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."
Black Panther Bobby is my Congressman (ugh) and he's been very sick lately and deteriorated alot. Rumors are he might die in office. Here's a clip of him about two years ago (during the proposed Iraq surge debate) when he was healthy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plfu7kgRIR8
Of course the amazing story is that black panther Bobby is remembered as the who overwhemingly DEFEATED Obama in the Dem primary when Hussein ran for Congress back in 2000. I'm still amazed that Hussein would manage to dupe this entire nation into electing him a mere 8 years later. Over here on the south side of Chicago he was known as "the guy who couldn't even beat a black panther" for a few years.
The short answer is no... but, that won't stop Reid from making himself look the ass.
Wait... to late.
Interesting, it appears dingy Harry would have no issue with warping the USC to his liking to prevent seating what he calls a “shadow” Senator.
Good luck, Reid. I’ll just sit back and enjoy watching you destroy your so-called party.
Thats that racist reid at it again
“I’m still amazed that Hussein would manage to dupe this entire nation into electing him a mere 8 years later.”
http://www.chicagoreader.com/obama/000317/index.php?cAction=
I’m sure you’ve seen that. Read how the blacks disdained that carpet-bagging Harvard elitist, half-white/halfrican Obama. I remember reading a similar article at the time. Who would have thought they were reading about a man who would elected PRESIDENT in 2008 with 95% black support? America effed up big time.
I hadn’t seen Bobby Rush in awhile, but just saw a clip of him at the Blago-Burris press conference, and I was absolutely shocked. He looks ghastly, like a sunken old man. Did he suffer a massive stroke ?
Not that I know of.
Maybe the stress of seeing a man I’m sure he still really hates be elected President took it’s toll.
I looked it up on Google (no mention on Wikipedia, surprise, surprise) and it said he had a cancerous tumor from the salivary gland removed back in March. That would explain why his face looks distorted and his slurred speech. But, still, he doesn’t look a well man despite a claim he is cancer free.
Oh yeah, this is just what the country ordered when they elected O as president. The scandals and corruption increase.
I see. Perhaps it spread to his soul.
Damn Wikipedia. A couple weeks ago I was reading the article for Sue Myrick and it said Kerry won her district, I corrected it.
set to name former Illinois Attorney General Roland BurrisHey, what's the problem? Not a Demwit? The reason is, this is the lightning rod to take the public hit, while the rest of the corrupt Demwits (including Reid himself) get off scot-free.
Reid is just confusing Blagojevich's choice with a choice for a Supreme Court Justice.
Old habit ARE hard to break apparently.
How should Senate Pubbies handle this? IMHO, they should just stay on the sidelines and watch the ‘Rats stew in their own juice.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2156374/posts
Blagojevich Plays The Race Card On Fellow Democrats
Legal Insurrection Blog ^
Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 2:28:09 PM by Legal Insurrection
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s appointment of Roland Burris has put the Democratic party in a box. By appointing an African-American to the empty Senate seat, Blagojevich has forced his political opponents to risk being called racists. In supporting the appointment, Congressman Bobby Rush called opposition to Burris an attempted lynching. Whether this analogy is justified is questionable, but it is the same tactic that has been used against conservatives for decades, most recently by the Obama campaign. Democrats are getting a dose of their own medicine, and I hope it goes down like a bitter pill.
At the moment, the GOP needs to keep their mouths shut. I want to see the rodents form a circular firing squad. Denying a Black man (only the 2nd Black male Democrat who could become a Senator — a record the GOP broke almost 140 years ago) a Senate seat... tsk tsk.
Obamanation is siding with Reid -— more popcorn, please!!
Obama says Senate cannot accept Blagojevich appointment
Tue Dec 30, 2008
http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKN3033862920081230
KAILUA, Hawaii (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said on Tuesday he agreed that Senate Democrats “cannot accept” any move by Illinois’ scandal-tarred governor to name a replacement for Obama’s Senate seat.
Obama said he was disappointed that Gov. Rod Blagojevich — who has been accused of trying to sell the vacant Senate seat — had appointed former state attorney general Roland Burris to fill the vacancy.
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