Pat Buchanan: Burris is a US Senator, Blago did his duty.

[SuperTrouper]

Pat Buchanan is blasting Reid for not letting Burris seat as US Senator. Buchanan said that Blago did a great job in performing his duty to appoint Burris and Reid is out of bounds! :wow:

[MadBadger]

1. Reid is right in not seating him, the SOS of IL is out of bounds here.

[Blarch]

2. Yep...

"Reid doesn't have a leg to stand on"

"Burris has the same right to sit as Harry Reid does"

"Blago is the Gov"

"He had a right, and a duty to name someone"

"Burris is the senator"

"Harry Reid is acting unconstitutional"

"Harry is now making deals for conditions on which a senator should sit, and that is exactly what Blago is accused of doing"

[napi21]

3. I don't know about the "great job" part, but he's probably right.

Legally...Blogo is still the Gov of Ill and has the authority to name Obama's replacement. I think Reid is just kicking the can down the road...hoping that Blogo will be impeached and Quinn can name the replacement. I doubt Reid or any of the other Dems would even care if Quinn renamed Burris, they just want to punish Blogo. Reid is trying to buy time.

[SuperTrouper]

4. You have a good point. Reid just wants to buy time for IL politicians to impeach Blago

[WeDidIt]

5. Reid had nothing to do with what happened today

Untile Jesse White signs the certificate of appointment, Reid doesn't even enter into the equation.

[Blarch]

7. BS

Reid should seat Burris.

Why should Burris not be seated ? ...because the corrupt SOS refuses to do the job he took an oath to perform ?

Reid should seat Burris. And Illinois should start working on removing White and Blago from office.

[WeDidIt]

9. Give it up already

The Secretary of the Senate rejected Burris, not Reid.

Tell it to the ILSC, because it's up to them to rule on this.

[w4rma]

10. Oh, the SOS is corrupt now, not Blago? (nt)

[Blarch]

13. Thanks for reading my post. ...Jeeesh, wtf is going on ?

"And Illinois should start working on removing White and Blago from office."

[ieoeja]

46. Why the "Jeeesh"? You did call him corrupt in your post.

And I hope you realize you are the ONLY DUer from Illinois who wants Jesse White kicked out of office over this. The remainder of us are cheering him as a hero.

[Blarch]

48. The poster said "not blago"

I pointed out that we should be working on removing Blago. The poster didn't read my post, just like you.

[ieoeja]

49. Or maybe it's just your nice friendly way of addressing people ...

... that causes them to miss some details.

:sarcasm:

[Cha]

47. Doesn't anybody notice

that pat fucking buchanan never has the best interests of Dems on his agenda and in fact might have an ulterior motive for wanting Burris seated?

[w4rma]

6. Republicans want an easy target for 2010 and they want to cause strife. (nt)

[K Gardner]

8. I hate it when I agree with Patrick J Buchanan.

[w4rma]

11. Research more and you won't. (nt)

[Still Sensible]

14. Me too.

But he's been right on a couple things lately. His 12/30 column explaining the politics of the Gaza action was very good too. I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day, though.

[emilyg]

39. I do, too.

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Wrong. He cannot be seated until his appointment is certified by the IL SoS

[SuperTrouper]

16. Papers do matter. Tweety just quoted "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

where they ask Mr. Smith if he had his papers. Tweety: "Pat, you're wrong, the movie is right"

[Still Sensible]

17. Why is political capital being expended on this?

All of a sudden Reid has a backbone and it's on this silly bullshit issue?

Yeah, Blago is a bad guy. His actions in trying to make personal gain from the senate seat, take back allocated funds for a hospital, and bully the Tribune's editorial staff, are unethical and arguably illegal. That will eventually be determined in court assuming he is eventually indicted. In the meantime, he's still the governor with the right to make the appointment. I believe all the players have necessarily distanced themselves from Blago and set up their political cover against future blowback. Let's get down the road.

In the meantime, Reid just looks bad again. He can't even pick the right spots to flex political muscle and it is infuriating.

[Freddie Stubbs]

22. They may be trying to avoid having an unelectable incumbent running for reelection in 2010

[Still Sensible]

24. I've heard that argument, but

why would he be any less electable than any other dem there? The only stain I have seen on his otherwise laudable career was being on the undeniably wrong side (for political reasons) in a death penalty case some years ago. Maybe this is really about one or two "chosen" ones Reid would like to see get the post or something.

It does sound like there may be a compromise coming that would have Burris not run in 2010 in exchange for being seated now. Given his age, maybe he should just do that.

In any event, the RW has to just love all the headlines on this day after day.

[Freddie Stubbs]

26. Unelectable because he was appointed by Blago

[sallyseven]

29. It is not a silly bull shit issue

I believe that both Blago and Burris are crazy. He will be nothing but trouble for the next 2 years. Probably vote with the repukes.

[w4rma]

32. If things turn out as I think they will, Reid is creating political capital. (nt)

[apnu]

34. Reid only has a backbone when standing up to Democrats

Against anybody else, jelly fish offer more resistance.

[mvd]

28. True. SoS is the problem here; he should have been certified

Reid did not help by his rhetoric, though.

[SuperTrouper]

43. Blago just double dared all Dems with his Burris pick.

[mkultra]

50. the SOS is following his conscience.

Blago shouldn't have tried to get payola and shouldn't have seated anyone. Burris is a fool for acting as Blago's clown.

[apnu]

33. Untrue, this is an appointment and not an election.

The SoS of IL has nothing to do with this because there is nothing to certify. There is no law, yet found, on either the Federal or State level that says the IL SoS has to certify an governor's appointment.

[Freddie Stubbs]

36. (15 ILCS 305/5) (from Ch. 124, par. 5)

Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State:
1. To countersign and affix the seal of state to all commissions required by law to be issued by the Governor.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=197&ChapAct=15%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B305%2F&ChapterID=4&ChapterName=EXECUTIVE+OFFICERS&ActName=Secretary+of+State+Act

[apnu]

38. Wow, you're right, I'm wrong.

Thanks for educating me.

[PVnRT]

15. The right wing desperately wants this man seated

It gives them a wonderful talking point about Democratic corruption at the dawn of Obama's administration that the media will happily go along with for the next few months/years.

Blaggo is torpedoing the party for his own personal gain. I hope he and Ryan get along swell in prison.

[Still Sensible]

18. I disagree

and believe the damage is done. Burris seated or not doesn't change the right wing's ability to use the Blago scandal. I don't think they care one way or the other--they are enjoying watching Reid drag this out. Right now, thanks to Blago, the dems look like fools in the matter and they'll look like fools regardless of whether Burris is seated or whether the seat is vacant for weks or months while we wait for Blago to resign or be forced from office. The right wing just wants to see the daily headlines continue.

[w4rma]

30. No, actually if things turn out the way I hope they turn out it will benefit Democrats. (nt)

[OHdem10]

19. The truth is Blago has the Law on his side.

He has not been indicted. He has not been Impeached. He is legally
the Governor of Illinois. No matter what anyone thinks of him, he
performed his duty.

If this were taken to Supreme Court, they would side with Burris.

This makes the Democrats look terrible to the American People.
Purely political--the Dems are so afraid of losing the seat they
have made themselves look ridiculous.

[olkaz]

21. The truth is that he doesn't have time on his side.

Senate Democrats and Jesse White both seem intent on delaying as long as possible.

By then Blagojevich could be impeached, allowing Pat Quinn to make a taint-free appointment.

[Vinca]

23. But if Pat Quinn made an appointment, it might turn out Blago's

appointment of Burris was legit, then there would be 2 junior senators fighting it out in court. This can only get worse on the surface for the Democrats.

[olkaz]

31. I don't see that happening.

If Burris fought to be seated over Quinn's appointment, wow.

[Freddie Stubbs]

35. The problem is his impeacment and removal would not nullify the actions he

took as Governor. The appointment was made when he was Governor. If you were to follow that logic, all of the laws Blago signed would be null and void.

[olkaz]

40. Not convinced.

You might be right, but I'm not sure the logical extreme has to apply here.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

20. I agree with Buchanan when he said the Illinois SOS does not have veto power

over a gubernatorial appointment and that by not signing he was not fulfilling the duties of his office.

I think that is correct based on the facts. The Illinois statehouse had an opportunity to change the law regarding gubernatorial appointments and they failed to do that, leaving existing law standing.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

25. Govs usually appoint

Blago hasn't been convicted has he? Yet?

[sallyseven]

27. Does anyone really care

what Buchanan has to say? He is just a clown and a fool. I cannot understand why MSNBC insists on foisting him on all of us. Lock him away in jail with Bush, Cheney and the rest of his dumb ass friends.

[yourguide]

37. Buchanan also thought Palin would help McCain win.

sorry, no credibility.

[JayMusgrove]

41. Exactly, Pat B is a former Nixon speech writer.........not

a state of IL Constitutional, nor a US Constitutional scholar.

He's wrong at least as much as he is correct, and he is RIGHT of Center Republicans all the time.

Why anyone values the opinions of Pat B is a mystery to me. He's so yesterday, and so often wrong.

[spanone]

42. please do not qoute pat buchanan as an authority on anything....

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

44. Pat wants Republicans to be able to run on corruption and someone appointed by a corrupt

governor in 2010.

[ieoeja]

45. Why the shocked face? Burris would guarantee that seat goes Republican next election.

Why do you think Democrats in and out of Illinois are doing everything they can to stop this appointment?