Reid to Meet With Burris Next Week As Showdown Looms

[babylonsister]

Reid to Meet With Burris as Showdown Looms
Senate Majority Leader Stands in Way of Blagojevich Appointee's Taking Seat
By LOUISE SCHIAVONE
Jan. 3, 2008


Arrangements are under way for a Wednesday meeting between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Roland Burris, the Democrat tapped by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, ABC News has learned.

Burris confidant and business partner Fred Lebed of Chicago tells ABC News that, despite the opposition of Senate leaders, Burris is on track to arrive in Washington Monday, and on Capitol Hill, Tuesday.

"He intends to be sworn in and seated in the U.S. Senate," said Lebed, who added that Burris and his "staff" are "looking forward to get sworn in, seated, and to roll up our sleeves."

When Burris arrives at the doors of the U.S. Senate next week, says Lebed, "he will have a few close friends and supporters with him. he is very careful and has cautioned me to make sure this is not a spectacle."

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6570544&page=1

[TahitiNut]

1. A day late ...

... and a dollar short. :shrug:

[Radical Activist]

9. for what?

[TahitiNut]

11. Tuesday

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4761039&mesg_id=4761132

[mucifer]

2. I predict Reid will cave and the republicans will attack and it will be a big ugly mess.

I wish Burris could just be our senator.

[gratuitous]

12. Yeah, Reid got outmaneuvered

There's nothing procedurally wrong with Burris' appointment, and Reid's going to DefCon 5 from the beginning didn't give him any wiggle room. Blagojevich simply followed the rules, and Reid apparently hadn't counted on that. But isn't it nice that Reid is so decisive when it comes to a Democratic seat, but he's perfectly all right with the likes of David Vitter and Larry Craig?

[BlooInBloo]

3. It's nice that Reid added "bigot" onto his resume, right after Fucking Useless....

What an epic fail he is.

[Peregrine Took]

5. Agreed. Reid has lost any miniscule credibilty he had. He should resign. n/t

[NOW tense]

4. He should be confident Reid will cave.

Brilliant chess master Harry Reid. They will never suspect how you secretly wanted Burris to be there, but you had to act like you had a spine first. So everyone can see once again that you are truly a master at your craft.

[Saturday]

6. Of course Reid will cave, doesn't he always? nt

[WeDidIt]

7. Reid is doing the right thing. Burris should NOT be seated

His appointment is tainted and therefore he is tainted by accepting it.

[MasonJar]

8. I totally disagree. The governor is still the governor. He has the

Constitutional duty to appoint a replacement so Illinois is represented. Reid is denying Illinois representation. He is a loser and should be replaced himself, probably in the Senate, certainly as MAJORITY LEADER. This is not to support Blago or Burris, but the rule of law.

[KharmaTrain]

10. Political Masturbation

The bottom line is Burris will be a safe vote. It's not like Blago nominated a GOOPer or his father-in-law, Burris is a solid Democratic vote and in the end that's what matters to Reid...and it should. There's a lot of important legislation that needs to be moved once President Obama takes office and the more votes on this the better.

Legall, the Illinois legislature dropped the ball by not stripping Blago's power to make this selection and thus so it goes. I can't see a court denying Burris the seat and Reid knows he's skating on real thin ice here. That's why he's only stated that Burris won't be "invited" to caucus with the Democrats...translation: eat lunch with the other Senators on Tuesday. Unless Burris himself had some kind of criminal background here (like Ted Stevens), we should and will be seated.

A lot of Reid's game is media posturing...going with the flavor of the moment. Everyone love to hate Blago and by stomping his feet, Reid can play that game, too, while I get a strong feeling, behind the scenes, the attitudes will be far less confrontational.