Senate Democrats to swear in Burris this week

[Dos Equis]

What a mess.

Burris appointment valid, Illinois high court says
     
(CNN) -- Illinois' highest court Friday validated the appointment of Roland Burris to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat, ruling that the Illinois secretary of state does not have to sign off on it.

The court's opinion states that "no further action is required by the Secretary of State or any other official to make the Governor's appointment of Roland Burris to the United States Senate valid under Illinois law."

In a victory for embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who appointed Burris to the Senate seat, the Illinois court stated that "no explanation has been given as to how any rule of the Senate, whether it be formal or merely a matter of tradition, could supersede the authority to fill vacancies conferred on the states by the federal constitution."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday that he was waiting for a ruling from the Illinois high court on whether Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White needs to sign Burris' certificate of appointment.

Aides to Reid said his lawyers were reviewing the ruling, particularly a passage that suggests an alternative way to authenticate Burris' certificate.

Majority Whip Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said that he still believes White's signature is required on Burris' certificate.

Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, said he did not see a way around the Senate rule, dating to 1884, that a certificate must bear the secretary of state's signature.

The rule has never been waived to seat a senator, Durbin said.

"The rules of the United States Senate are clear. ... At this point, we've clearly reached an impasse," Durbin said at a news conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Durbin said he thought the best way forward would be to suspend the process of seating Burris until the impeachment trial of Blagojevich concludes in the Illinois Senate.

If Blagojevich is removed from office, the new governor -- the current lieutenant governor, Pat Quinn -- could then make an appointment to the Senate, possibly Burris.

White has declined to sign the certificate, siding with some Senate Democrats who say Burris should not be seated because of the cloud over Blagojevich, who has been accused of trying to sell the open seat.

Burris, in turn, asked the Illinois court to force White to sign the certificate by ruling that White's signature is, in effect, nothing more than a ceremonial, nondiscretionary government action.

White seemed to agree, saying that he believed Burris could be appointed without his signature on the certificate.

"My signature is not necessarily required for the Senate to place the gentleman in the seat," White said Tuesday during a radio interview. "It carries a lot of weight, but my signature is mostly ceremonial, rather than it being a point of law."

On Thursday, Burris denied any quid pro quo with Blagojevich for his appointment. Burris appeared before a panel that was weighing whether to impeach Blagojevich.

"I can, for this committee, state that there was no legal, personal or political exchange for my seat," Burris told the panel.

Burris also said he had no conversations with Blagojevich before the governor's arrest about his desire to take the seat vacated by Obama.

The former state attorney general appeared before an impeachment committee of legislators in Springfield, Illinois, to explain his ties to the governor, who was arrested December 9 after federal prosecutors alleged that Blagojevich had tried to sell the seat for money and influence.

Later Thursday, the panel unanimously recommended impeaching Blagojevich. On Friday, the full Illinois state House of Representatives took up the issue and voted to impeach the governor.

Before Thursday's hearing, Illinois Republicans had said they wanted to know whether Burris was "paying to play." GOP lawmakers pointed to state records showing that Burris, a Democrat whom Blagojevich appointed on December 30, and his lobbying firm contributed more than $20,000 to the governor's political campaigns.

Blagojevich has not been indicted. He and Burris say the appointment is legal.

In a written affidavit given to the impeachment panel, Burris said he had one limited conversation with the governor about the Senate seat before he was appointed. And that conversation, he said, was initiated by a Blagojevich attorney.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/09/burris.senate/index.html

[Dos Equis]

Typical Washington politicians.  No stones. 

Democratic leadership: Senate to seat Burris

From Evan Glass and Dana Bash
CNN
     
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Illinois senior senator and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin said Monday that the Senate would accept the credentials of former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

"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," the two said in a statement.

"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," the statement said. "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."

Some Senate Democrats, however, maintained Burris should not be seated because he was appointed to the Senate seat by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces corruption charges and who is accused of scheming to sell the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White sided with Democrats who oppose seating Burris, and did not sign his appointment certificate, although his office stamped it Friday to show it had been received. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Friday that White does not have to sign off on the appointment for it to be valid.

Still, the Senate parliamentarian and legal counsel worked over the weekend examining in-house rules on the issue. Democratic sources said that if Burris or his attorney is at the Capitol on Monday, they would probably receive a decision.

Burris told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that his attorney would meet with the Senate's legal counsel on Monday.

"It is our position that we have done everything that's required and that, yes, I should be seated and I should be seated forthwith and I should be seated prior to the inauguration of our 44th president, a seat for which I now hold," Burris said during the interview. "And, by the way, I am the junior senator from the state of Illinois. There is no question of my legality of appointment. Illinois has two senators. That is the law. We have two senators."

In refusing to seat Burris last week, the Senate cited a 125-year-old Senate rule requiring the signature to certify an appointment.

But in a victory for Blagojevich, the Illinois high court said that "no explanation has been given as to how any rule of the Senate, whether it be formal or merely a matter of tradition, could supersede the authority to fill vacancies conferred on the states by the federal constitution."

Even if White's stamp is accepted as valid, Senate Democrats still plan to take the matter to the Senate Rules Committee, so an investigation can be conducted and the matter can be voted on by the full Senate before Burris is seated.

The Illinois House voted Friday to impeach Blagojevich, who has denied any wrongdoing.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/12/burris.senate/index.html

[bigdumbbell]

what's the mess, you still pissed mc cain lost?  grow up and move on

[240 is Back]

what's the mess, you still pissed mc cain lost?  grow up and move on

he's still hopeful for the socialist palin in 2012.

[Benny B]

Next up, Caroline Kennedy! 

Senate Democrats to swear in Burris this week
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti

WASHINGTON – Eager to put the scandal-tainted standoff behind them, Senate Democrats accepted Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's Senate successor on Monday and said they expect to swear in the new Illinois senator this week.

"He is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a joint statement.

At a news conference in Chicago, Burris called himself honored and humbled to be the state's next junior senator. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve," he said and added: "I recognize that my appointment triggered a challenging time for many."

Monday's development prevented the impasse that has plagued Democrats from dragging on into Obama's inauguration festivities that begin this weekend, and it capped a grudging, gradual retreat by the Senate's top Democrats.

Initially they had tried to dissuade Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who faces a state Senate impeachment trial, from making an appointment and suggested that his pick would not be seated. Last week, Burris' credentials were rejected by Senate Democrats in a circus-like atmosphere that tarnished the opening day festivities of the new Congress.

But Reid and Durbin said they now anticipate that Burris, a former Illinois attorney general, will be seated this week, barring objections from Republicans.

They made the announcement after Burris' lawyers delivered to the Capitol documents certifying his appointment to Obama's seat, and the secretary of the Senate determined that the paperwork met Senate requirements.

While a victory for Burris, the move is a major reversal for Senate Democrats.

They initially indicated they would refuse to seat Burris and objected to the appointment by Blagojevich, who is accused by federal investigators of seeking to trade the Senate seat for personal favors.

Senators feared that any appointee would be tainted.

Even though Burris does not stand accused of wrongdoing, Senate Democrats rejected Burris last week only to quickly backpedal after Obama himself privately weighed in and senators fretted that the situation was diverting their focus at a critical time.

Indeed, much to the chagrin of Democrats who expanded their House and Senate majorities in the November elections and won the White House, the standoff stretched into the new Congress' second week in session and has served as a distraction for Democrats trying to tackle an ambitious agenda.

It includes weighty tasks like holding confirmation hearings for Obama's new Cabinet while negotiating both the second installment of last fall's $700 billion financial bailout package and the president-elect's mammoth new spending plan aimed at jolting the economy.

Senate Democratic angst over seating Burris softened last week as the Burris appointment took on the feeling of a political sideshow.

Under pressure from Obama and rank-and-file Democrats to resolve the dispute, Reid said a "number of efforts" would be undertaken, including sending the matter to the Senate Rules Committee. He also said that "without any question" the entire Senate would vote on whether or not to seat Burris after Senate lawyers reviewed necessary documents and Burris' testimony in the Illinois House that he had promised Blagojevich nothing in exchange for the seat.

But Reid spokesman Jim Manley said Monday that Reid doesn't intend to have the Rules Committee review Burris' appointment, and that the Senate will vote on the appointment by unanimous consent unless there is an objection that would trigger a roll call vote.

From Illinois to Washington, Republicans assailed Senate Democrats for how they handled the issue.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is leading the Senate GOP's election efforts, accused them of "arrogant mismanagement" and said: "This entire situation has been a national embarrassment that could have been avoided." He pledged to make winning the Illinois Senate seat a top priority for Republicans in 2010.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna added: "Democrats chose to trust a madman over the people of Illinois" by seating Burris instead of blocking Blagojevich's appointment and holding a special election.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled last week that under state law, Burris' appointment paperwork was valid and that it was up to the Senate to decide whether to seat him. But Reid and other Democrats had contended that it violated Senate rules unless the appointment was signed by both the governor and the Illinois secretary of state.

After lawyers for Burris and the Senate met for under an hour in the Capitol to review the documents, Reid and Durbin issued the statement that they were satisfied both with the documents and with Burris' testimony before the impeachment panel that he did nothing wrong.