Keep race out of it

[babylonsister]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/commentary/1363433,CST-EDT-edit06a.article

Keep race out of it
SENATE STANDOFF | Denying Burris open seat strips power from tainted governor


January 6, 2009


This is not about race. Despite what U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush has said explicitly, and others have implied, the bid to keep Roland Burris from claiming Illinois' vacant Senate seat is not about race.

It is about denying power to a governor who has gone off the deep end.

It is about ensuring a taint-free appointment for the citizens of Illinois.

And to say otherwise is destructive and wrong. Illinois has enough problems without injecting the thorny issue of race where it doesn't belong.

Our governor is to blame, of course. He chose to go ahead and fill President-elect Obama's Senate seat despite protests from every corner of the state and nation. Choosing Burris, the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois, was clearly designed to earn points with black voters.


snip//

If Burris is truly taking this job for the benefit of the people of Illinois, as he insists, he'll do the honorable thing -- not take it.

This is not about race. This is not about Burris.

This is about standing up for fair play.

[JuniperLea]

1. K&R!!!

[liberal N proud]

2. k&r

[BlueCaliDem]

3. This might, or might not be about race, but perception is king.

Just like we judge that Blagojevich has "gone off the deep end", that he's "tainted" because of things he may or may not have said on wiretap conversations. It's all perception, because any FBI expert can tell you that wiretapped conversations are notoriously unreliable as evidence and most times, inaccurate. (I watch a lot of Forensic Files and Cold Case Files)

These same wiretapped conversations aren't even strong enough to arrest and convict him {even after three years of investigation into Blagojevich} and tear him out of office so that Reid and the other Dems can get their way, but it's the perception Blagojevich is a crook that is making the Burris appointment so contentious, isn't it?

So also there's that perception of racism when an AA had the door closed in his face when he went to an all-white Senate today even though he is duly appointed by a sitting Governor of his State. There is also the perception of party loyalty by SoS Jesse White, who illegally refuses his constitutional duties by not signing off on the Governor's choice because the perception exits he's playing ball with the Democratic party by denying a fellow AA, and legal candidate who is being rejected in violation of the state's constitution by the U.S. Senate... it has the perception, right or wrong, this has everything to do with race, especially when you consider Reid's choice of two white women to replace Pres.-elect Obama, overstepping JJJr, an AA.

Perception is King.

If we're going to stand up for fair play, let's not cherry-pick. Until Blagojevich is convicted and removed from his post, he's innocent until proven guilty and the elected Governor of his state. His appointments should be valid and without perceived "taint".

Now, that's fair.

[terisan]

4. Applause!

[babylonsister]

5. Reid claims he didn't overstep anyone, that Blago lied about JJJr,

Davis, etc. And did you watch Bobby Rush last week? There's more than a hint of racism involved as the article from an IL paper indicates, and I don't think it's just perception. I'm not going to defend it.

[BlueCaliDem]

6. There was no perceived race-card pull by B. Rush. He blatantly played it.

If newspapers are playing the race-bait card then it's because that's the perception this whole debacle is giving off, as my examples in my prior post show, and it's what people are picking up. The only evidence of irrefutable race-baiting, however, is pulled by Bobby Rush.

[Cha]

7. Rec'd~

I can't believe they're trying to make this about race.