Ried should rethink his position re: Illinois Senate seat and hold confirmation hearings. . .

. . .seriously. In the days after Rod's arrest Reid's position made sense, however Rod called their bluff, did not resign and is naming a successor to Obama. I want to see Rod tossed out of office but he is innocent until proven guilty and since he has not been stripped of his powers this appointment should be considered.

Sam Donaldson said it recently on "THIS WEEK" murderers are afforded more due process than Rod Blagojevich has been afforded.

BTW I pushed for Burris on Nov. 11.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7852674

seat earlier rather than later once his legal troubles are over? just a thought. why would he pick someone that old who could not hold the seat for as long as most other senators?

ellen fl

. . .was to appoint an older person as a place holder. It did not take Rod's arrest for this appointment to be controversial. I have long advocated for a placeholder because I thought whoever was appointed by Rod would be tainted (again I held this position prior to the arrest).

A true open primary in 2010 is what is best for the Democrats.

Blago is a Chicago politician. They tend to think 2 to 3 steps ahead. He probably wanted to ensure that there will be an open primary in 2010. By then, he thinks, this legal inconvenience will be over, and I can run.

....Seventeenth Amendment violates the Constitution and is pure nonsense.



The US Constitution decides how senators are elected or selected and not the senate itself.

. . .there has to be some remedy that allows them to "have input."

I believe Burris is a strong candidate and I would hate see him disqualified because of who he is selected by, especially since Rod is acting within his rights as Governor.

A 1967 Supreme Court case determined that the House can only qualify members so far as the Constitutional qualifications for office go. And that isn't much. It would be logical to think that the ruling could be server as prescedent for the Senate.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/30/1727681.aspx

....8-1 in fact, that the Constitution decides how senators and reps are elected.

The Senate and House can bring charges against a seated senator or representative for malfeasance but that is something else.

Attempting to manipulate how a member is elected or selected gives rise to obvious political chicanery.

I'm not from Chicago and I don't know the first thing about Burris (including his first name off hand), but I'm hearing on TV that he has never had a hint of scandal around him. If that's the case, and if he is even remotely qualified, rejecting him outright seems to be a bit of an overreach by Reid.

I don't think a big drawn-out court fight is in anyone's interest -- certainly not the Senate, who has much more urgent issues to deal with; not the state of Illinois, who deserves representation; and not Obama who has an urgent agenda which will require the attention/action of the Senate. Particularly now that Bobby Rush has dropped the race into the mix by pretty-much daring anyone not to seat an African American to the all-white Senate.

If the people of Illinois start to voice opposition to Burris, then I think that would be different. They don't deserve to have someone they totally oppose shoved down their throats by a tainted and batshitcrazy Governor. Although, legally, the Batshitcrazy Gov has the authority to appt whomever the hell he wants and he doesn't appear to need the Senate's approval.

The bottom line will likely be that Reid caves. As he always does. That's another reason he should have let this play out a bit before drawing a line in the sand. Dumbshit.

You can't make this up. I applaud Reid for this. The Democrats need a strong candidate in this seat or they risk losing an open seat with the current political climate in IL. Lets not forget a Repuke held this seat before Obama. One could easily win it again.