Comments on: Mr. Burris Goes To Washington http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/ Firedoglake weblog Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:16:42 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: JoeBu http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783819 JoeBu Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:22:44 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783819 <p>Could someone please explain why:</p> <p>An allegedly crooked governor making a legal appointment, for whatever reasons, is some sort of unethical crime against democracy, but…</p> <p>A majority leader, chief-of-staff designate, or president elect, attempting to influence that selection, based solely on the appointee’s electoral chances in 2010, is just dandy?</p> <p>Don’t get me wrong. Saying to Blago “We would prefer…” is certainly within any of these Dems’ rights. But folks who are adamantly opposing this whole appointment tend to use the fact that Blago 1) contemplated “selling” the seat, and/or 2) that his motivations for the Burris’s appointment are not “sincere” or “in the best interests…yadda yadda.”</p> <p>My question simply becomes: why is it perfectly okay for Reid to suggest an appointee, not because he/she will be the best senator to represent Illinois, but because of his/her electoral prospects in ‘10? That strikes me as not a hell of a lot different than making it for personal gain.</p> <p>So, apparently electoral advantage is a perfectly justified criterion, but personal advantage, not so much…</p> Could someone please explain why:

An allegedly crooked governor making a legal appointment, for whatever reasons, is some sort of unethical crime against democracy, but…

A majority leader, chief-of-staff designate, or president elect, attempting to influence that selection, based solely on the appointee’s electoral chances in 2010, is just dandy?

Don’t get me wrong. Saying to Blago “We would prefer…” is certainly within any of these Dems’ rights. But folks who are adamantly opposing this whole appointment tend to use the fact that Blago 1) contemplated “selling” the seat, and/or 2) that his motivations for the Burris’s appointment are not “sincere” or “in the best interests…yadda yadda.”

My question simply becomes: why is it perfectly okay for Reid to suggest an appointee, not because he/she will be the best senator to represent Illinois, but because of his/her electoral prospects in ‘10? That strikes me as not a hell of a lot different than making it for personal gain.

So, apparently electoral advantage is a perfectly justified criterion, but personal advantage, not so much…

]]> By: Cujo359 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783818 Cujo359 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:22:30 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783818 <p>I <a href="http://cujo359.blogspot.com/2009/01/roland-burris-denied-senate-seat.html" rel="nofollow">share your cynicism</a>, Jane. If the Senate had conducted itself with more integrity the last couple of years I might be buying this, but it’s hard to ignore such recent history. We’re not conservatives, after all.</p> I share your cynicism, Jane. If the Senate had conducted itself with more integrity the last couple of years I might be buying this, but it’s hard to ignore such recent history. We’re not conservatives, after all.

]]> By: ArlaMiner http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783810 ArlaMiner Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:57:06 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783810 <p>I’m from Illinois. Political Shenanigans© is our copyright. I am appalled that our state is being used as a pawn in this power struggle between our corrupt governor, the (suspect) DoJ and the Senate in general.</p> <p>I’m as disgusted as the next guy by Roland Burris’s somewhat “Jesse Jackson, Sr.”-esque grandstanding in this.</p> <p>From what I can gather, until our Secretary of State, Jesse (The Tumbling Instructor) White signs off on the appointment, according to IL law it’s not official. And for whatever his reason (DUH!), our Secretary of Tumbling doesn’t want to sign. Considering the difficulties I’ve had getting my license plate tags renewed since he took office, I wouldn’t be surprised if the REAL reason was that he couldn’t find the paperwork.</p> <p>I wish this would all just go away and get back to us not trusting any politician ever for any reason. It’s worked for decades here…</p> I’m from Illinois. Political Shenanigans© is our copyright. I am appalled that our state is being used as a pawn in this power struggle between our corrupt governor, the (suspect) DoJ and the Senate in general.

I’m as disgusted as the next guy by Roland Burris’s somewhat “Jesse Jackson, Sr.”-esque grandstanding in this.

From what I can gather, until our Secretary of State, Jesse (The Tumbling Instructor) White signs off on the appointment, according to IL law it’s not official. And for whatever his reason (DUH!), our Secretary of Tumbling doesn’t want to sign. Considering the difficulties I’ve had getting my license plate tags renewed since he took office, I wouldn’t be surprised if the REAL reason was that he couldn’t find the paperwork.

I wish this would all just go away and get back to us not trusting any politician ever for any reason. It’s worked for decades here…

]]> By: BooRadley http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783754 BooRadley Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:13:27 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783754 <p>Thanks Jane.</p> Thanks Jane.

]]> By: gbsavatar http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783750 gbsavatar Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:12:25 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783750 <p>*laughs* You’ve gotta be kidding, Reid wouldn’t ever fail to seat a Republican appointment.</p> *laughs* You’ve gotta be kidding, Reid wouldn’t ever fail to seat a Republican appointment.

]]> By: gbsavatar http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783742 gbsavatar Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:06:15 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783742 <p>He’s no more crooked than all the rest we’ve had here (just dumb enough to say it on tape) and no one has provided any evidence that there was anything criminal about Burris’ appointment.</p> He’s no more crooked than all the rest we’ve had here (just dumb enough to say it on tape) and no one has provided any evidence that there was anything criminal about Burris’ appointment.

]]> By: redX http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783730 redX Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:01:20 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783730 <p>But would you think that the person Jeb picked was complicit? If that is the case then its OK to seat a crook & liar with the other crooks and liars in the Senate?</p> <p>In addition the quotation of the law is not on this post, I saw it last night and it is open to interpretation (just like most of them are to allow the folks in power to do whatever they want - in this case it happens to be the right thing; to your point it could just as easily be the wrong thing on purpose depending on the “situatiuon” and “interprestion”.</p> But would you think that the person Jeb picked was complicit? If that is the case then its OK to seat a crook & liar with the other crooks and liars in the Senate?

In addition the quotation of the law is not on this post, I saw it last night and it is open to interpretation (just like most of them are to allow the folks in power to do whatever they want – in this case it happens to be the right thing; to your point it could just as easily be the wrong thing on purpose depending on the “situatiuon” and “interprestion”.

]]> By: rwcole http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783681 rwcole Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:27:19 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783681 <p>Blago is on tape tellin a member of his staff that he would LIKE money or other tangible benefits in exchange for a senate seat…to say that is not a crime- asking for it is- but we don’t as far as I know have him on tape asking for it.</p> Blago is on tape tellin a member of his staff that he would LIKE money or other tangible benefits in exchange for a senate seat…to say that is not a crime- asking for it is- but we don’t as far as I know have him on tape asking for it.

]]> By: foothillsmike http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783679 foothillsmike Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:25:23 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783679 <p>Well said<br /> 384 hrs & 35 min</p> Well said
384 hrs & 35 min

]]> By: dakine01 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783673 dakine01 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:17:34 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/01/06/mr-burris-goes-to-washington/#comment-1783673 <p>If we substituted Jeb Bush for Blagojevich, there would most likely be the same level of outrage at the actions leading up to the indictment along with the same recognition that although we might not be pleased with the fact, that as long as he was in office, he would have the exact same legal authority to make an appointment, no matter how much it might displease us, as Blagojevich has.</p> <p>There are a lot of laws in various states that give authority to the Governor(s) (or the President on the Federal level) that I disagree with. I’ve had to learn to live with those laws as long as they are on the books and to do what I can to get them changed.</p> If we substituted Jeb Bush for Blagojevich, there would most likely be the same level of outrage at the actions leading up to the indictment along with the same recognition that although we might not be pleased with the fact, that as long as he was in office, he would have the exact same legal authority to make an appointment, no matter how much it might displease us, as Blagojevich has.

There are a lot of laws in various states that give authority to the Governor(s) (or the President on the Federal level) that I disagree with. I’ve had to learn to live with those laws as long as they are on the books and to do what I can to get them changed.

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