Democrats Playing Hot Potato with Burris Appointment
Harry Reid punts Blago's choice for the Senate back to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
The Roland Burris circus took a ludicrous turn today as Harry Reid and Senate Democrats threw the fate of the former Illinois attorney general, who was appointed by disgraced Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the unexpired term of President-elect Barack Obama last week, back to Illinois and the office of Secretary of State Jesse White.
It was White who refused to sign off on Burris, rejecting the paperwork on the appointment while making it clear he would not certify any candidate appointed by a governor who tried to to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder. At the same time, White admitted — and most legal experts have agreed — that he has no statutory authority in the matter and that his signature (and the affixing of the state seal to the appointment document) was pro forma. Burris attorneys have sued White, saying he has no standing to deny Burris the seat. They are asking the court to direct the secretary of state to certify the appointment. Legal observers say that Burris has an excellent case.
That may be so. But yesterday, when Mr. Burris dramatically tried to take his seat in the Senate, he was rebuffed by Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erikson, who told him that his paperwork was out of order, lacking as it did both White’s signature and the Great Seal of Illinois. This set up the dramatic meeting today between Burris and Reid to try and find a way out of this political quagmire, which was making the Democrats look ridiculous for having made a big show of denying Burris his seat only to retreat when the legal and political winds began to blow against them.
Reid, citing a 120-year-old Senate rule that required the signatures of both the governor and secretary of state on any appointment, lobbed the ball back into Jesse White’s court — a play that made the wizened old pol (and one of the most powerful Democrats in Illinois) get his back up and charge “Foul!”
“What the senate did to Roland Burris yesterday…they played a little bit of a game with him,” he [White] said.
The host asked him if he thought Reid had made him a “fall guy.”
“You’re absolutely correct,” he said. “It’s ugly.”
“I think the world of Roland Burris,” he said. “We’re the best of friends.”
“Roland Burris is going to be seated,” he predicted, saying he hopes Burris becomes the next senator from Illinois.
In effect, White is saying “No, thank you” to Harry Reid and telling him to fix his own darn messes.
Indeed, Reid and the Democratic leadership have been backtracking furiously, trying not to trip over their own feet after having released what sounded like a definitive, almost Shermanesque statement even before Burris had been announced as Blagojevich’s choice:
This is not about Mr. Burris; it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate seat,” the statement read. “Anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic Caucus.
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Rick Moran is PJM Chicago editor; his own blog is Right Wing Nut House.
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14 Comments
1. Retep:I watched Reid’s press conference today and not one member of the press asked about the majority’s statement of not seating any Blago appointment…a statement by the way that was signed by every democrat senator.
Jan 7, 2009 - 1:18 pm 2. tomjelen:If the Senate wants to keep the circus atmosphere in their chamber they will seat the clown.
Jan 7, 2009 - 1:21 pm 3. Craig:My objection is that he will collect a senator’s pay check not only undeserving but for life, retirement included and just what did he do to earn this? When so many Americans are out of work and suffering from job losses. The Senate must get their act going if they want credibility with the American people and the world view instead of clowns man-ship.
And If they seat this clown there will be no change in DC it will be business as usual. They are all mindless people watching after their own hind-ends. No Back bone Washington now can you imagine why the Arabs hate us?
Don’t think for a second, that race didn’t play a part of this parlor game.
Jan 7, 2009 - 1:21 pm 4. St Ant Knee:No wonder Reid is so testy with Obama.
It’s hard to know where to stand when you’re lying under the bus.
Jan 7, 2009 - 1:25 pm 5. American Glob:Too bad for Burris that his last name isn’t Kennedy. They’d be trying to carry him across the finish line.
Jan 7, 2009 - 2:00 pm 6. Martge:If the congress is so set on doing the correct thing by requiring Burris to be certified as required by the Constitution, why in the devil are they sitting on their butts and not checking into whether obama is a ‘NATURAL BORN CITIZEN’ as required by the Constitution.
So like everything else, congress picks and chooses which rules and regulations they will follow, even up to the Constitution.
TYPICAL.
Jan 7, 2009 - 2:03 pm 7. Brad:tomjelen,
They have decaf available in stores now.
Jan 7, 2009 - 2:08 pm 8. Brownie:I’m no Roland Burris fan but I have no reason to believe that he could do any less as a legislator than the junior Senator from Illinois he is replacing.
Jan 7, 2009 - 6:47 pm 9. Sullihan:This affair indicates either pretty poor leadership or a guilty mind of Harry Reid. His position has been untenable from the beginning. The Constitution of the United States explicitly permits the governor of a state to fill a vacancy in the US Senate prior to the next election (without mention of the Secretary of State or any other state officer). And it also disallows unequal representation among the states in the senate. And the Supreme Court threw out the Congress’s practice of refusing to seat a new member in 1969. The only rationale reason for this irrational behavior is that Sen. Reid believes he was was taped discussing this appointment with Gov. Blagojevich before the arrest. And ibet he can’t remember what inducements he offered the Governor to appoint his candidate.
Jan 7, 2009 - 8:00 pm 10. Войска ПВО:It is just over 60 days since ??? and the Mysterians swept into power and they have littered the landscape with their detritus. They remind me of hayseeds heading into town with a huge wallet, intent on hitting every gin joint, gambling spa, and bordello in the place before they blow.
One begins to wonder if America can take this abuse for 48 months more.
Jan 7, 2009 - 9:15 pm 11. David S:@9
Sullihan,
Reid certainly has exercised abysmally poor leadership here. Many lefties like myself have made no bones about it. Blagojevich as governor was not only permitted, but also required to appoint someone to this seat. By appointing Burris he did his duty, and also put the lie to the charges of selling the seat.
Absent impeachment or resignation, Blagojevich had to appoint someone, and it appears he made the pick without any quid pro quo. Burris should be seated, and Reid should sit on his thumb for a couple of weeks and stay out of Obama’s way.
It appears the Democrats are their own worst enemies in this case, but clearly it is a case of poorly considered decisions rather than corruption.
DS
Jan 7, 2009 - 10:46 pm 12. SEW:Burris should be in line for Reid’s job. Senator Reid, YOU and fellow Democrats need a taste of affirmative action. Kinda like the the liberals that call for busing everyone else’s children to cross town schools while sending theirs to private schools [you too Barry] and praising the death tax while inheriting their own wealth and sheltering theirs from the death taxes they so strongly support.
Jan 9, 2009 - 6:24 pm 13. Scott:Well,at least Burris never uttered the phrase….(gasp)Ya Know!
Jan 11, 2009 - 8:23 am 14. Scott:Caroline Kennedy sounded like a basketball player…imagine if Sarah Palin had uttered that one time
Jan 11, 2009 - 8:25 am