From the pen of the Mighty and Fearless Harry Reid (and Dick Durbin):
The Secretary of the Senate has determined that the new credentials presented today on behalf of Mr. Burris now satisfy Senate Rules and validate his appointment to the vacant Illinois Senate seat. In addition, as we requested, Mr. Burris has provided sworn testimony before the Illinois House Committee on Impeachment regarding the circumstances of his appointment.
“We have spoken to Mr. Burris to let him know that he is now the Senator-designate from Illinois and as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a Senator-elect.
“Accordingly, barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week. We are working with him and the office of the Vice President to determine the date and time of the swearing-in.
Burris I mean. Though an argument could also be made for Nevada.
Lulz. Thanx Har.
Seriously, I’m just grateful this finally puts to bed the national implications of Blagogate.
Should he run (which I doubt he ultimately will), I peg Burris’s odds at surviving the primary at somewhere between laughably slim and Senator DavidNYC.
The last thing we would have needed was a crowded, brutal Dem primary for a midyear special election… and a national media fawning all over faux-moderate, faux-reformer Mark Kirk. In the middle of Obama’s crucial first year in office, a political sideshow out of his home state would be a really detrimental distraction.
But, what were they really supposed to do? I mean, the senate doesn’t have THAT much power in controlling who is and isn’t a member of it. They had little legal capacity to stop the appointment. Just thank God Blagojevich isn’t getting 500K out of this.
Burris will get primaried in 2010. Hopefully by Schakowsky.
The posturing of Harry Reid and Jesse White on this was poorly thought out and ultimately fruitless.
Blago, like it or not, was still Governor. Unless he was guilty of a further criminal act in naming Burris, there was little that should have been done. Reid’s waffling just gave Republicans fresh ammunition in the PR war. We should be aiming at Bush and McConnell not arming the opposition.
White’s conduct was what? Beyond the scope of law certainly. A thoroughly corrupt precedent for future skullduggery and perhaps driven by the hope that he, Jesse White, would be the place holder Senator.
Meanwhile, the legally elected Senator from Minnesota is being kept out by the shennanigans of Norm Coleman and his lawyers. The DNC and DSCC should be running ads in Minnesota attacking this over reach. These are, after all, the very same creeps that never let the Florida votes be counted. Close with fine profanities and end the piece.
Looks like this mess is quickly coming to a close. Much better to get it resolved sooner rather than later. We can use the vote and do not need the distraction. Reid did the right thing to get this resolved. No one will care about this in 2010 outside Illinois (and then only if Burris runs).
What a terrible leader. I think Democratic primaries has produced a lot better leaders then the Senate Caucus. I know Durbin is technically part of the current leadership team but I’d like to give him a shot.
Which one will primary him? And how soon until one of them (or someone else) announces? The Illinois primary is really early.
Burris may have been praying that he would get seated, but here’s praying that he doesn’t try to run for election in two years.
Obama won’t need enemies in Congress to screw up his agenda.
we get a reliable democratic vote for 2 years and obama/reid/durbin/white have all made it clear that they don’t like burris/blago.
if you think this looked bad imagine how brutal the press would be if f@**%%’n kirk won a special.
and we’ll get an untainted strong democrat in ’10 – hynes/schakowsky or something.
special elections suck.
…Burris can go up against more imposing opponents such as say a cardboard box.