Arkansas Blog

If WE can't manage the basics of democracy, like elections, WTF??!!! Much of what we do in this country needs to go back to GO so maybe SOMETHING could work properly. What a [bad] joke - on us!
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Heard one talking head compare Harry Reid to George Wallace standing in the schoolhouse door.

Then five minutes later came the Little Rock/Central High comparison.

Can't someone stop this PR nightmare?

For some reason, this account of the Senate members turning up their noses reminded me of this news account. Click on Cato and see if you see the comparisons.

How appropriate, Cato!

Oh Gee Look. A settled matter of Senate rules is now a shiny, new object for the media
to swarm about. Great! they got's them another non-issue.

Now, would the Legislature of Illinois please get the impeachment machinery working. That's the story and once it's over this silly appointment stuff will be yet another media joke.

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It will be difficult to impeach Blago when Fitzgerald has been granted a postponement to even bring the case against him. There is no case. Fitzgerald has nothing.

Every politicians asks for favors in return for what they do. Nearly every Democratic Senator has exchanged favors for political contributions. Good luck getting a crime to stick. The Illinois Secretary of State either needs to sign the form, resign, or be impeached. Perhaps the new junior Illinois Senator can change parties and be seated as a Republican...

If Fitzgerald's purpose (in moving at at the time he did, in the manner he did) was to prevent the "sale" of the Senate seat, he no doubt succeeded. And that is enough. (After all, if the intent were only to convict the governor eventually, they could have kept the wiretaps in place a few more weeks and perhaps allowed a deal to be struck and executed. And there apparently were other ongoing matters that could have been buttressed.)

Gov. Blago no doubt picked Mr. Burris as someone who could not and would not give anything in exchange for the seat. That will certainly help the governor's defense.

Meanwhile, the "sale" thus prevented by Fitzgerald, the Senate might as well seat Burris.

But I've been turning this over in my mind: what if the governor had appointed Candidate No. 5, or one of the others -- say Jesse Jackson Jackson, Jr? If the sole issue is whether or not Gov. Blago committed a crime, and the emerging conclusion is that he did not (and certainly has not been convicted), on what grounds could you turn away Mr. Jackson Jr., or treat him (or any of the 5) differently from the acceptance many are now demanding for Mr. Burris? Is it fair to say that none of the Candidate Nos. 1-5 would have been acceptable? Then why not? Does Burris's stature erase some would-be taint from Gov. Blago? On what principled basis? Was that Gov. Blago's strategy? Idk. Just some musings.

If the Senate seats Mr. Burris, would that mean it has conceded it would have had to seat any of Candidates Nos. 1-5, so long as the governor hadn't been convicted or impeached? I don't know that precedent carries much weight in these matters, but I can guess the Senate didn't want to paint itself in that corner, for future reference.

Folks, this is not the fault of the US Senate. The Senate's rules on seating new members are in place and have been for some time. Both the Governor and Illinois Secretary of State have to sign the certificate. Fitzgerald hasn't done so.

The Senate rules should not be put aside. The next action is Fitzgerald's.

I feel some sympathy for Burris... given Blago's blantant corruption (as evidenced by the wiretaps) ANY candidate he picked would be tarred as being corrupted. On the other hand, while Burris has a strong history, wonder about his common sense in accepting Blagonovich's nomination. Now Burris has to deal with a suspicion of corruption.

A Writ of Mandamous has been filed and will probably result in the judge ordering the Secretary of State to certify this appointment. Then it will be interesting to see what Reid does. The courts have ruled that the appointments have to be honored unless cause has been established to deny the appointment. Not liking the Governor is not considered just cause.

On the Writ of Mandamous, I think the fact that the IL supreme Court is elected and not appointed will work against Blago.