Well, he isn’t quite as obscure as Tim Ted Kaufman, but Blagojevich has named his pick for the vacant Illinois senate seat and it’s someone who wasn’t on anybody’s watch list: former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. Burris is the first African-American to win statewide office in Illinois, elected comptroller in 1978. He’s failed to win the primary in three separate gubernatorial runs, including in 2002 against Blagojevich.
Burris is 71. This leads to the question: is he running for re-election in 2010? That’s not immediately clear, but Burris stated earlier that whoever gets the appointment should be able to win re-election. Burris sold himself to Blagojevich when the position came open, and unlike most anyone else, continued to sell himself harder after Blago got arrested.
Shortly after Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following Blagojevich’s arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor’s support.
What’s strange here is that Blagojevich’s own defense attorney said that no appointment would be forthcoming, and of course earlier Harry Reid said that no Blagojevich appointment would be seated by the Senate… so it’s unclear what exactly Blagojevich is thinking (although that seems like it has frequently been the case lately). Burris apparently has not been connected to any of the investigations of Blagojevich, but it seems highly iffy as to whether or not he ever actually becomes a senator, with Reid’s threat, and the Illinois legislature still considering impeachment procedures against Blagojevich. (Discussion is already underway in safi‘s diary.)
UPDATE (James L.): Looks like Senate Dems are standing firm:
It is truly regrettable that despite requests from all 50 Democratic Senators and public officials throughout Illinois, Gov. Blagojevich would take the imprudent step of appointing someone to the United States Senate who would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety. We say this without prejudice toward Roland Burris’s ability, and we respect his years of public service. But this is not about Mr. Burris; it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate seat. Under these circumstances, anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic Caucus.
As is Illinois’ Secretary of State:
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he’ll reject any paperwork that Gov. Rod Blagojevich files to name a new U.S. senator.
The secretary of state keeps state records and certifies official actions.
But White says he won’t certify anything Blagojevich does to fill the Senate seat once held by President-elect Barack Obama.
(Hat-tip: SusanG)
Later Update: Did you catch the Blago/Burris press conference? Reportedly, it was nothing less than surreal.
Just shows HOW obscure….
“It is truly regrettable that despite requests from all 50 Democratic Senators and public officials throughout Illinois, Gov. Blagojevich would take the imprudent step of appointing someone to the United States Senate who would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety. We say this without prejudice toward Roland Burris’s ability, and we respect his years of public service. But this is not about Mr. Burris; it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate seat. Under these circumstances, anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic Caucus.”
http://blogs.suntimes.com/swee…
Given all the absolutely insane shit that this guy has done, why are we still questioning on the merits of what this man was thinking?
It’s a circus. They just pulled Rep. Bobby Rush out from the peanut gallery to speak to Burris’ qualifications trying to say it’s okay.
That Sec. of State Jesse White announced he won’t certify this nomination.
Seriously, Blago, just GTFO, please. You’re not winning, and you won’t win, even if you are right, if you keep on acting like this.
Seems like Blago is trying to set up an alternate theory to explain the wiretap: he wasn’t trying to solicit a bribe, merely just talking about the possibility. Note Blago’s talk was pure bulls**t. It was all a dream, nothing real. See my “real” action.
If he were worried about Illinois and its representation, he would have resigned already, and Lt. Governor Quinn would have already appointed a replacement. Shame on Blagojevich for dragging Burris into his shenanigans.
If it weren’t for the Blago mess, Burris seems like the ideal candidate for Senate. Basically a place holder so the people can decide for themselves in two years, a reliable Democratic and Obama vote, and (hopefully!) clean. If there is no indication that he has any involvement in the whole Blago mess, do Democrats really want to fight to prevent his appointment? What is the value that we are upholding?
I HATE TO BE CONTRARY
OK, I really don’t hate to be contrary.
Here’s my position as an Illinois resident — if Roland Burris pledges to be an interim senator, I am OK with it. In other words, if he pledges to not run for re-election, I support the appointment.
Obviously, my approval is contingent on Burris not being involved in any way, shape or form with Blago’s crazy schemes. I wish Patrick Fitzgerald would step forward and say whether Burris is clean.
For those who don’t know, Burris was the state attorney general for a long time and had an excellent reputation for a long time — until today, I guess.
And here is what I wrote on a Swing State post on Nov. 8 — before there was any controversy.
PART OF MY NOV. 8 POST
“On a serious note, I am a resident of Illinois and I strenuously object to all of the people who have insisted on this post that Blago should pick someone who can win in 2010. He should do the OPPOSITE.
He should pick someone who promises to NOT run for election in 2010, possibly an older person like Emil Jones or Roland Burris who can cap his career by being a senator for two years.”
Shalom,
ZWrite
…given the Adam Clayton Powell supreme court case. Assuming if (and who knows on this score) it’s impossible for the Secretary of State to block the appointment it may be necessary to seat Burris and THEN to vote to expel him.
Time to appoint Blago ambassador to Belgium or something and get him the hell away.
On the 4 people whom the Senate has refused to seat.
http://www.yahoo.com/s/1009233
Like all of you, I watched that press conference.
Blago taking the stand on the grounds of legality and representative democracy, Burris unaware how much money he donated to Blago, the inability to answer questions. This thing had it all.
However, I must say that Congressman Rush yesterday tried to over-play the race card worse than I have ever seen. The fact that Burris couldn’t handle the press conference was shocking. But then to call up Rush to bail him out…sheesh. And did he really use the term “lynch”…unbelievable.
I’m not sure his argument makes sense. If we must replace AA senators with another AA then do all white senators get replaced by whites? Ridiculous. And didn’t we jsut go through a presidnetial election where America supposedly learned to vote without regard to race, only to have that al;l take back a month later because of the racial inequity of the Senate. Just awful.
I was just shocked by the whole thing. I know some found it comical theatre, and for Blago and Burris I agree. Hell even if you thought Burris was qualified after this debacle I think we all know he is not.
But Rush was just terrible. I cannot believe he got on stage and said that stuff. And then Blago’s closing like he was yelling at someone specific about the appointer and the appointee. These 3 need to be shipped off a remote island.
Bear with me with my imagination. This is only my imgagination running rampant.
Blago, fearing that there is no way that he won’t get impeached, decides to (a) appoint Burris to help sway some of the Black Illinois legislatures not to impeach him; and (b) decides to switchover and become a Republican! The GOP welcomes him with open arms, and rush to his defense that he was only a victim of this heathen Fitzpatrick. The legislature votes, and Blago is not impeached.
Okay, this wouldn’t happen, but I bet there are some Republicans (National and State) that would be okay with Blago switching parties. Ethics has never been a strong point with the current Republican faction.
burris did not look like an impressive guy in any way, partly because he was trying to do the impossible – explain how it was that he accepted an appointment from an indicted governor who is being impeached.
and he thinks this a nice cap for his career. it has besmirched his record in a terrible way, and the good will he engendered over 20 years will dissappear over night with this thing.
and does blago need to be proven “guilty” of something in order to do it. it seems to me that despite his lawyer and burris talking about how one is innocent until proven guilty, that’s the legal system not the political system. can’t the legislature just impeach him because he sucks and is an ineffective, disgraced governor.
Am I the only one here who finds this story a bit odd? Aren’t maussoleum’s usually done after a person has died? Oh well, guess it’s better to write your own version of history while you’re alive than to let others after you die.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI…
before the indictment, there was talk of blago appointing an aa to bolster his base for re-election. i think that’s that he’s doing. i really think he’s deranged and delusional enough to believe he’s running for re-election. if that’s the case, he needs to be studied.
An excerpt from the Early Show where Rep. Rush appeared.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…