Jan 01 2009
Blagojevich says, ‘I Triple Dog Dare You’ With His Pick of Burris for Senate
Who cares that he’s accused of trying to sell Obama’s senate seat for a million dollars? Who cares that everybody and their momma is calling for him to step down? Who cares that their is a ongoing federal investigation into his attempts to sell the senate seat?
Seems like everyone cares, but Blagojevich. He just dared everyone not to seat his choice to replace Obama in the senate, Richard W. Burris, a black man. If Burris isn’t confirmed that means a black-less senate as Obama was the only black senator before he was elected. This is getting good. And here I thought the Blagojevich scandal had run out of steam. From the NY Times :
Political leaders here, nearly all of whom have been critical, suggested that the governor very likely had other motivations. Some said he wanted to cause political trouble for his critics, forcing Senate leaders either to accept his appointee or to be seen as rejecting a respected African-American leader, while others said that he was trying to garner favor among blacks, and perhaps even members of an eventual jury pool.
Still others said the move was simply classic Governor Blagojevich, doing the unexpected and stirring things up, or “just Rod being Rod,” in the words of Representative Jan Schakowsky. “The can of worms he has opened up,” Ms. Schakowsky, a fellow Democrat, went on, “is just the kind he likes.”
On Wednesday, four black Democrats in the House said Mr. Burris should be allowed to join the Senate despite opposition to the appointment by Senate Democrats.
Some of those House members warned that black Democratic voters could be angered if Mr. Burris is prevented from taking the seat. Those who called for Mr. Burris to be seated were Representatives Maxine Waters of California, Donald M. Payne of New Jersey, Donna M.C. Christensen of the Virgin Islands, as well as Mr. Davis.
Senate Democrats said they were standing their ground in opposing Mr. Burris because he was chosen by Mr. Blagojevich. Jim Manley, an aide to Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said the Senate would most likely move to have the question of whether Mr. Burris should be seated reviewed by the Senate rules committee, “which would have the effect of delaying his seating.”
