Who Knows, Maybe Burris Will Be an Outstanding Senator

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I think it was the governers decision. He was still in charge. Innocent until proven guilty. This is still America.

Lauana of IL 10:41PM February 14, 2009

Roland Burris is a egomaniacal self-serving black fool. He gives new meaning to the epithet, "Uncle Tom". He will not be elected in 2010 and the Republicans will win the seat against almost any other democrat.

Maurice McCreary of DC 10:37PM January 13, 2009

Anyone this opportunistic, vain, and self-involved could never meet the standards of self-sacrifice required to be a good senator. But then, so few existing Senators live up to it either.
Has it occurred to anyone else that Burris is most definitely NOT the best choice for replacement? Four other people, showing some character and integrity, turned Darth Blago down when asked. These people should be considered before Roland "I'll do anything for the extra pay and perks" Burris

greg of CT 3:05PM January 13, 2009

was very disappointing. As a Republican, I'm obviously disappointed by the result of the canvass required by MN law. But I don't think it's truthful, much less fair, to ascribe that result to simple partisanship. The Canvassing Board included two of the best judges of our state supreme court, both of whom were appointed by our Republican governor and almost surely are Republicans themselves. The two district court judges on the Board are of no known partisan connection. So the Board clearly was not dominated by Democrats. Yet virtually all of the votes were unanimous. I don't mean to suggest that all of those votes were correctly decided, but I know of no evidence to suggest, as Barone does, that they were motivated by a partisan "refusal to seat someone they disagreed with."
I've always admired Barone's work, been impressed by his obvious vast knowledge on the details of electoral politics, and accepted his statements of fact as presumptively correct, whatever I thought of his analysis. But given his uncritical adoption of the WSJ editorial (which even the staunch Republicans of "Powerline" have rejected as inaccurate) as his source, I may have to rethink my assumption that he's scrupulously accurate.

John from Minneapolis of MN 2:01PM January 08, 2009

Mr. Barone, thank you for bringing your cooler head to this analysis.
You said for example, "But that would give the Republicans a chance—probably only an outside chance but a chance—of winning the seat."
Right you are about "outside chance." Illinois is a much bigger mess than an outsider can appreciate. Obviously many are getting a crash course in the past month, but it's on a scale that's hard to get your arms around.
The problem for the GOP here is that many of its old players are joined at the hip with Dems like Blago on many of the same scandals. Party titles rarely mean much here as I know you know.
As far as a special election, the Illinois GOP never had any credibility on the issue. The full court press from our hapless state party here was always doomed by hypocrisy.
For more background see:
Illinois needs a Republican Party that can credibly push for a special election
http://www.championnews.net/article.php?sid=1487

Doug Ibendahl of IL 1:09PM January 08, 2009

There was a bill to allow recall of elected state officials over the past summer that required a 2/3 majority. The goal was to get rid of Blago in November. It was defeated by one vote in the IL Senate which is controlled by the Democrats. All of the Republicans and many Democrats voted for it. The Illinois Democrats own this problem and they know it. Roland Burris has made a fool of himself on local radio interviews when asked about his appointment. He even corrected a reporter who asked about a $300,000 state contract by saying it went to his son's law firm not his! I think he will really fit in!!
He is a politician who did OK on down ticket positions but could never make it in the big time. He is largely forgotten (I thought he was dead) but still manages to get his share of minority set aside legal and consulting business. Your readers may want to know that he has constructed a mausoleum for himself that calls him a "trailblazer" and lists all of his "firsts" as an African-American. Perhaps he can now add this one! I can't wait to vote against him.

Bill of IL 10:43PM January 07, 2009

That would accept such an appointment can never have been much of a man to begin with. With no morals, pride or honor - well, don't expect much in the future either.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 8:28PM January 07, 2009

That's is a strange assertion to make, that "Blagojevich and Burris have taken advantage of the opening the Illinois Democrats have given them and have called the U.S. Senate Democrats' bluff." Really? The US Senate Democrats are entirely beside the point -- as this week's developments showed. The Democrats who actually blinked are those who control the Illinois General Assembly. By failing to remove Blagoyevich from office BEFORE he could make this appointment, they clearly caused all the fuss. If you think a Governor is so 'tainted' that his appointee should not be seated, then REMOVE him from office. Don't just talk about it. It's not rocket science. By failing to act, the Illinois General Assembly gave tacit approval to Blago's appointment. And to whatever other bizarre actions he may commit this week or nest. And this failure to act made any subsequent position to oppose by the US Senate Democrats wholly untenable.

D Panethiere of MO 6:49PM January 07, 2009

This is a fine article, except for the bizarre assertion that the 'impeachment process' in Illinois is a 'lengthy' one. Fact: there is no process, and it is not lengthy. It can be done in an afternoon; an hour if required. It only requires a show of hands in each house of the Illinois General Assembly.
Mr. Barone is usually such an independent thinker, and so often correct. But here he has just fallen in with all those other commentators who for some inexplicable reason fail to lay the blame for this fiasco -- and next week's fiasco, should Gov. Blago do something else outrageious -- at the door of those who caused it. The Illinois General Assembly met for the purpose of impeaching and removing Gov. Blago. But they failed to do so. THAT failure, and nothing else is the proximate cause of today's crisis.
Perhaps the Illinois General Assembly concluded that there was no emergency, and so decided to take their time. But now they know that there was, and is, a genuine emergency. Each day that they continue to allow Blago to remain in office is a day in which they -- and no one else -- is logically to blame for whatever mischief occurs.

David Hilton of IL 6:39PM January 07, 2009

Danged if I know why anyone objected to this from the Democratic side. Yeah, Blago is a bum. Nonetheless, Blago made a LEGAL appointment of a pretty good guy. What in the world was the flap for?
Dems better get busy sorting out what is a priority and what is not.

of 5:40PM January 07, 2009