Democrats Must Not Get Into Blagojevich’s Game

[babylonsister]

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090101_dionne_blagojevich_scandal/

Democrats Must Not Get Into Blagojevich’s Game

Posted on Jan 1, 2009

By E.J. Dionne

snip//

The negotiated settlement would involve agreeing to seat Burris, in exchange for a promise from him not to seek election to the seat in 2010. The 71-year-old Burris, a former state attorney general who has lost several efforts to advance to higher office, could cap his career nicely. In principle, this would end Blagojevich’s relevance to national politics and get him out of Obama’s way.

But Republicans would be merciless about the taint that would attach to Burris’ Senate vote and argue that the nation’s Democratic majority was hopelessly wrapped up in Chicago politics at its most corrupt.

That’s why Democrats have opted for warfare. This will inevitably involve an increasingly tough offensive against Burris himself, a challenge to his judgment in accepting Blagojevich’s gift, and a willingness on the part of Democrats to live without one of Illinois’ Senate votes for a while.

snip//

Barack Obama’s patented approach to problems—wait and think and see what develops before acting —is the Democrats’ best way out.

Blagojevich had one powerful weapon, his ability to appoint a senator. Now that he’s used it, his arsenal is depleted. If Democrats face down Blagojevich by walking away from Burris, they deprive themselves of a Senate vote for a bit and may even face litigation. That’s still better than implicating themselves in Blagojevich’s game by making a deal.

Treating this appointment as a circus act makes more sense than taking it seriously.

[dysfunctional press]

1. harry reid considered ted stevens innocent until proven guilty...

why not the same consideration for blago?

[PATRICK]

2. You have to

admire the two DINO's who have well mastered the GOP game against democrats. Lieberman and Blag the Impaler know how to fight Dems all the better from the inside out. This whole scandal is part of the Governor's war to survive EARLIER scandals. He cast the dice by involving the new Dem administration by their ties to his state and the pol network there. He has taken the lead and risked the fate of everyone else in the world, especially his fellow Dems who he literally trying to blackmail into getting him out of his scandal messes. He has made this sorry spectacle that works because the MSM and GOP will it so and so very gladly the center distraction from the implicit deal he demands, that the new DOJ end the predations of the Bush DOJ- in his very special case, damn the legal merits. He will only go to jail kicking and screaming and squealing on his fellow Dems, but he gambles in truth on their past history of wise weakness and caving.

The more Dems compromise or squirm or play into this blackmail drama, the more devastating, as usual for the hope of the new administration- which is why the Governor still expects a quiet deal that the MSM will surprisingly discover at a moment of their own convenience.

If one thought that we had driven all the political garbage into the welcoming hands of the GOP it seems that is not the case. Now however, there is nowhere for these corrupt to move to except burrow in deeper as parasites into the cowlike tolerance of the half corrupt half of the Dem establishment.

[madrchsod]

3. unless blagojevich resigns or impeached

we will not have a senator representing our state. if this is`t resolved soon the republicans will take the seat in the 2010 elections.

lincoln is`t the only politician from illinois who is turning over in their graves