Ill. governor's pick (Roland Burris) to be given few privileges (in Senate)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LAURIE KELLMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic leaders plan to grant few if any privileges next week to Roland Burris, the man picked by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate, even if he arrives on Capitol Hill with the right credentials. Senate officials involved in the tangle of legal and logistical planning said Friday that a Democrat will object to Burris being duly sworn with the rest of his class, and propose that his credentials be reviewed for a period of time by the Rules Committee.

The only way Burris will be allowed on the floor is if he possesses a certification of appointment signed personally by his embattled patron, Blagojevich, and Ill. Secretary of State Jesse White. Burris would then be treated as a senator-elect, which by tradition means he'll be allowed on the Senate floor without voting or speaking privileges - and he wouldn't be granted a desk, according to these officials. They demanded anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The man charged with letting people through the door of the chamber, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, said he expects the two sides to work out a deal before Tuesday.


Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich stands by as his choice to fill President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, former Ill. Attorney General Roland Burris addresses the media Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008, in Chicago. Through numerous TV interviews and behind-the-scenes lobbying, Burris is campaigning hard for the Senate. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)


Gainer has known Burris since their days in Illinois law enforcement, when Burris was attorney general and Gainer was the director of the state police.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090102/D95F94QO0.htm...

[jaysunb]

1. A small step in the right direction...

Reid is the one that needs to have limited access.

[madrchsod]

2. burris is a decent guy and will do alright

but he`s not going to get elected in 2010...

[classysassy]

3. Dem dimwits

should give him Joe Lieberman,s chairmanship,he is a dem joe in not.

[cali]

13. yeah, as if any freshman senator will ever get a committee chairmanship

some of you don't live in the real world.

[classysassy]

19. Your world

I'll wager a peso,you live under a rock.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. LOL

[2Design]

4. govenor has authority until proven guilty n/t

[David Dunham]

5. We need Burris' vote NOW to defeat Rep fillibusters. Reid is DUMB not to seat him.

[MisterP]

6. if he wants the red carpet treatment, he should endorse Palin for '12,

call for a crusade, and call the Democrats traitors who should be hanged

[pjt7]

7. Dem's have much bigger issues than to try

& block this guy's way~

[Robbien]

8. DC Dems not gonna let Burris into their club? Well Burris is smart

and knows how to handle grown men having hissy fits.

The DC Dems need Burris' vote so they had better think long and hard about what they are considering.

[davidinalameda]

9. I don't understand how anyone with a shred of decency would accept this appointment

from Blago

and what's even more disgusting is that people on here would want him seated

[mike_c]

10. there is no one else Constitutionally empowered to make an appointment...

...and Burris meets all Constitutional requirements for the office. It's dumb and distracting for dems to fight this battle. Just ludicrous. But not surprising.

[Paulie]

11. He could have delegated the selection

to the Lt. Governor and or the Legislature, saying he'll appoint their choice out of a pool of X people. This separates the taint from the person selected. It's called rebuilding trust in the appointment. Instead he shat on Illinois.

[mike_c]

12. "...he shat on Illinois."

Is that your opinion of Roland Burris, Illinois former Comptroller and Atty General? He's "shit?"

Burris wouldn't have been my first choice certainly-- he made some egregious errors as Atty General that I think had more to do with polishing his career than with insuring justice-- but there is no doubt that he is constitutionally qualified. Dems fighting the seating of a constitutionally qualified U.S. Senator is a BAD precedent, IMO, and a dumb battle to waste energy on. If he does a bad job, citizens of Illinois will have an opportunity to replace him, but there's no reason to believe he'll be a bad senator a priori.

This is just politics wasting energy, as usual.

[Paulie]

20. "He" is the Governor

Burris can't appoint himself. We're talking about Rod the Corrupt in this thread... it's outrage wasting itself on the WRONG topic.

[mike_c]

23. I understand that....

But if "he" shit on Illinois, Burris is the turd. I think that's an unfair characterization of a qualified candidate for senate. Burris isn't a great choice, IMO, but he's not shit.

[davidinalameda]

16. the Senate should wait until Blago is impeached

simple as that

not to be overdramatic but Burris is tainted by being appointed by Blago

[kiranon]

15. Problem is someone with good credentials did accept and has to be dealt with.

Having an all white Senate not accept a duly appointed black Senator or to deprive him of his full rights looks really bad. Seat him and move on. The 2010 election in Illinois for Senator will take care of the issue. Otherwise, this precedent will be used by the Republicans to challenge all Democratic Governor or legislative appointments to fill the remainder of a Senator's term in the future. The race card is in play and Blago purposively dealt the cards that way.

[davidinalameda]

17. you've have at least two blacks from Illinois speak out against this

Obama being one of them

Jessie White, who I believe has to sign off on this as secretary of state, is number two

[bj2110]

14. Just shows how insane Blagojevich really is. To think that nominating

Burris will result in anything other than a long, drawn out, political fight that will ultimately destroy Burris and at the same feed fuel to moral conservatives who see this entire issue as Chicago corruption. What a great way for the Dem governor of Obama's home state to help to usher in his fellow statesman's administration.

[mbperrin]

18. BUT by all means leave traitor backstabbing JOE LOSERMAN

in his committee chairmanship.

By all means, let's not seat someone who's an ACTUAL Dem, but let's be sure and the kiss the ass of someone who's actively campaigned against us!

I believe I'll lie down now. Crazy crazy shit always makes my head hurt.

[dpbrown]

21. Not one Senator would join the objections of the Congressional Black Caucus to Bush's appointment

And now this.

Seat Burris and move on!!!

Pathetic excuses for leaders, the lot.

[mbperrin]

24. Pathetic is giving them too much credit.

I'm trying to think of an adjective low enough.....nope, stumped!

We'll have to go with pathetic!

[JFKfanforever]

25. Eggs-actly!

Seat Senator Burris and get on with the real tasks at hand - -
resolving the horrendous health care inequity in America,
dealing with all the fallout from the systemic financial
meltdown of 2008, creating jobs in the midst of a recession
and, above all, rethinking and reshaping every festering
issue still remaining as the legacy of Bush's failed foreign
policy.