CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in This just in… Burris will be seated

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Quizzical — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:10:57 -0000

Isn't Blago swearing in the Senate on Wednesday? Are we headed for a freakshow that will make the Burris debacle seem like years ago?

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

The Forger — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:59:23 -0000

Forgery?
Isn't that a crime?

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

It's Just Me — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:19:08 -0000

Now that is Change I can believe in!!!

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Cinho — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:13:15 -0000

I just hope that we all remember how honorable Jesse White was during all of this. He is the only player who has acted worthy of his office.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

lrk — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:45:20 -0000

As a Dem, the only Dem I'll ever vote for again in this whole mess is White, at least he's a man of his word. Durbin obviously blows with the wind; and I have no respect for any candidate that would accept an appointment from Blago given the circumstances.

Unfortunately I think 90% of the general voting public will forget about all this come the next election.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Excessively rabid — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:42:29 -0000

Over the past eight years, the Republicans in the White House and the Congress provided ample reason why they should be thrown out. With this fiasco, the Dems take a giant step toward evening the score. In Illinois the dems were way ahead in the scum sweepstakes anyway, even taking George Ryan into account. This is a truly revolting turn of events for the people of Illinois. Using race to justify it just before the inauguration of our first black president makes it all the worse. The people who painted this as a racial issue should be ashamed of themselves if they had any sense of honesty at all, which they obviously do not. The fact that this decision is not of momentous importance does not diminish its stench.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Dan S, a Voter, Taxpaer and Cu — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:36:04 -0000

Here we go, Illinois corruption straight to the Nations Capitol. What a sham. Where are the Satesmen and Public Servants, we have none. Don't blame me, I have never voted for Dick Turbin!

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

A Citizen — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:32:08 -0000

Durbin did not use a loophole - he was patently deceitful. That is not an honorable action, it is dishonorable. His actions in this fiasco disgust me. He should resign as he no longer even pretends to represent Illinois' citizens.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

GOP'er — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:23:58 -0000

'bout time.

Blago won this one little round. So what?

Blago just followed the law in this case (thank God for small miracles) and he made a defensible choice. This never should have turned into a circus.

6 months from now this sideshow will be completely forgotten.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

DzNts — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:14:43 -0000

The atrocity here is not Burris (and I say that as a lifelong republican). The atrocity is that Dick Durbin has turned his office and his position into a Waffle House. Instead of tea party, I suggest those who are disappointed in the lack of backbone send some thick maple syrup to Durbin's office. A man who waffles that much needs a little something to coat it with...

Burris' appointment was legal, like it or not. It could have been avoided by the House approving a special election. They said they were concerned about the costs to local government, yet every year exempt statutes from the unfunded mandate law, creating millions in unfunded mandates on local government. When it's convenient for them to be concerned (for other political reasons) they waive the unfunded mandate flag, but generally ignore it when less political consequences are involved.

This is a done deal, "mass produced signature" notwithstanding. Durbin is the king of loophooles and backpedaling. We should expect nothing less of our senior senator. Something tells me that people may not forget this little episode 5 years from now...

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

NIEVA — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:12:36 -0000

Would it be possible to ask the Democrat leaders to join the rest of us and evolve in creatures with spines??

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Bubs — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:56:05 -0000

I actually predict that Burris will do much better than currently expected as a Senator. After all, he canâ€™t do worse â€“ he is starting from rock bottom.

If he acts in a restrained and sensible manner, and is a responsible Senate voice for both African-Americans and Illinois, who knows in 2010?

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

ToughGuy — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:49:57 -0000

There could have been a worse pick, could have been a better pick. I worked for Burris when he was Comptroller and he was alway a pretty reasonable guy and seemed to care about the State.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

anon — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:28:40 -0000

Here'a hard core Democrat that's voting Republican in 2 years for US Senate. What a disgrace! How pathetic! First Durbin asks for a pardon for George Ryan. Next, he gives the ok for Roland Burris, the Trailblazer, to be our US Senator for 2 years. What's next?

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Blago Sphere — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:57:28 -0000

This is priceless:

{Q Senator, your lawyers indicated Friday that you had formed a campaign committee. Might you run in 2010?

MR. BURRIS: Well, we had to form a fund-raising committee because of the, you know, needed expenses that we'll have. And we're also forming a legal -- legal defense fund committee, too.}

His annual pension from Illinois is $118,000, and his annual salary from the federal government is $169,000.

He is now on the government dole for almost 300 largeannually, and he wants to solicit contributors for a "legal defense fund".

Is the Senate Ethics Committee going to approve of the establishment of such a fund? How about instead all co-signers of the letter indicating they would not seat him as the Appointee simply divide his legal bills by 50 instead; and each pays their proportionate share.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

A Citizen — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:57:03 -0000

- OneMan -
You are correct on White, he Has taken a position, made it public and stayed true to his word. Indeed, White has consistently statesman like for many years. He was saddled with huge increases in fees for titles, plates etc. Not of his choosing and has simply managed his office, and done it well. No scandals, no griping or badmouthing, simply doing his job. Now Durbin, Reid et al try to shortsheet him on the Burris deal - they should take a lesson from White instead of trying to demonizing him. Reid and Durbin are shallow, little men!

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Southern Illinois — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:56:34 -0000

Sit back sports fans...As our beloved Governor once proclaimed "You ain't seen nothin yet!"

The next two years should be quite funny to watch.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

The Court Jester — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:46:57 -0000

I'm dizzy from watching all the flip flopping Durbin has done on this "legal" appointment. This is off the charts embarrassing for the dems.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

OneMan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:30:48 -0000

At least Jesse White kept his word in all of this unlike all of the other folks who folded like a house of cards...

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Captain Flume — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:46:21 -0000

I wonder if Mike Madigan saw this appointment coming. Then I wonder if he cares.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

wordslinger — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:44:55 -0000

They drew a line in the sand. They could have tied it up in knots til the next general election. They talked tough, but they didn't back it up.

And these guys want to talk with Hamas and Iran?

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

lesson — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:32:58 -0000

The race card still works

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Oberon — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:31:58 -0000

Actually, at one time "arresting" opposition legislators was a frequently-used tactic to prevent individual members from reaching the Capitol to cast their votes. Sheriffs of the opposite party used to lie in wait along the highways and railroads, hoping to seize Members on trumped-up charges, later declared to be "mistakes" after the crucial vote was taken. That is why, today, Members of the Assembly are privileged from arrest (except for felonies) when traveling to or from Sessions (and why so many of them shamelessly violate the speed limit on the Interstates).

So simply an "arrest" is too easy a standard; "indictment" would be more appropriate, but, in the instant case, where the Governor will not be formally indicted up to four months after his arrest, such a law (it would have to be a Constitutional Amendment to apply to a Constitutional Officer) would not have made any difference to the Burris appointment.

The problem here was always in the Senate's baseless refusal to seat "any" appointee named by Blagojevich, not in the fact that Blagojevich made an appointment.

The lesson to be learned is that our politicians need to realize that they, too, are bound by laws, as are the rest of us. Unlawful acts by Blagojevich do not justify unlawful acts by others, or we are indeed lost.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Been There — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:22:54 -0000

===Illinois needs to have a law in place that states if a high official is arrested, all official business conducted by this person should be suspended until the case is cleared up ===
I suspect if this law was on the books the other party would be following the gov around waiting for him to jay walk in some screwed up jurisdiction. Then have him arrested. What then? Lt. Gov? While he is in there for a day or two he signs bills, fires or hires, executive orders, etc. Sounds like a stretch but with those consequences I wouldn't want to chance a law like you are proposing.

Re: This just in… Burris will be seated

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:09:16 -0000

This is truly disgusting. I wonder how long it will take to get his mausoleum engraved with this new detail.

Blagojevich should have not been allowed to make this appointment until the entire investigation was completed and he was found innocent. Illinois needs to have a law in place that states if a high official is arrested, all official business conducted by this person should be suspended until the case is cleared up