Posted on 12/30/2008 11:49:22 AM PST by BAW
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) said in a statement this afternoon that the Senate will not seat anyone Gov. Rod Blagojevich chooses to fill Illinois' vacant Senate post, amid word that the governor is set to name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.
The statement also is signed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who has repeatedly urged Blagojevich not to name a replacement for the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. The statement specifically names Burris, but applies to any choice the governor might make.
"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."
The decision was made during a 10-minute conference call that included Reid, Durbin and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), as well as representatives of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). There was little discussion and no dissent in reaching the position, said a Senate aide.
"The goal was to get this statement out before Blagojevich made his announcement," the Senate source said.
Blagojevich, who has sole authority to name a replacement senator, scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference at his downtown Chicago office.
Burris left his downtown consulting office about 1:15 p.m., getting congratulatory hugs from several employees. But Burris refused comment when asked whether he was going to accept the appointment after word that Senate Democratic leadership would not seat him.
Shortly after Obama's Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following Blagojevich's arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor's support.
Though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama's replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he's never lost to a Republican.
Blagojevich's criminal defense attorney Ed Genson had said Blagojevich would not name a Senate successor to Obama. The governor had indicated he agreed with other Illinois politicians that the best option might be a special election to fill Obama's seat. But state lawmakers have not taken up the necessary legislation.
Burris has given more than $20,000 to Blagojevich's campaign fund on his own and through his consulting and law firms, state campaign finance records show. Burris' consulting company received about $290,000 in state contracts with the Illinois Department of Transportation a few years ago, according to state comptroller records.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada previously warned Blagojevich, following the governor's Dec. 9 arrest, that Senate Democrats would not seat any appointment the two-term Democratic governor made. Reid's warning was contained in a letter signed by all 50 sitting Democratic senators, including the No. 2 Democrat in Senate leadership, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.
Federal authorities, citing secret wiretap recordings, allege Blagojevich sought a Cabinet position, an ambassadorship or a high-paying job from the incoming Obama administration in exchange for naming a candidate favored by the president-elect to the vacancy. An internal report by the Obama transition team found no offers of any quid pro quo in conversations held by incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and Blagojevich and the governor's staff regarding the seat.
Burris became the first African-American to win statewide office in 1978, when he won the first of his three terms as comptroller. But Burris repeatedly stalled in his quest for bigger political office. He failed in three consecutive runs for governor--1994, 1998 and 2002, when he ran against Blagojevich--in the Democratic primaries.
Burris, an attorney in private practice, could not be reached for comment at his home today.
A special state House committee is weighing whether to recommend impeaching Blagojevich, and a leading member of the panel today called the news "incredibly ill-advised."
Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said he believed his colleagues on the panel "will take the position that the timing is so wrong as to put a cloud over the appointment."
"It certainly wouldn't be a legal cloud," Lang said. "It would be more of a political cloud."
Rep. Jim Durkin, the Republican spokesman on the impeachment panel, said he is drafting a letter to Burris calling for him to reject the appointment.
"I think the governor can do what he wants, but I think that Roland Burris should not accept it," Durkin said. "He left government under a good standing, and this is not a way to re-enter it. If he does accept it, I will take any means necessary to have him testify before the special (impeachment) committee."
Durkin, citing the federal probe into Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell the Senate seat, said the matter is at the heart of the impeachment investigation and the federal criminal charges against the governor. Durkin said he wants to know when Burris talked to the governor or any of his aides about the Senate appointment, what was discussed and what, if any, material was submitted.
"If he does accept this," Durkin said, "I want to know the circumstances on which his name rose to the top in the last 24 hours."
Durkin said he knew of nothing that Burris had done improper, noting "he's a good and decent man."
I just sprayed coffee all over my keyboard and monitor.
Until Blago is REMOVED by 2/3rds vote in the Illinois Senate, he still has the authority. If he is impeached by the Illinois House, he still has the ablity to exercise his full powers as Governor WHILE the Illinois Senate tries him for high crimes.
Bwahahahaha.
Sorry FRiend, I owe you a bottle of Windex, at least. ;)
**What a system we got here in the Peoples Republik of IL.**
A Republik ran by demKratz, simply delighful! Now I see why republicans lost the last 2 election cycles.....it doesn’t get more entertaining than this....pass the popcorn!!!
Burris will be the next Senator from IL...
the senate cannot block it legally
per MSNBC: there was a house congreesman in the 1960’s that was going to be congressman under a cloud(forgot what for) the house tried to block it and he sued.
The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Congress only has a say in the matter if there is a question about the qualification of the candidate(i.e. US citizen)
LOL is right. I wonder when one of the presstitutes is going to deign to ask BO what he thinks of his replacement. Too funny...
FOX was interviewing 2 dem politicos. The woman (Zahra something) couldn’t master the pronunciation of Blagojevich. She insisted on saying BaGLOjevich.
Oh well. Another mispronunciation for Rush!
POWELL v. McCORMACK, 395 U.S. 486 (1969)
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/powellvmc.html
No kidding, he can’t even string together an understandable sentence that isn’t peppered with affirmative action comments.. since when are we going to give seats because of an uncle (Caroline Kennedy alluding that Hillary’s senate seat was Robert Kennedy’s and should be her’s for that reason) and now Obama’s senate seat because Obama was black should not be a black seat!
Now THAT’S good Kapitalism!
ah,,but the Lt. Governor wants to write his own rules. Get the comment on the “people have said they don’t believe Blago is capable”? How does he know that? A CNN poll?
This is a great time to be laid up for a few days. I got chips, beer, popcorn, and a recliner with remote.
Adding to his sterling resume:
Though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama's replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he's never lost to a Republican.
If he never won a primary, he couldn't have lost to a Republican. No matter, of course, in Chicagoland.
And then there's this:
Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago said there's "no rhyme or reason" Burris should not be seated in the Senate. He pointed out that the Senate currently has no African-Americans following Obama's election to the presidency. Rush said he plans to lobby the Senate to seat Burris.
Oh, my, are the solidarity seams coming unglued in Chicago? Rush didn't appreciate the upstart Obama trying to unseat him in 2000. Does he still hold a grudge?
Now, that's a story that I would like to see in the mainstream media, or any media for that matter. Maybe you should send an email to Blago about it. He could use the hint.
The way that guy talks, I thought that senate seats time would expire before he finished.
It has now been established that should a Black leave the senate, he/she must be replaced by a Black. Therefore, if a White should leave political offoce, he/she MUST be replaced by a white. And I would extend this to actually running for office. Only whites can run for a white office & vice versa.
Works for me.
Thanks
The senate is the final judge as to who may be seated. If there are any irregularities they can refuse to seat.
The House of Representatives did this with an elected member back in the ‘70’s. They just voted not to seat him.
Harry Reid is checkmating Blago, not the other way round. As Majority Leader he’s telling Blago not to bother since the Federal Constitution trumps State Law in this area.
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