o Revelations that Burris is much dirtier and closer to Blago than most of us realized.
o A near-unanimous impeachment vote.
o A delusional, Dubya-victory-lap-like Blago press conference.
o An IL Supreme Court ruling that Secretary of State Jesse White doesn’t have to certify Burris’s appointment. Of course, they said it was because his signature was unnecessary and not because the appointment was unlawful, but let that pass. Senator Durbin sure has:
There has never in the history of the Senate been a waiver of the requirement that the secretary of state’s signature be part of the appointment process. Never. No one’s suggested it.
(…)
I think it’s best to suspend activities in the filling of that vacancy until this impeachment trial in the Illinois State Senate is concluded. If it results in the impeachment of Gov. Blagojevich, it will mean the succession of office of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn. He will then have the authority to make this appointment in a clean, legal, respectable way and make his recommendation and his appointment known to the United State Senate under the ordinary course of procedure.
So, assuming that Blago does get booted (the 114-1 impeachment vote bodes ill for him), Illinois will soon have a second Senate appointee jockeying for position with Burris.
What a circus that will be, and the right-wing pundits and traditional media will gleefully report on its every twist and turn. If you think the Burris fiasco is embarrassing for Reid and the Democrats now, wait until there are are two appointees duking it out. Just imagine the levity among us hippies if this scenario were playing out with dueling Republican appointees, and then triple it. At least.
I am not a lawyer, but it sure looks to me like Burris has a much stronger claim to the seat than whoever Quinn would appoint. The signature requirement argument is shaky, and Blago’s corruption doesn’t nullify his powers. Even an impeachment conviction doesn’t retroactively invalidate the Burris appointment. Reid unsuccessfully pressured Blago to play dead instead of pressuring the Illinois state Democrats to swiftly impeach – now he’s stuck with the result and unwilling to accept it.
Unless Reid or Burris land a legal knockout (or throw in the towel) before the Blago bell rings, there seem only two ways out of this mess. Either the helmet-haired skeletons marching out of his closet force Burris to withdraw (unlikely), or Replacement Governor Quinn reaffirms the appointment, allowing Reid to graciously accept Burris into the Very Dignified Fraternity of the United States Senate. "Nothing personal, old chap, it was just that Blago fellow, he was a bad egg. Have you met Joe Lieberman? Now there’s a fine man."
I can’t wait to see what happens next, and neither can Rush Limbaugh.
Related posts:
- Burris Makes it Official: Will Not Run for “Re”-Election (And GOP Rep. Kirk Won’t Run Either!)
- Burris: Health Care Reform Must Have a Public Option
- Mike Farrell Thanks Progress Illinois, Jesse Jackson Jr., Phil Hare, Luis Gutierrez for Holding Line on Public Option
- Surprise! GOP Leaders Pressure Senators to Stall Health Care Reform
- Colorado Senators Udall and Bennet Call for Up-or-Down Vote on Public Option
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114 of 115 people are dead wrong about Blago, of course.
Blago is just as good a governor as Dubya is a president.
JHFC. Is it a fact or rumor that Reid phoned White and told him not to sign the certificate? If so, he created this mess. Regardless, we’re 2 Senators light and Reid wants to play games. Yes siree, the next 2 years are gonna be a blast.
Makes me proud to be a goyim from Illinois-im.
Can we just… give Harry to the Republicans? I’ll be willing to give them Bob Shrum’s brilliant strategic mind as well.
Works for me.
Maybe not. W could never gather a consensus like that one.
Hey Harry, when you wander out into the yard to do a little digging, you are supposed to stop when you hit a sewage or septic line.
I think your final scenario is likely.
Oh, poop, that’s backwards, isn’t it?!
They certainly have similar opinions of themselves…
Hitch tried to warn us about Reid.
I think it’s the cleanest and least embarrassing option. Question is, how does it play in Illinois, and how keen is Quinn on getting re-elected?
now for more pizza and a little calamari
Digg it.
Damn rabbit.
They’re known to be wascally.
You wouldn’t be thinking of Harvey?
Still a great flick. I must be gettin’ old. All these flix filled with violence just ain’t cuttin’ it. Never was much for gettin’ vicarious thrills. Foreign films actually tell a story. Usually with a subtle lesson. Bah humbug.
Yep.
Like I said, must be gettin’ old. *g*
I’m pretty certain they also make some crappy films outside the U.S., they’re just less likely to be blockbusters. I usually find popularity inversely proportional to quality.
Quinn needs to issue a statement that he, should be become governor upon impeachment of Blagojevich, will appoint Roland Burris to the Senate seat. Problem solved.
Oh, you betcha. I’ve seen some absoluuuuutely terrible foreign flix. The Chinese are exporting some that are really good.
That’s assuming Blago is convicted by the Senate. If not, Quinn winds up with a face full of egg.
Oh yeah, that would be even better. Of course, this all assumes that Quinn is willing to appoint Burris, which would become more and more iffy the dirtier Burris and his appointment look.
Here’s one of my favorites, “Ying xiong,” aka “Hero.”
He could probably finesse it. “If, God forbid, blah blah blah, Blago had every right to appoint Burris, I will reaffirm, blah blah blah…”
As someone who advised blocking any Blago nominee, simply because it is almost impossible to find anyone in Illinois politics who isn’t tainted, and any appointment would have been a Whitewater Invitation for the Republicans – this is the result of sowing the wind. Reid and Durbin should have toughed it out, they didn’t, and caved to pressure because of DiFi’s snit.
Bad play – they have the grounds to fight this out, and win, but now their argument is undercut.
Quinn’s validation of Burris would, I think, allow the Senate to seat him immediately. Then he has the power of incumbency, and the Senate Democrats, to assist him in quashing further investigation into his appointment.
A piece on Moyers about earmarks…how reformed failed and now exposed. Focus on Reid
If I lived in IL I’d see that as overstepping, no matter how he finessed it. I’d rather he stayed as far away from it as possible. Whatever comes out on Burris is the unknown factor in the equation.
The inverse is almost certainly true as well — had they stayed out of it entirely, Burris would have been seated without controversy and it would behind us, and them.
Reid could fuck up a two-car parade. And I’m starting to wonder about Durbin, too.
Yeah, I think the Dirt Of The Future is a bigger risk than the overstepping. Pretty embarrassing if he promises to reaffirm Burris, and then Burris gets nailed for buying the appointment.
DiFi’s turning out to be more of a pain in the ass than she ever was. And that was considerable.
Now we get to see the size of Burriss’s cajones. Big big ones, file an immediate RICO law suite in federal court charging Reid, Durbin, & White with collusion to deny him of his senate seat. Big cajones, a regular law suit; cajones – threaten a law suit. No cajones smile at another presser and say how good a friends he has become with Durbin and Reid (in which case he would become immediately qualified to become a Reid surrogate).
254 hrs & 21 min
It really doesn’t look like he gave *any* thought to the endgame of what would happen if Blago called his bluff. He’s staying the course and hoping something good happens, because he has no exit plan.
Sounds familiar for some reason…
I don’t get why Quinn should kowtow to Blago on what was never a nomination meant to serve the interests of the people of Illinois. Why should Quinn sign off on Blago’s hack choice?
The thing everyone in the blogosphere not an Illinois resident must keep in mind is that anyone who has any cordial connection to Blago must be considered dirty until an investigation proves otherwise. Illinois residents, of course, already know that. At least the ones who are conscious and paying attention do.
It was only a matter of time before all the quids, pros, and quos came to light concerning the Blago-Burris axis.
It is not impossible to find honest people in Illinois politics. All you really have to do is talk to them for about a half hour and it’s pretty obvious to anyone who has half a brain. And, of course, you have to pay attention to who their cordial associates are.
Honorable people would have said no to Blago; at least two of them (that we know of) did. That Burris accepted should have been an indication he was bent from the get-go. It certainly was for those of us who pay attention.
Theses guys’ vision doesn’t go any further than bedtime. It’s as if a magick elf will ensure everything works out well.
Other than muddying the waters what is Blago’s endgame?
That’s the problem. Quinn reaffirming Burris would be the cleanest, most expedient choice. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right choice, especially if Burris turns out to be a totally corrupt scumbag.
I would not be surprised if Harry tries to pressure Quinn behind the scenes to do this. Which would probably guarantee that Quinn would do the exact oppoosite…
edit – These
sPreview is mah fren
Today’s Slacker Friday Altercation at the new digs at The Nation, Charley Pierce has a great piece:
If the Illinois leg convicts him, I don’t really see how he *has* an endgame. At least not a voluntary one.
Put another way, Harry has *already* shit the bed, and there’s really no way to un-shit it.
(And once again I have the deja vu…)
I have had no use for Durbin before the Burris fiasco and lately he has been little more than a Reid doppelganger.
I love the first Short Take with the Dean drooling over the Blue Dogs and other slimy things.
That is hilarious ! A throw rug – ha ha. I wish just once the Dems would not try to straddle the fence on an issue. They always try to have it both ways and end up jumping back and forth like a nervous flea. Looks so stupid. Reid must go.
I first discovered Pierce when I was living outside Boston in the mid-80s and he was covering sports for The Herald. He was, by himself, reason enough to purchase that rag.
Reid has no leverage to make Quinn do anything. He would look even stupider than he already does if he tried.
No, this stuff was coming out one way or another.
Remember, the Republicans will be operating under the Lott rule of impeachment.
The Nation must be doing fairly well. I remember Katrina commenting about how the publication postage increase was gonna hurt the mag. Appears they’ve got enough dust to add Pierce.
There is kind of an explanation for why Harry Reid at least, requires a signature. Although a bit dated: http://www.lds-mormon.com/veil…..mend.shtml Temples are a sacrosanct place in the Mormon Church. Unlike, say, a Presbyterian Church, you and I cannot enter. SIGNATURES from the bishopric (LDS word) or others on a “Temple Recommend” are required. Burris needs the Illinois Secretary of State version of a signed Temple Recommend. Then he can get the special underwear, too … And join Harry’s exclusive Club.
Well, he didn’t have any leverage with Blago either, and that didn’t stop him. What about Durbin, does he have any leverage?
The only demographic Dems don’t worry about alienating are progressives, however they appreciate that we’re here to help them pose as comparative moderates to the rest of their constituents.
And give them money.
You mean besides the ability to cry on cue?
We are a scary fuckin’ bunch, aren’t we?
Yup.
That gives him one more superpower than Harry.
Yes, I think Blago has no endgame. His fate is being determined by others: the state legislators in Springfield and Fitzgerald in Chicago. All his choice of Burris did was make the legislature move faster on impeachment and completely did in any deal with Fitzgerald. He blusters and his choice of Burris embarrassed a lot of people but in the end it really looks like the person he screwed over by it all was himself.
jane upstairs
Why would Durbin go to bat for Blago against Quinn?
Well, Blago was screwed regardless, but he was apparently determined to take some people down with him. I wonder if he would have held off on the appointment if Harry *hadn’t* tried to bully him.
Blago is just making Kasparov grind out the rook and pawn.
Well, they haven’t necessarily added Pierce; he’s coming along as part of the Altercation crowd, whom they’ve just added and he contributes his bit to the Slacker Friday part of things.
I’m asking whether Durbin has any leverage with Quinn. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone had any leverage with Blago unless they could help him keep his job and stay out of jail.
The End.
Moyers’ on. Later.
The Dems and Republicans like to play good cop/bad cop with the voters. The other party is always the bad cop. What is important to remember is that (a) they’re BOTH cops and (b) the game casts us in the role of suspects.
Other than goodwill I don’t think so. Quinn is about to become Governor. he’s sitting pretty.
i love this stuff. you lucky people in dc get the full effect.
Goodwill could be significant. They could be buddies, run in the same circles. Or they could hate each other. I honestly have no idea. But there’s certainly a better chance of a personal connection than with Harry.