and the RATS, take another one in the.................................HA ha!!!
Posted on 01/09/2009 11:13:11 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Rod Blagojevich may look like one of the dim bulbs from Tony Soprano’s Bada Bing, but the guy’s a political genius. Who could imagine that a month after U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald signaled that the Illinois governor was about to be indicted for trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat, the man would not only remain un-indicted and un-impeached (well, until yesterday), but he’d manage to make the entire Democratic congressional leadership look like chumps?
In naming former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the vacant seat, Blagojevich has hoist the Dems on their own petard.
Blagojevich knew exactly what he was doing by naming Burris. Like any urban Democrat, the governor knew how potent an advantage Burris’ race would be. Blacks may be only 15 percent of the Illinois population, but they represent about half of the Democratic Party’s base in the state. And nationally, the figures are just as skewed.
By appointing Burris, Blagojevich was daring the Dems to bar the Senate door. If they dared do so, he knew he could count on the likes of Congressman and former Black Panther Bobby Rush to evoke images of the segregationists of yesteryear.
With Obama’s elevation to president, Senate Democrat ranks are as white as Republicans’. And no matter how many times Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats say their qualms about Burris appointment have nothing to do with race, the controversy makes them squirm.
After all, Democrats have been perfectly happy to force police departments, businesses and colleges to select applicants by color. But they seem less happy to apply those same standards to themselves when it comes to joining the most exclusive club in the world.
Of course it’s absurd to think the Democrats don’t want Burris because he’s black. But then schools that fail to admit less-qualified blacks, or businesses that don’t hire a proportional share of black employees, or police departments that pass over a lower-scoring black applicant in order to promote a higher-scoring white one aren’t engaging in racial discrimination, either.
Yet Democrats have insisted for decades that racial justice somehow required racial parity in all aspects of life. But they chafe at having the same absurd rules applied to them.
It wasn’t long before Senate Democrats began retreating. Just hours after the Senate sergeant-at-arms summarily rejected Burris from taking his seat, Majority Leader Reid’s description of Burris began changing from dismissive to complimentary.
“He obviously is a very engaging, extremely nice man. He presents himself very well. He’s very proud of his family. He’s got two Ph.D.s and two law degrees, and he talked about how proud he was having those degrees,” gushed Reid.
But whatever the Senate leadership decides to do, Burris is virtually a sure bet to win a challenge in court if it comes to that.
Like it or not, Rod Blagojevich is still a sitting governor with the power under Illinois law to appoint a replacement to fill President-elect Obama’s empty seat. The Democrats in the state legislature had their chance to to schedule a special election to fill Obama’s seat and didn’t take it.
How ironic that Barack Obama is now saddled with party leaders who are accused of acting like racists. Democrats have rarely minded when the R-word was hurled at Republicans. But now that the shoe’s on the other foot, they’ve discovered it hurts.
I don’t admire his ethics, but I wish more Republicans had stones like Blago.
Linda’s no prize either. She’s still more devoted to her ethnicity than to being an American.
Ditto!
So true. A dash of sanity from her (the first in a long time).
I have a sneaky feeling that the Gov will be back. You know how dimwits are.
Criminal activities don’t seem to disqualify you.
I bet he's clean and articulate too.
All that takes is a flashlight.
However I DO join in the amusement at this event.
*****I don’t admire his ethics, but I wish more Republicans had stones like Blago.*****
So profound! Truth and testosterone - what a combination!
Is there time to clone Sarah Palin??
Thanks to Fitzgerald the Shameless, Blago may well walk. Right now the strongest case has to do with intimidation of the Chicago Tribune, and it ain’t great.
All we have on “selling a Senate seat” is a tape, in some context, TALKING about getting some quid for the pro quo, but drunks and fools talk about all sorts of silliness. When husbands start talking about getting rid of inconvenient wives, prosecutors always provide a handy “hit-man” to take money and nail down the case. Fitz smelled a camera, got in a rush, blew it. Prosecutors do NOT ask for a continuance to indict because they have “too much” evidence, you can sort that between indictment and trial.
Silver lining here, Fitz the publicity hound has finally done something that has embarrassed top Dems, look for him to quietly vanish from any effective posting.
Is there time to clone Sarah Palin??
We don’t need a clone when we have the real thing. Go Sarah!
This is Soviet Union style politics, paint someone as mentally unstable, don't take on their arguments, but destroy them personally. Blago has to be destroyed, because he's an embarassment to Obama. It's crowded under tha Obama bus, but there's always room for one more.
The inner contradictions of the Democrats always end up sabotaging their own efforts at "Total Control". Tip O'Neill and Teddy Kennedy sabotaged Jimmy Carter. The congressional Dem's sabotaged Bill Clinton right after he took office. And Pelosi and Dingy Harry are setting up to sabotage Obama. I've heard more about Democrat reservations about Obama's "stimulus" program, than I've heard from Pubbies.
Their inner contradiction comes from the deeply-held belief by elected Democrats that the public is stupid and needs to be guided to do the right thing. Unfortunately for the Dems, each elected Dem believes that, but they disagree among themselves on what exactly needs to be done. So, Pelosi and Reid read Obama the riot act on how things are going to be done around Dodge City. Obama, the home of the whopper ego, believes that "only Obama" knows how to fix the situation.
I plan on nuking the popcorn, starting January 21st.
Lets wait and see.
Sniper63
So now the IL Senate has to have the impeachment trial. Blago I guess gets to testify and have a full blown trial, and you know he will fight it all the way. It may take another 2 or 3 months and he will be in the news every day in IL, the Pres. home state where all the dirty laundry will be on display as BO is seriously trying the save us from ourselves.
They blame the Chicago newspaper, but I would be dollars to donuts that the paper was put up to it.
What a great example of the double standard that has become the staple of 21st century politics in America. Blago’s case vs. that of Scooter Libby. Absolutely perfect example!
****We don’t need a clone when we have the real thing. Go Sarah!****
We just have the one Sarah - I’m talkin’ a plethora of Palins......in every county, in every State, in the HoR and in all 100 Senate seats.
They are chumps...but the media usually is able to give them enough cover the only ones who notice are the ones who pay attention.
‘Fraid not sniper. I spent New Year’s Eve online rooting to the bottom of this pile of muck, turned into a Blog article on our local www.conchoinfo.org I had a lot of fun with it, but the law in it is solid. A lot of law school deans agree with my conclusions. So far, I’ve been dead on and well ahead of the press.
Harry Reid let his mouth overload his a**, the nail in that coffin was Diane Fienstein Chair of Senate Rules, who seems to have actually read the law, or at least have a staffer do it.
Doesn’t matter if Blagojevich is removed now. At the time of the appointment, he was the authority empowered to make it. Think back to the Clinton impeachment. Had the votes been there to convict and remove, would any Clinton appointment in the interim have been invalid? No.
Now taking dollars-to-donuts wagers, unless Burris rolls over under pressure, any court including SCOTUS will seat him. Quinn would have no authority to rescind a valid appointment. By the Powell v McCormack precedent, Reid could seat Burris, then expell him by two thirds vote, but where is he gonna get 67? His Party is crawfishing on denying a seat to the only black Senator, and it sure won’t be Republicans, they’re too busy laughing their butts off.
Hmm...may have to rethink my slam-dunk bet metaphor. Real value of a donut may soon exceed that of a dollar.
Thanks for the correction I was just stating what the bleedia were talking about last night.
I can now sleep better...........not
Sniper63
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.