Chicago Tribune Calls on Burris to Resign
The Chicago Tribune says: Roland Burris, resign:
Let’s see if we have it right: Burris had zero contact with any of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s cronies about his interest in the Senate seat being vacated by President Barack Obama— unless you count that conversation with former chief of staff Lon Monk, and, on further reflection, the ones with insiders John Harris, Doug Scofield and John Wyma and, oh yeah, the governor’s brother and fund-raising chief, Robert Blagojevich. But Burris didn’t raise a single dollar for the now ex-governor as a result of those contacts because that could be construed as a quid pro quo and besides, everyone he asked refused to donate.
The story gets worse with every telling.
Enough. Roland Burris must resign.
Hey, at least they got his vote on the stimulus. That might’ve been tough if he had told the truth right away . . .
Of course, they already knew before the vote was final:
Burris, I’m told by several sources, strolled up to Durbin, the No. 2 Senate leader, and Reid on the Senate floor while they were in the midst of overseeing the vote on President Obama’s stimulus bill, one of the most important pieces of legislation in the history of this nation.
Meanwhile, an agent who worked on Ted Stevens’s case says exculpatory evidence was withheld from him during his trial, a federal judge held several prosecutors in contempt, and now six of them have been removed from the case.
In unrelated news, today Barack Obama (one day earlier than promised) signed the death warrant for our children’s financial future — which passed by exactly 60 votes in the Senate. A Senate where we have one Democrat who made it in by hiding the fact that he was asked to pay to play — and where a Republican lost an election after losing a criminal trial where the government hid evidence from him.
Does that pretty much cover it?
oh. That doesn’t cover it, Mr. Patterico.
Now Baracky says he messed up and cravenly let a bill pass that he pretty much knew wasn’t gonna do the trick as written so we probably have to do it all over again. Cause of how bad he messed up.
It’s very very sad news. Baracky’s AP mournfully broke the story this morning.
happyfeet (4eacbc) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:09 pmIf anyone in the U.S.Senate had any integrity,
there would be a couple of chapters in there of “Profiles In Courage” to be written.
But then, that would take someone who would deny their “Blind Ambition”.
We are completely f…ed!
AD - RtR/OS (58203b) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:10 pmBTW, where is Aaron Burr when you need him?
AD - RtR/OS (58203b) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:11 pmoh. Yes. Someone call Ironsides.
happyfeet (4eacbc) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:12 pmIn Chicago, this is called kindergarten. Seriously, the paper bags full of money and doughnut boxes fully of cash liners have all been passed around. Burris will likely end up under the bus, but he will not be pressed and things will be just fine for those being it.
Joe (17aeff) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:14 pmWhat happened to Ted Stevens is wrong, but I can’t get worked up about him losing his Senate seat. He was well overdue for retirement, and a master of Byrd-ian proportions when it came to delivering ridiculous pork to his home state.
All you South Bay folks: Did you know that Ted Stevens is an alumnus of Redondo Union High School?
JVW (bff0a4) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:21 pmhappy, that Aaron, not Raymond – look it up!
AD - RtR/OS (58203b) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:24 pmhappy, that’s Aaron, not Raymond – look it up!
AD - RtR/OS (58203b) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:26 pmoh. My bad. Also count me in with those ones that were too quick to judge Senator Stevens. I’m sorry, Senator Stevens. I was kinda mean and I apologize.
happyfeet (4eacbc) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:31 pmok I was a lot mean
happyfeet (4eacbc) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:32 pmI want a statement from the “If Don’t Seat Burris, You’re a KKK Lyncher” Congressional Black Caucus.
Roy Mustang (776c16) — 2/17/2009 @ 9:55 pmThe UK is currently trying to find another Guy Fawkes – perhaps we could offer him a vacation over here, once he’s done with Westminster ?
Alasdair (6b086e) — 2/17/2009 @ 11:27 pmWith the moral turpitude of the last two Governors, and this idiocy emanating from Sen (for now) Burris, I think a third-party candidate could do quite well in Illinois in 2010.
I can’t decide if I want to be a Senator, or Governor…
Scott Jacobs (90ff96) — 2/17/2009 @ 11:51 pmThomas Jefferson is a good reference when searching for the antithesis to Chicago politics.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 2/17/2009 @ 11:57 pmAD – RtR/OS wrote:
It’s not Aaron Burr? I thought that’s the reason why he was in the wheelchair — he got shot! 🙂
L.N. Smithee (8ce956) — 2/18/2009 @ 12:14 amAnybody been able to stick a mic in Bobby Rush’s face yet?
L.N. Smithee (8ce956) — 2/18/2009 @ 12:15 amI’ve never known someone to have to FORCE Bobby Rush to get in front of a camera/mic…
Scott Jacobs (90ff96) — 2/18/2009 @ 12:21 amJefferson the antithesis of Chicago politics? I admire him for the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Barbary Pirates War, but as a politician he could be a despicable weasel.
When he was contending with John Adams in the 1790s, he secretly paid sleazoids to smear Adams. Meanwhile he lied to Adams, saying he had nothing to do with it and professing friendship.
The Sally Hemings scandal blew up because he stiffed one of his hatchetmen, and the guy turned on him.
Rich Rostrom (09ec82) — 2/18/2009 @ 12:59 amDid the Tribune endorse Blago?
If so, then they are the architects who designed the structure now occupied by Burris.
If so, then we are owed an explanation as to how they got it so horrendously wrong, and how they will mend their ways so we can trust their judgment in the future.
If so, then I call for the editor of the Tribune to resign.
Amphipolis (fdbc48) — 2/18/2009 @ 6:18 amYou mean the CHICAGO TRASH-BIN is urging him to resign?
Krazy Kagu (d47573) — 2/18/2009 @ 7:19 amI found someone else who shares my way of looking at this, although he targets a different rag and he was not dealing with Burris.
Chicago Sun-Times, october 20, 2006:
Our experience with Blagojevich prompts us to take him at his word. We’ve chosen to give him the benefit of the doubt and endorse him for a number of reasons.
I want to see the heads of everyone who endorsed Blago roll (figuratively) before I see Burris out of the Senate. Oh, and that would include Obama.
Amphipolis (fdbc48) — 2/18/2009 @ 8:24 amAlso, don’t forget the Al Franken (Acorn) attempt to steal the seat from Norm Coleman. Of course, that would have made the vote 61 – 39, so it would still have passed.
Sabba Hillel (b3a959) — 2/18/2009 @ 9:22 amAmongst us, we laugh at the Illinois Dem, and Rep, parties. When will the people demand better? The media has been complicit in this for decades, either not covering this type of asshattery, sweeping it under the rug, or making it all on the individual, when it is clearly pervasive throughout the governing party.
JD (d5a778) — 2/18/2009 @ 9:46 amComment by Alasdair — 2/17/2009 @ 11:27 pm
Looking for Guy Falkes….
Well, they shouldn’t be looking over here, we executed ours at The Super Max.
Comment by JD — 2/18/2009 @ 9:46 am
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 10:00 amIs it the cold wind from Canada that freezes the brains of upstate IL’s citizens and results in such despicable politics?
AD – RtR/OS
Even with Google, I haven’t been able to make sense of the “The Super Max” reference …
???
Alasdair (e7cb73) — 2/18/2009 @ 3:46 pmBurris is a freakin’ corrupt idiot. Be done with him. And make note of it on the walls and pillars of his mausoleum-in-progress.
Larry Reilly (45e7a4) — 2/18/2009 @ 4:58 pmBut,hey, Monsieur Patterico, why not revisit Norm Coleman and Minnesota? You’ve weighed in when it suits your purpose.
It’s pretty obvious the Republicans are funding folly and engaging in more of same in the attempt to keep the voter’s choice of, no matter what ad hominem terms you choose to use for him, Al Ranken as senator.
Now, that’s corrupt. But it doesn’t bother you for the obvious reason. Let it lie. Lie. Lie. Lie. That’s the ticket.
Comment by Alasdair — 2/18/2009 @ 3:46 pm
Tim McVeigh.
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 4:59 pmMary’s been hitting the cooking-sherry again.
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:00 pmMawy is a twelve – year old girl, still learning how to spell and achieve a passing grade in comprehension.
Dmac (49b16c) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:01 pmAs a side note, Sen. Burris’ vote was not needed to pass the stimulus bill. Had he not been seated, with only 98 Senators, the necessary number of votes would have been 59 … meaning that Burris’ vote would only have been necessary if former Sen. Coleman were judged to have won the election and seated prior to the vote.
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:06 pmAre you postive about that?
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:10 pmIIRC the standard is 3/5ths of the Senate as constituted, not of the total seated?
AD: what’s the difference you are trying to draw? The Senate as constituted today has 99 members.
I understand the distinction between present members and actual members, and the 3/5 line doesn’t shrink for members not present; but for members not seated, they aren’t members yet … and the 3/5 line is going to be drawn against members, not potential members. 🙂
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:22 pmI can’t find the actual text of the rules, but this CRS report supports my argument. “Then it usually requires the votes of at least three-fifths of all Senators (normally 60 votes) to invoke cloture.” (emphasis added).
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:26 pmNo, the Senate “as constituted” has 100 members.
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:27 pmIt takes a 2/3’rds vote of the Senate to override a veto, which is 67 votes, regardless of how many are present or seated.
Senate rules call for a 3/5’ths vote to squelch a filibuster (it used to be 2/3’rds), that would be 60 votes.
AD, I don’t think it’s clear even in the case of a veto that if Senators have not yet been seated due to disputed election returns, that the number needed would not be reduced by a corresponding percentage.
I suspect you’ll find little to no case law on the subject; it would require an unusual political circumstance and the person suing would have a difficult time establishing standing.
That said, the rules for the veto are established in the Constitution, and the rules for the filibuster are established in the Senate Rules; so there is no guarantee that the same rules would apply. The document I linked to suggests that there is at least one theoretical circumstance in which fewer than 60 votes are needed to overturn a filibuster; the most plausible scenario for that circumstance is one in which there are 98 or fewer Senators currently seated.
aphrael (e0cdc9) — 2/18/2009 @ 5:55 pmWell, what we need is a direct link to the Senate Rules so that they may be disected.
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 6:03 pmIt is just my understanding that the 2/3’rds, 3/5’ths rule has always been interpreted as a fraction of the whole, regardless of how many openings there are. Afterall, the Founder’s intent was to make it difficult to do things.
Perhaps if we have a reader who is a constituent of Robert Byrd (the acknowledged master of Senate history and protocol), they would do us the favor of an email to the Senator asking for his interpretation of this matter.
Oh come on Larry. Al Franken? Must be nice to have the home team advantage….then you can choose which numbers to count from each precinct. The original election mumbers or the re-count numbers? Answer: Which ever numbers favor your candidate most from each precinct.
Bart998 (e9a2e5) — 2/18/2009 @ 7:42 pmAD: If I could find the Senate Rules, I’d link to them. Unfortunately, there’s no direct link to them that I can see on the Senate page, and I don’t know how to trick Thomas into disgorging them.
aphrael (9e8ccd) — 2/18/2009 @ 10:35 pmComment by aphrael — 2/18/2009 @ 10:35 pm
No big deal. I’m sure that at some time in the near future, we’ll discover the answer.
AD - RtR/OS (dd5f17) — 2/18/2009 @ 11:13 pmaphrael,
You may find what you’re looking for here.
Stashiu3 (460dc1) — 2/18/2009 @ 11:49 pmaphrael, I’ve sent an email on this question to Sen McConnell (R-KY). But, while typing it I recalled that the cloiture on the Stimulus Bill required 60-votes, and yet the Senate, at this time, only has 99 Senators (or less, if Biden’s seat hasn’t been filled). Anyway, we’ll see what his response will be.
AD - RtR/OS (54498b) — 2/19/2009 @ 12:11 amaphrael, according to BotW-WSJ-Online today, you are correct, and I am wrong on the number of votes needed for cloiture.
AD - RtR/OS (674119) — 2/19/2009 @ 11:49 am(for some reason – need some help here – since installing IE-8, the link command gets caught-up in the built-in pop-up blocker; anyone know how to restore the funcionality of the link command on this page?)