'Blago' Senate charade

[babylonsister]

'Blago' Senate charade


Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich may or may not be guilty of a crime. That will be determined if and when he goes to trial or reaches a plea agreement. There is no such uncertainty, however, on the question of his fitness to govern. He is not fit, which leaves little reason for either the U.S. Senate or the Illinois legislature to roll over and accept his attempt Tuesday to fill Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Blagojevich has lost the trust of his constituents, brought shame to his state and provided more than enough justification for his state's legislature to strip him of his office. Since evidence of his efforts to sell Obama's seat and shake down a hospital for a political contribution surfaced, he has chosen to hold his state hostage while he maneuvers for whatever advantage he thinks he can muster.

Which is why Blagojevich's argument that the public should not allow the allegations against him to taint their view of his appointee, Roland Burris, is so absurd. Burris cannot possibly escape taint when he was appointed by someone who has been accused of trying to sell the seat.

As for Blagojevich, being fit to govern and appoint senators requires more than simply not being convicted of a crime. A public official could be removed for, say, absenting himself with a bottle of gin at a time of crisis. The Illinois constitution gives the state broad latitude to impeach officials for violations of public trust.

Blagojevich remains in office not because he is innocent until proven guilty (which he is) but because he doesn't have the decency to do what is right and step down. As the state prepares its impeachment case, its officials have no choice but to shun this pariah.

To a large degree they have, but with some exceptions. Burris should never have agreed to be part of Blagojevich's unfortunate charade. By agreeing to do what others would not, he undercuts whatever future efforts at public service he may envision.

more...

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/01/blago-senate-ch.html

[Bluzmann57]

1. Burris is 71 years old...

has held several state offices, has a reputation which is above reproach and he will be nothing but a caretaker of the seat until '10. So why not seat him and get it over with? Fuck the right wing and their loud mouthed opinions. They will rip anyone the Illinois Dems seat. Or any other Dems for that matter.
Yeah, Blagojevich is a piece of shit and that is a well known fact among Illinoisans. But Burris isn't and should not be tainted by Blago's (alleged) crooked deeds.

[babylonsister]

2. Burris ruled out the caretaker role...

He also ruled out a caretaker role; Burris said he would likely run in 2010 to keep the seat if his appointment sticks.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/01/burris_says_we_are_the_senator.html

[madrchsod]

5. 2010 is a long time from today

we`ll see how he works out. that`s what going to be interesting is who the republicans are going to run against who the democrats select

[babylonsister]

6. I hope Blago is impeached asap and Quinn makes the decision. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. And if Quinn appoints Burris? nt

[babylonsister]

12. That would be fine. The right person would be appointing. Blago

should have NO credibility.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. Which is his right.

He doesn't HAVE to relinquish the seat. And if there is ANY hint that he IS tainted by Blagojevich he will NOT get re-elected. Simple as that.

[babylonsister]

15. The HINT is accepting it from Blago. Why did he say he was against

Blago before he was for him? You tell me.

[earcandle]

16. Can someone tell me why Blago was re-elected if

he is so hated in Illinois?  

[ColesCountyDem]

19. Because the Republican candidate was even worse, God help us. n/t

[Cha]

26. Things

change.

[madrchsod]

3. burris is the best person to fill the seat till the next election

if there is anyone who is acceptable to the folks here in illinois it is burris. he will not run for senate in 2010.

it`s time to move on..there`s to much to do than worry about burris.

[babylonsister]

4. See post #2. nt

[bemildred]

7. Sort of like Nixon appointing Ford, seems to me. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Except Burris will have no power to pardon Blagojevich,

which means the analogy is WAY false.

[babylonsister]

13. No, Blago might expect favors from Burris. Think about it. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. Like what? ESPN in his cellblock?

I'm OK with that.

[sam sarrha]

8. little doubt blago's guilty, he's been wire tapped for a long time for extortion. they just caught

the senate thing by accident..

[babylonsister]

14. If he's so guilty, why is he so embraced on DU? Mind boggling. nt

[earcandle]

17. not to mention HE WAS RE-ELECTED

[sam sarrha]

18. he has been extorting money out of contractors by holding up construction projects like Children's

hospital expansions, highway construction till the contractors like the people who supply the concrete give him the money..

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. Virtually NOBODY is 'embracing' Blagojevich. Many of us simply

believe that he is not yet been tried, he is still in office and it is his duty to appoint a successor to Obama. When the guy tries to actually do the right thing and appoint someone with spotless credentials it is counterproductive to demonize the appointee just because the governor is on his way to jail.

WHAT HAS BURRIS DONE WRONG?

[babylonsister]

22. You think Blago tried to 'do the right thing'?

I think you need to take off those rose-colored glasses. Blago has done nothing except to drive a wedge into the Dem party for his own gains. He's a punk and a crook, and we should be listening to anything he says? I'm not that gullible, and it seems the Senate isn't either.

50 senators encouraged him to resign, and by appointing Burris, he flipped them the bird. Burris is a whole 'nother story. He too is in it for his own personal gain, because there's room left on his busy tombstone.

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. A crook doing the right thing for his own benefit does not make it a

wrong thing.

Sure, he's trying (in vain) to salvage what's left of his reputation. So what if people can say "at least he left on an up note"? He's still leaving.

He could have attempted to appoint a crony who he could depend on to cover his ass - instead, he appoints a retired AG who has had no significant negatives attached to him, and who has no direct connection to Blagojevich, as his AG days preceded Blago.

So Burris would like to cap off his fine career with a short-term appointment as Senator. He'll be 73 when running for the next election, if he would choose to do that, and would probably lose, considering he'd be 79 by the end of that term. Why begrudge the guy that two years? Just because the guy appointing him is a crook? Isn't that guilt by association?

[babylonsister]

24. I'll defer to Clarence Page who has lived in Chicago a long time...

they made race an issue when it wasn't necessary. I have no use for this mindset.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/hiding_behind_the_race_card.html

[Cha]

25. Rec'd~ Here it is in black and

white. blago acts like he thinks he's bush and has rove, cheney, and the corportemediawhores behind him.