CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Carlo — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:15:36 -0000

Lets see, Burris get 1.2 million loan/contribution, the firm who gave it also gave 100,000 to Blago, the only political contributions this firm ever gave out, Burris ran for governor in the past to Help Blago, what a joke....on us.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

VanillaMan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:08:16 -0000

Congratulations Roland!

See, what did I tell you? All you had to do is dance with me, and I'll make your ambitious, self-serving dreams come true! When I phoned with this offer, I knew I found the right soul. Your deal was tailor made, just for you.

We received your signature through the mail yesterday and all the checks have cleared. You will discover a whole new world of prohibitive power and riches beyond your wildest dreams! Tomorrow, you will be picked up by a chauffeured black car, and your new Senate office awaits your first visit.

Staffers are lining up to pamper your every move. You will find new campaign contributions flooding into a new campaign fund with the personalized touches you requested. Expect to be very busy next week as invitations to every Inaugural event will find their way to you. I personally recommend the special events I have highlighted with a red asterisk. The ones I require you to attend are marked with a double asterisk.

We are so excited by this deal! You have labored long and hard and have earned the credibility you are now spending with us during these upcoming years. As with Mr. Blagojevich, you will discover that it isn't the destiny that matter, it is the time spent getting there! You will discover we offer the finest in accommodations, especially with gentlemen of your worth.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Should you run low on any funding, you can contact my personal Assistant for Funding, Mr. George Soros. George is a master at handling these kinds of money challenges.

As you also requested, we have sent a gentleman from Southland Memorial Markers to your mausoleum to add to your marvelous list of Earthly accomplishments. He will look forward to your new achievements over the next two years.

As is customary, please expect to be whisked away immediately once your work here is through. We are very excited to finish the deal and your end of our bargain is expected to be paid immediately upon it's completion. Please see Mr. Faust when you arrive for your permanent placement.

Sincerely,
The Devil

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Blago Sphere — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:51:25 -0000

This is rich:

December 30th:

Within an hour of learning on Tuesday that Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois was about to name a Senate successor to President-elect Barack Obama, the Senate Democratic leadership drew a clear line in the sand: Anyone appointed by Mr. Blagojevich, the embattled Illinois chief executive, would not be accorded Senate membership.

A statement issued by the Democratic leadership said bluntly that anyone appointed by Mr. Blagojevich â€œwill not be seated by the Democratic caucus.â€}

Today
{ we congratulate Senator-designee Burris on his appointment and we look forward to working with him in the 111th Congress."}

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

tanstaafl — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:48:06 -0000

According to AP about 5 min. ago, Reid and Durbin have said Burris is the senator designate and should be sworn in by the end of the week

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

A Citizen — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:45:49 -0000

-Bill-
Congratulations - a new cause celebre! And I was feeling badly for your recent loss of guv, good to know you recover quickly!

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Been There — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:36:25 -0000

I heard there was guy with a chisel, dressed like Fred Flintstone, out at Oakwood Cemetery already.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Bill — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:28:34 -0000

YESSSSSSSSS!
Congratulations, SENATOR Burris!
Roland, few people get to realize their dreams. I know that you will do a great job as senator. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Blago Sphere — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:26:12 -0000

{Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the assistant majority leader issued a joint statement Monday afternoon after the controvery ignited by the tainted Illinois Gov. Blagojevich was resolved.

"We have spoken to Mr. Burris to let him know that he is now the Senator-designate from Illinois and as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a Senator-elect," they said.}

Burris was lawfully appointed and became the Senator Designate from Illinois on December 31st. Reid and Durbin have simply finally acknowledged this today.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Pot calling kettle — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:17:41 -0000

If Obama's people had not contacted the Gov., that would be unusual behavior. Of course the Pres-elect is going to make his preference known regarding who takes his seat. Now if they had opened a PayPal account under another name so they could bid on the seat in secret...

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Blago Sphere — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:17:34 -0000

This is not really breaking news; I told you this would be the result on Friday:

- Blago Sphere - Friday, Jan 9, 09 @ 1:31 pm:

Jesse can certify (by signature) the copy; but not sign the copy of the original Certificate. The U.S. Senate can accpet the certified copy; in lieu of the original, and they will have both the Governorâ€™s and the Secretary of States signatures and the seal; albeit not in strict conformance with their rules.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

A Citizen — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:13:09 -0000

Fox News is reporting that they believe Burris' paperwork has been accepted and "We are the Jr. Senator"! Wow, those guys really stick to their traditions, huh> Not - 1884 "Rule" has been nullified by the limp noodles.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Anonymous Coward — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:11:58 -0000

BREAKING: Roland Burris won his battle to succeed Barack Obama as the junior senator from Illinois this afternoon as Senate lawyers agreed that he met the chambers rules and could be seated.

"Barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week," said a joint statement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin.

The Senate Democratic Leaders had told Burris last week that he needed to testify before the Illinois House impeachment committee about his relationship with Gov. Rod Blagojevich and submit a signature from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White certifying his appointment by Blagojevich.

"We have spoken to Mr. Burris to let him know that he is now the Senator-designate from Illinois and as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a Senator-elect," said the joint statement.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Blago Sphere — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:06:30 -0000

There is no need for Burris to go to court on this matter anyway; as an Illinois citizen from Arlington Heights is suing the Senate over this matter already in U.S. District Court in Washington D. C.; which was filed on January 7th.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Blago Sphere — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:03:29 -0000

Cheswick,

The Ceritifcate of Appointment initially issued by the Governor utlized the "recommended form" provided by the Secretary of the Senate. The form is recommended; but not required, and the appointing authorities are free to use them as they see fit.

Under the "recommended form" the signaory line for the appointing authority (Governor) and the counter-signature (Secretary of State) appear on the same page; and in Burris' case omitted the signature of the Secretary of State.

Since the form is recommended; rather than required, there appears to be no prohibition for the appointing authority to have a two page document, with the appointing signatory on one page, and the counter signature on another.

Given the revised Certificate provided to Burris by White's office they appear to have all six of the credentialing criteria met.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Mountain Man — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:51:39 -0000

The SNL skit crossed the line with the lesbian references to Rachel Maddow.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

MikeintheSuburbs — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:25:02 -0000

MSNBC just reported that Burris will probably be seated next week.

As is pointed out above by Blago Sphere, the Senate Rule 2 in question does not actually require an SOS or any other additional signature. It just states that whatever documents are submitted, containing whatever signatures they contain, are to be kept by the Sec of the Senate in a book. It lists the various offices of people who may sign the appointment document, but doesn't actually say anyone in particular HAS to sign it, which is what the Illinois Supremes said. This is then followed by a sample form which is described as a RECOMMENDED form.

There is also the little matter of the U.S. Constitution and the Marbury v. Madison case (S.Ct. 1803) I discussed in an earlier entry.

You would think that Reid and Durbin would at least read their own rule before sticking their necks out. Now they look pretty foolish.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Levois — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:14:40 -0000

The guy who played Blagojevich, well his hair resembles Moe Howard from the Three Stooges.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

wordslinger — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:09:26 -0000

Hobo, I respectfully disagree. Emanuel didn't have to call Blago. Axelrod didn't have to "misspeak." They didn't have to forward a list of acceptable candidates to Blago. All of those things were done before Rod was arrested.

It was all incredibly reckless, given who they were dealing with. I haven't read that they had similar communications with the governors of New York or Delaware.

Also, he didn't have to lay down the gauntlet with Reid and Durbin. But once he did, he should have stuck to it.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

HoBoSkillet — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:51:08 -0000

Wordslinger -

Obama is inbetween the rock and the hard spot on this mess. If he says anything, there are those that will cry he shouldn't have said anything and if Obama had kept his mouth shut, there are others who would speculate wildly that Obama is complicit somehow in some tin-foil hat inspired conspiracy theory. I don't think there was any reasonable avenue that appeased all sides for Obama and he is just going to have to stumble through this mess with the rest of us.

That or re-write his biography on Wikipedia and claim that he's lived in Hawaii all of his life, and just visited Chicago a few times....

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Ghost — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:50:45 -0000

I ahve obainted an advance sopy of the Burris agneda:

1. Promote Burris. Burris deserves to be happy and successful; Burris is free to choose to live as Burris wishes and to give priority to Burris' desires; The Burris can choose happiness whenever Burris wishes no matter what the circumstances; Burris deserves to be loved.
2. practicing speaking in the third person.
3. Update masoleum

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Pot calling kettle — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:47:41 -0000

The Dems blew it on the day Blago appointed Burris. That day, and every day since, they should have ignored Burris and hammered away at the cynical undercurrent of the appointment. Blago decided to try to use Burris see if he could get some African-American pols and community groups community to carry his water and it worked! Davis and White didn't take the bait, but Burris and Rush did. Davis, Durbin, White, Reid, and a host of others should jumped all over Blago for being a cynical racist willing to throw a black man to the wolves to further his goals. Instead, they focused on the clerical minutiae. Burris and Rush took the media lead, turned it into a race thing...and it was all over.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Anonymous Coward — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:45:02 -0000

UPDATE: Senate lawyers are expected to render a decision this afternoon on whether Roland Burris meets the criteria to be seated as the next senator from Illinois, according to Senate Democratic leadership aides.

http://www.chicagobreakingn...

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

sal-says — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:36:03 -0000

"Would-be senator offers 1st glimpse of his agenda"

Isn't that special.

A junior senator with a monster ego; with a full-blown-ego Mausoleum; from a corrupt State; appointed by a corrupt or criminal governor; and HE'S got an 'agenda'. As they say: Good luck, baby.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

wordslinger — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:30:07 -0000

--Illinois is in Obamaâ€™s past--

He should have put Illinois in his past the night he was elected. The fact that he didn't has caused nothing but problems.

A few days after he was elected, his COS appointee got caught on fed tapes talking with the governor about the Senate appointment. His campaign whiz "misspoke" to the press that Obama had spoken to Blago directly.

All this led to the president-elect being interviewed by the FBI for two hours regarding an ongoing criminal investigation, a dangerous proposition for anyone.

After all that, Obama weighed in backing Reid and Durbin that no Blago appointent should be seated. Then, he backed down.

He could have avoided having anything to do with any of it.

Re: May be only a matter of time before Burris is seated

Cheswick — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:21:47 -0000

Anyone can go down to the Secretary of STate's Office and pay for a certified copy of any of a multitude of documents on file. But just because you have a certified copy of the corporate charter of XYZ Corp., with a seal and signature of Jesse White, doesn't mean you own that corporation. YOu just have a copy that was produced after the charter as it was filed.

Yet, the Senate is going to accept this from Roland Burris as a bonafide original credential.