Senate Accepts Burris
[Guest post by DRJ]
The AP reports Democratic Senators Harry Reid and Dick Durbin announced today they believe Roland Burris will be seated as Senator from Illinois:
“Initially they had tried to dissuade Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces a state Senate impeachment trial, from making an appointment and suggested that his pick would not be seated. Last week, Burris’ credentials were rejected by Senate Democrats in a circus-like atmosphere that tarnished the opening day festivities of the new Congress.
But Reid and Durbin said they now anticipate that Burris, a former Illinois attorney general, will be seated this week, barring objections from Republicans.
They made the announcement after Burris’ lawyers delivered to the Capitol documents certifying his appointment to Obama’s seat, and the secretary of the Senate determined that the paperwork met Senate requirements.
While a victory for Burris, the move is a major reversal for Senate Democrats.”
The AP is right to describe this as a circus-like atmosphere, but in the long run the real damage may be to the relationship between the Senate Democratic leaders and the Obama Administration. Obama’s flip-flop on the Burris appointment helped make the Senate leaders look foolish. This wasn’t the good start either group wanted, nor will it establish the trust that fosters a good working relationship in the future.
— DRJ
Do you really think that Harry Reid and Dick Durbin needed any help from Obama to look foolish?
Mike Myers (674050) — 1/12/2009 @ 6:57 pmThose doofi (plural of doofus) can do that easily–and do so every morning.
…barring objections from Republicans.
sierra (4be1ff) — 1/12/2009 @ 7:11 pmOh, now that’s rich!
Does anybody actually believe that the Democrats would not eventually seat Burris? The rest is soundbytes for the media.
bobdog (8bb090) — 1/12/2009 @ 7:16 pm“Never, never, never, NEVER!!! NEVER!!!!!”
“Well, all right.”
— Harry (Spineless Bimbo Supreme) Reid
Icy Texan (b7d162) — 1/12/2009 @ 8:36 pmThis honestly just seems like an easy way to be spiteful. The Senate takes senority seriously, this way Buress is forever junior to everyone who won a normal election this cycle. If it weren’t the Ill. SoS they’d have come up with some other explaination that would have provided the few days delay.
Soronel Haetir (cabedb) — 1/12/2009 @ 8:51 pmWell, he will have seniority over the Clown of a Thousand Lakes.
AD (17695a) — 1/12/2009 @ 10:57 pmand the Princess from New York
kimsch (2ce939) — 1/12/2009 @ 11:04 pmDid Biden resign yet? If Burris can get seated before Ted Kaufman, then he’ll seniority over him too.
kimsch (2ce939) — 1/12/2009 @ 11:06 pmIf it means avoiding a special election, in the end Reid and Obama are happy with the result. It could have been done far better. There was no art in any of this, but Blago saved the risk of a special election and the GOP winning this seat. And in the end that is what matters to Reid and Obama.
Joe (17aeff) — 1/13/2009 @ 6:57 amThis Burris man seems like a nice old black man, aside from the fact that he has an ego bigger than his home state AND he couldn’t win the seat in an election outright. Now because of one corrupt man with a vote of 1, he’s in. So long as all the rules and requirements have been met and there is no criminality behind this, I guess its OK. I would not have accepted the appointment as this will always be hanging over his head. I suppose some people just don’t care.
Blue Proctor (393fef) — 1/13/2009 @ 7:01 am
CAROL NILES (b75273) — 1/15/2009 @ 12:01 pmBurris is another crook in the Senate. When are all these people going to wake up and start electing new blood.