bringing the nation down with him might be working.

[© tweed]

Dianne Feinstein does something good with her life for the first time ever

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17118.html

Feinstein, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said that not allowing Burris to be seated could broadly undermine future gubernatorial appointments.

“I can’t imagine the secretary of state countermanding a gubernatorial appointment,” Feinstein said. “The question, really, is one in my view of law. And that is, does the governor have the power to make the appointment? And the answer is yes. Is the governor discredited? And the answer is yes.

“Does that affect his appointment power? And the answer is no until certain things happen.”

[minionofmidas]

So what did they do with Franken?

[© tweed]

So what did they do with Franken?

he wasn't seated and it doesn't look like he even went to DC

[minionofmidas]

Following the laws of Minnesota then? Good.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Democrats continue to back themselves into a corner for no reason.  Do they really think they'll look good for blocking the appointment short term when they'll almost certainly have to give in to the appointment in the longer term?

[Keystone Phil]

I support Burris being seated but he could not legally be seated today (because White didn't sign the appointment certificate). That being said, Burris ought to win every legal challenge and take the seat (even though I obviously don't like Blagojevich's desire to screw this all up).

The ideal solution would have been a special election but I guess that's out of the question now...

[muon2]

I support Burris being seated but he could not legally be seated today (because White didn't sign the appointment certificate). That being said, Burris ought to win every legal challenge and take the seat (even though I obviously don't like Blagojevich's desire to screw this all up).

The ideal solution would have been a special election but I guess that's out of the question now...

The special election is only out of the question as long as the Democrats who lead the legislature want bit to be. A special election bill can include language to make the appointment temporary.

[Lunar]

And the special appointment legislation was never rejected.  It was simply put aside

[Eraserhead]

Won't let a black man into the Senate chambers, eh? And to think that I thought this country was making progress.

[paul718]

Dianne Feinstein does something good with her life for the first time ever

She was the lone Democrat to co-sponsor the Line-Item Veto Act back in the 90s. 

[Jacobtm]

With only 98 Senators, the Democrats only need 59 votes for cloture. With 99 Senators however, 60 votes are needed for cloture. So with either 98 or 99 Senators present, Dems still need to attract 2 Republican votes for cloture. Only with 100 Senators will the dems need only 1 Republican vote for cloture.

So as long as Franken isn't seated, the Dems don't really gain anything by seating Burris. Of course, once Franken is seated, then they're shooting themselves in the food by not seating Burris.

[Lunar]

Gawd, Reid has such an easy back door to this scandal.

All he has to do is strong-arm Lt. Gov Quinn in to saying "I was always going to appoint a caretaker and because Roland Burris is such a distinguished politician who promised to resign his seat after two years, and because he was the first African-American elected state-wide in Illinois, I had always considered him the frontrunner to replace our first African-American president and likely result of my own selection process.  I endorse Roland Burris as an excellent representative of Illinois for the next two years and even if I should ascend to the governorship while Mr. Burris's status is in limbo, I would still appoint him if such an effort were needed.

It's so easy!  There's no reason to block him if the Lt. Governor endorses him, since the Lt. Governor, we assume, has legitimacy in the selection process.  And this would give Quinn a slight deflection of Blago's middle finger to him (by preventing him from selecting someone he wanted).

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Gawd, Reid has such an easy back door to this scandal.

All he has to do is strong-arm Lt. Gov Quinn in to saying "I was always going to appoint a caretaker and because Roland Burris is such a distinguished politician who promised to resign his seat after two years, and because he was the first African-American elected state-wide in the United States, I had always considered him the frontrunner and likely result of my own selection process.  I endorse Roland Burris as an excellent representative of Illinois for the next two years and even if I should ascend to the governorship while Mr. Burris's status is in limbo, I would still appoint him if such an effort were needed.

It's so easy!  There's no reason to block him if the Lt. Governor endorses him, since the Lt. Governor, we assume, has legitimacy in the selection process.  And this would give Quinn a slight deflection of Blago's middle finger to him (by preventing him from selecting someone he wanted).

I was wondering why that hadn't happened yet.  It would work perfectly.

[Keystone Phil]

I support Burris being seated but he could not legally be seated today (because White didn't sign the appointment certificate). That being said, Burris ought to win every legal challenge and take the seat (even though I obviously don't like Blagojevich's desire to screw this all up).

The ideal solution would have been a special election but I guess that's out of the question now...

The special election is only out of the question as long as the Democrats who lead the legislature want bit to be. A special election bill can include language to make the appointment temporary.

Well get down there and give them hell! 

[Rob]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/06/burris/index.html

They might as well have burned a cross outside.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Dianne Feinstein does something good with her life for the first time ever

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17118.html

Feinstein, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said that not allowing Burris to be seated could broadly undermine future gubernatorial appointments.

“I can’t imagine the secretary of state countermanding a gubernatorial appointment,” Feinstein said. “The question, really, is one in my view of law. And that is, does the governor have the power to make the appointment? And the answer is yes. Is the governor discredited? And the answer is yes.

“Does that affect his appointment power? And the answer is no until certain things happen.”

Yeah if those appointments are made by Governors arrested for trying to sell Senate seats.

Suck it and shut up, Feinstein.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

And the special appointment legislation was never rejected.  It was simply put aside

That was the wrong way to not seat Burris.

[J. J.]

And the special appointment legislation was never rejected.  It was simply put aside

That was the wrong way to not seat Burris.

Make your calendar; I agree.  Fill it by actually having an election.  There would have been minimal delay.

I agree with Feinstein.

(Now, that said, I'd support expulsion.)

[BM]