IL-Sen: Burris Will Be Seated

by Todd Beeton, Mon Jan 12, 2009 at 12:57:58 PM EST

OK, can we get rid of Senate appointments by Governors now?

From CNN:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Illinois senior senator and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin said Monday that the Senate would accept the credentials of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.
"The Secretary of the Senate has determined that the new credentials presented today on behalf of Mr. Burris now satisfy Senate Rules and validate his appointment to the vacant Illinois Senate seat. In addition, as we requested, Mr. Burris has provided sworn testimony before the Illinois House Committee on Impeachment regarding the circumstances of his appointment," the two said in a statement.
"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," the statement said. "Accordingly, barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week. We are working with him and the office of the Vice President to determine the date and time of the swearing-in."

The law is the law, of course, and Blagojevich is a legally sitting governor who appointed Obama's replacement in accordance with the law, so this was probably inevitable. Even so, it is a shame that Illinois should be represented -- and Obama succeeded -- by someone who has shown himself to be such a joke. I hope and expect Burris's tenure in the Senate will not last beyond 2010.

Tags: IL-Sen, Rod Blagojevich, roland burris (all tags)

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Re: IL-Sen: Burris Will Be Seated

Being a resident of Illinois, I am tired of everything that has happened. If Burris decides to run, I hope he is defeated in the primary. If not, I will vote for the Republican. I haven't voted for a Republican in a long, long time. Enough. Burris a joke and a laughing stock.

by Bubby25 2009-01-12 02:45PM | 0 recs

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This Illinoisan is...

happy to have him. I don't expect him to make it through the primary process, nor will I vote for him in the primary.

If by some miracle he does win the primary, I will happily vote for him. I don't want a Republican senator for the next six years, but I guess that's just the Democrat in me speaking.

The only laughing stock in this situation is Harry Reid who should have kept his mouth shut in the first place. He never had the authority to dictate what happens in Illinois state politics.

by potus2020 2009-01-12 02:57PM | 0 recs

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Re: IL-Sen: Burris Will Be Seated

I'm just thankful that this is behind us and that the law was followed. I'll judge Burris by how he votes in the Senate.

by Charles Lemos 2009-01-12 03:28PM | 0 recs

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Re: IL-Sen: Burris Will Be Seated

I am starting to think voting for someone because they are a D or an R is not always the smartest thing to do. Look, Blago had all kinds of rumors of scandal swirling around him when he last ran. Burris accepted and appointment no one else would. Burris is a tool and an embarrasment. I look forward to seeing him defeated. Hopefully by a democrat in the primary, if not, a republican will have to do. BTW, both Reid and Durbin are spineless vermin.

by Bubby25 2009-01-12 04:23PM | 0 recs

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Re: IL-Sen: Burris Will Be Seated

I am starting to think voting for someone because they are a D or an R is not always the smartest thing to do.

I suppose that depends on where one's political ideology lies.

I'm a liberal Democrat, so as a rule, I pretty much always vote for liberal Democrats when the option is available.

If I were an Illinois resident, I would probably vote for a different candidate in the 2010 primaries than Burris, but should he get the nod, he would have my vote so long as he represented himself as a liberal Democrat free of scandal.

If the Democrats don't put forth a palatable candidate (let's pretend that Blago could run for governor in 2010 somehow), I would either vote thrid party or do wwrite-in vote.

I don't vote for Republicans unless the Republican is in fact more liberal than the Democratic candidate available, which never happens.

by Obamaphile 2009-01-12 07:57PM | 0 recs

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Re: IL-Sen: Burris Will Be Seated

The premise to which he took he seat is all I need to not vote for him. Burris can do nothing in these two years to change my mind. It was a mistake seating him. The senate should have delayed. I can gurantee I am not the only democrat in Illinois to feel this way. This seat is lost.

by Bubby25 2009-01-13 04:45PM | 0 recs