Blagojevich to name Obama successor?
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/POLITICS/12/30/illinois.senate/art.gov.gi.jpg caption="Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has ignored calls to resign after his arrest on federal corruption charges."]
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected Tuesday to name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate, CNN affiliates the Chicago Tribune and WLS-TV reported, citing sources familiar with the decision.
Burris' appointment would fill President-elect Barack Obama's former Senate seat. Blagojevich is to announce his choice at a news conference at 3 p.m. ET.
Burris, 71, is African-American. According to the newspaper, he expressed interest in the Senate seat shortly after the November 4 election.
The news comes as Democratic leaders in the Senate warned that they would reject any Senate pick made by Blagojevich, who faces criminal charges.
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Filed under: Barack Obama • Raw Politics • Rod Blagojevich |
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Everyone has proven Blagojevich guiltly, off of hear say, the media,
politicans and people do not have the proof that the governor is guilty
at all, but has push him out of office. What about being innocent, until proven guilty? Do we the people need to dumb on someone, or anybody. Do we all live in glass houses. Examine all people involved background,and out everyone of them there will be something that is dirty, or they don't want others to know about. We should all looks for facts before we make a comment, or say nothing until there is concrete facts. Our country is in a sad state, and all we can do is
gossip and point fingers. What do that have to say about us? We are
petty and full of hatred because of our current situation, looking for
anyone to accused of something or anything, not looking for solutions
to solve our current debt problems.
Blagojevich is brilliant. He may be corrupt, but he is ingenious as well. It is a good political move to appoint his 2002 rival, Burris. Also, Obama supported Burris over Blagojevich in 2002. Some people suggest that Burris' skin colour (black) may have been a factor as there will probably be less opposition to the appointment of a black man. I think Blagojevich is just trying to give legislators and the media new fodder as a way create a distraction from his own legal problems to the new appointee (Burris). Case in point: the media is already talking about the Supreme Court decision that overruled Congress' decision to deny Adam Clayton Powell his seat after he was re-elected in 1967.
Burris, potentially a very good choice; unfortunately, Blagojevich remains in office as his appointer.
Might be interesting for the Illinois Legislature to consider voting to support or not to support the governor's choice – if the Republican members whould cooperate by reviewing the candidate and not making a show for the media.
When Burris's name was mentioned earlier, he had indicated that he would only fill the seat – if appointed- until the next election and would not run for the seat. That action would reflect about 1/3 of the Senate vacancy appointments made to-date. Has anyone reconfirmed Burris's earlier statement on not seeking to be elected?
Harry Reid and the rest of the Senate need to look at the man Blagojevich appointed and see if there is any taint of impropriety about him before deciding to summarily refusing to seat him. Burns sounds like an honest politician and a man of great accomplishment on the surface – that may well hold and it would be a loss to the country and to Illinois to refuse to seat him just because Blagojevich appointed him. I don't think that even Blagojevich has the audacity to appoint someone smeared with the same practices as he has. The US Senate needs to stand above the fray and act in a honest, fair way to inject some legitimacy into the filling of a Senate seat that has prior to today gone horribly wrong.
Of course the new Illinois appointee for the Senate will be opposed; the US Senate is a white and Jewish organization.
All you have to do is read the score whites 85%, Jews 15% , Hispanics .01% Blacks 0, now there is a score that needs no coaching changes.
If Blago had nominated a Jew it would be a slam dunk, who wants to stand up to their lobby.
Panfilo Fuentes
Bakersfield Ca
Who is going to be the 1st to write a book about this man? (Blagojevich)
Very weird end-of-2008 story.
Folks-this is old style Chicago street fighting politics. Blagojevich scored points with this move. He is re-establing the point that, despite how he is perceived, he is the Governor of Illinois. Also he selected an African American politician with a distinguished record of service. So one has to credit him for challenging Harry Reid's refusal to support anyone Blagojevich selects. It will not be easy to just ignore Roland Burris and not expect to have to suffer the consequences. As an African American with deep roots in Chicago and state politics, he has friends in politics and in the African AMerican community. So if he is denied this opportunity because Blagojevich made some bad moves, then the African AMerican community will fight back. FOr now, point goes to Blago.
As president Bush likes to say Gov Blago has just given the
Senate and the Illinois legislature the one finger salute. Maybe
tonight 360 can explain to us who is right here. Does Gov Blago
have the authority? Can such authority be taken from the Gov
while in office?Also, can the Senate really refuse to seat Roland
Burris entry into the Senate? Maybe a constitutional professor or
a history professor can explain this all in simple terms. Has anything
like this ever happened before ?
Blogojevich is even more disgusting than I thought posible. He is "USING" a person of color, Rolland Burris, in an unveiled attempt to lift himself out of the sluge Blogo has created. One more example of the white man stepping on the brown man to get ahead
Why all of a sudden does Blagojevich,think ,that any one thinks, he cares at all about the state of Ill,and not whats in it for him!!! Its always and always will be whats in it for Blagojevich!!! Hands down he cares about no one but himself!!!!!
How about selecting his wife, that would only seem fitting.
I saw this story earlier and was shocked that they would even allow Blagojevich to even name a successor to the seat. I wonder if the appointment of Burris will be accepted at all considering what Blago was trying to do?
I thought that they were trying to kick him out so what's going on with that?
Cindy...Ga.