Battle Lines Drawn Over Blago Nominee

Obama, Senate Dems Blast Move To Appoint Former State AG To Senate Seat; Congressman Warns Not To Obstruct It

(CBS/AP)  Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said Blagojevich's decision to appoint Burris is an "insult to the people of Illinois."

"We believe in clean government, and Rod Blagojevich has unclean hands," Quinn said.

Republican House Minority Leader Tom Cross compared Blagojevich to "a rabid dog in a corner who's just going to lash out."

Democratic state Rep. Monique Davis of Chicago, a member of the impeachment committee, said Burris' appointment will have no bearing on its decision.

"Anybody that wants to put the race card in there, they're playing with the wrong group of people. We're not going to operate that way, we're not going to deliberate that way, we're not going to say, 'Oh, look what a good thing he's done.' We're not going to do it," Davis said.

Illinois law gives the governor sole power to fill a Senate vacancy. Lawmakers considered stripping Blagojevich of that power after his arrest but could not agree on legislation - a fact the governor, who had said he would support a bill calling for a special election, pointed out Tuesday.

Blagojevich might have thought he could gain some legal advantage by making the appointment.

"He could think he's gaining leverage - that's not implausible," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia. "He's weaving these legal problems for Illinois, the Senate and the new administration. This is a mess."

White, the secretary of state who handles official paperwork, said he would not formally certify any appointment made by Blagojevich "because of the current cloud of controversy surround the governor."

It's not clear whether White's refusal would be enough to prevent a Blagojevich appointment from taking effect.

While Senate Democrats have threatened not to seat a Blagojevich appointee, CBS News Senior Political Analyst Jeff Greenfield wrote in Hotsheet that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his colleagues may not be able to legally block the appointment.

"In 1969, the Court ruled that the House of Representatives did NOT have the power to refuse to seat Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., the New York Congressman who was embroiled in a legal case that resulted in a contempt citation being issued against him," Greenfield noted. "The House’s power to judge 'qualifications,' the Court said, meant Constitutional qualifications: age, citizenship, that sort of thing."

A senior member of the Senate told CBS News Correspondent Bill Plante, however, that the Senate is the sole judge of who sits in the body and can exclude who it wishes. The member said there is case law supporting that position.

Burris, who is 71, is a native of Centralia in southern Illinois who graduated from Southern Illinois University before earning his law degree from Howard University.

He served as Illinois comptroller from 1979 to 1991 and attorney general from 1991 to 1995. He reportedly expressed interest in Mr. Obama's seat soon after the presidential election, and then stepped up his efforts to secure the appointment following Blagojevich's arrest.

Burris also served as vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989.

More recently, however, Burris has had a string of political disappointments.

He lost campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1994, 1998 and 2002 - the last time losing to Blagojevich. In 1995, he was badly beaten when challenging Chicago Mayor Richard Daley as an independent.

Burris has been a consistent donor to Blagojevich in recent years.

He donated $1,000 to the Friends of Blagojevich fund in both 2004 and 2005, $1,500 in 2007 and $1,000 in June 2008, according to Illinois campaign finance data.

[duhwally]

Good luck to the DEMS in 09 looks like your going need it.Let the Court Hearings begin.Lawyers linig up like Qualification day at INDY.You all need a Community Organizer.Getting Algore would be a perfect choice.I mean come on since global warming is over and ths Planet is cooling off.He saved the Planet by just running his mouth.Maybe he can help.Think of this.Watching Dingy Harry,when Blagos buddy gets to The Senate.I cant wait to see THE GREY WORM do the Clinton Shuffle.I want to hear the words"Crisis"and"Concern" TIL I PUKE.Arent you all looking forward to that.If we can get just one more Kennedy in the Senate,she cant speak but I nope she doesnt dirve.Then we have Smash Mouth Alfonzfrakin to the Senate,Comedy Central should be proud.I know you all thought the next few years was to be about Change.Some Court dates will change,but at least The Circus cant compete with this line up.

[generey]

Could get interesting!

[rushlimpdrug]

This is a black and white issue.

A black gets nominated and everyone
is as innocent as the white snow.

Chicago will be chicago, and Illinois will
be *** for it.

[spinproof]

The Feds have hours of recordings of Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich talking about "pay to play" and planning to commit a crime is a crime in and of itself which is Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, so the Feds didn''t need to wait until Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich actually involved himself in a pay to play transaction, just talking about it is a crime! What the Feds need now is time to put their case together against Gov. Blagojevich who should see prison. This business as usual attitude by Gov. Blagojevich and the appointment of former state Attorney General Roland Burris to Pres.-elect Obama''s vacant Senate seat has only angered and motivated US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to go after Gov. Blagojevich even harder and at a minimum any possible Plea Bargaining is dead now. While many have called for Gov. Blagojevich''s head and claim he is not worthy of remaining Governor, Roland Burris''s acceptance of a Senate appointment from Gov. Blagojevich re-validates his authority at a time when many want it taken away which demonstrates bad political judgment by Burris.

[erb0087]

Does Blago have a Blog ?

[themajority1]

But now it''''s down to just william and me.

And you can imagine how that''''s going.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by txgrouch2008

Not a nice image.

[ofbyfor3]

Like I''''ve been used and thrown away.

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 06:14 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Gee, sorry tx. Where''s the other board? I''ll join you there, lol.

[ofbyfor3]

Good grief! Another board totally taken over by Rowdyfreakazoid and her paranoia...

Hire a therapist, Rowdy! You can pay them to devote all their attention to YOU for an hour since that''s what you seem to need.

[erasmus606]

Posted by RowdynTex at 05:38 PM : Dec 31, 2008

And another thing. I wasn''t speaking about YOU until YOU start butting in and commenting on my posts.
You must have a real sad life that you can''t stand people enjoying conversations with other people.
I don''t see anyone else complaining but you. I don''t have people telling me that I''m a liar (except for you) or that I''m mentally ill.

[erasmus606]

La Grange is the title of a ZZTop song, which contains the line

But now, I might be mistaken, a hmm-hmm-hmmm.

And if you understand the history of the topic of the song (which was also a movie with Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds), you''''d understand the utter - something - ness of that line.

Sigh. Nothing ruins the humor of a joke like having to explain it in minute detail. And trying to do it without getting censored for it.


Posted by txgrouch2008 at 03:53 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Huh?