"What's Wrong With Blago's Senate Appointment?"

 A defiant Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday named a black political trailblazer to Barack Obama's Senate seat, a surprise move that put the governor's opponents in the uncomfortable position of trying to block his choice from becoming the Senate's only black member. Blagojevich's appointment of former state Attorney General Roland Burris injected race into the drama surrounding the embattled governor, who repeatedly sought to distance his selection from charges that he tried to sell the seat to the highest bidder.

"Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint a good and honest man," the governor said, turning to the smiling 71-year-old standing by his side.

"This is about Roland Burris as a U.S. senator, not about the governor who made the appointment."

Burris was the first African-American elected to major statewide office in Illinois, serving as comptroller and running for governor three times — the last time losing to Blagojevich.

He said he has no connection to the charges against Blagojevich, who was arrested earlier this month.

In a statement Tuesday, Senate Democrats maintained that Blagojevich should not make the appointment because doing so would be unfair to Burris and to the people of Illinois.

"It is truly regrettable that despite requests from all 50 Democratic senators and public officials throughout Illinois, Gov. Blagojevich would take the imprudent step of appointing someone to the United States Senate who would serve under a shadow and be plagued by questions of impropriety," the statement said.

"Under these circumstances, anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic caucus."

Obama struck the same tone.

"Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision," the president-elect said in a statement.

Rep. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat who was invited to speak at Blagojevich's news conference, urged Senate leaders not to block Burris. In fact, he almost dared them to try to stop Burris' appointment.

"There is no rhyme or reason why he should not be seated in the U.S. Senate," Rush said. "I don't think any U.S. senator ... wants to go on record to deny one African-American from being seated in the U.S. Senate."

He told reporters that Senate Democrats should not "hang and lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer."

Illinois law gives the governor sole power to fill a Senate vacancy. Lawmakers considered stripping Blagojevich of that power after his arrest but could not agree on legislation — a fact the governor, who had said he would support a bill calling for a special election, pointed out Tuesday.

Burris is a native of Centralia in southern Illinois who graduated from Southern Illinois University before earning his law degree from Howard University.

He served as Illinois' comptroller from 1979 to 1991 and as the state's attorney general from 1991 to 1995. He also served as vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1985 to 1989.

More recently, however, Burris has had a string of political disappointments.

He lost campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1994, 1998 and 2002 — the last time losing to Blagojevich. In 1995, he was badly beaten when challenging Chicago Mayor Richard Daley as an independent.

Burris has been a consistent donor to Blagojevich in recent years.

He donated $1,000 to the Friends of Blagojevich fund in both 2004 and 2005, $1,500 in 2007 and $1,000 in June 2008, according to Illinois campaign finance data.

President-elect Barack Obama and two of his top aides met last week with federal investigators building a corruption case against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, accused of trying to swap Obama's Senate seat for cash or a lucrative job.

The interviews with Obama, along with incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and adviser Valerie Jarrett, were disclosed Tuesday in an internal report produced for Obama on contacts with Blagojevich. The report supported Obama's insistence last week that there had been no inappropriate contact with the governor's office by Obama or his staff.

Blagojevich attorney Edward M. Genson, who has said allegations that the governor was trying to sell or trade the Senate seat are built on nothing but talk, said Obama's report proves his point.

"I've said from the beginning that there was nothing inappropriate, and this just corroborates what I've said," Genson said.

The Illinois Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear a claim that Governor Rod Blagojevich is unfit to serve, erasing what could have been the quickest path to forcing him out of office as he faces federal charges.

Ed Genson, a lawyer for the governor, dismissed the secretly recorded conversations as "people jabbering."

Meanwhile, an attorney for the governor signaled that another path - impeachment - won't be easy. Ed Genson told the state House panel deciding whether to recommend impeachment that there's no evidence to back up claims that Blagojevich demanded kickbacks in exchange for a Senate appointment, and he dismissed the secretly recorded conversations that form the heart of the criminal case as "people jabbering."

Genson also sharply challenged the panel itself, saying some members should be removed because they've clearly already made up their minds.

Blagojevich himself said yesterday that he wants to address the public about allegations that he sought kickbacks in choosing a successor for President-elect Barack Obama in the US Senate. "I can't wait to begin to tell my side of the story," he said, but when that would happen remained unclear.

The state Supreme Court rejected without comment a challenge filed by state Attorney General Lisa Madigan. She had asked the court to remove Blagojevich, arguing that his legal and political troubles are keeping him from performing his duties.

Madigan argued that the governor's problems amount to a disability, so Blagojevich should have his authority removed temporarily.

Madigan said she was disappointed with the court's decision and that the governor's refusal to resign has put the state in an "unsustainable situation." Madigan, a longtime Blagojevich foe, urged legislators to act with "deliberate speed" in impeachment proceedings.

     Call me stupid but somebody tell me what's wrong with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojavich's appointment of Roland Burris to President Elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat? As I see it, Gov. Blagojavich is appointing a far more qualified public servant to the Senate than NY Gov. Paterson is in the expected appointment of Caroline Kennedy to Hilary Clinton's vacant Senate seat. Call me stupid again but if Rahm Emmanuel and others in the Obama transition team are not guilty of any wrongdoing in the wiretapped conservations with Blagojavich, then what is Gov. Blagojavich guilty of, except having a "potty mouth"? Call me stupid one more time but if the Illinois Supreme Court found Blagojavich fit to fulfill his duties as governor, what is he being impeached for? Rod Blagojavich is the product of dirty "Chicago politics" but so is President Elect Barack Obama and much of his staff. As I see it, the US Senate should approve Roland Burris's appointment to Obama's vacant seat and the Illinois state legislature should not impeach Gov. Blagojavich for his wiretapped conversations with President Elect Obama's transition team. The rule of law is more important than political personalities.

tags: rod blagojabvich  barack obama  roland burris  chicago politcs  politics  takebackamerica  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit