Comments on Advance Indiana™: Blagojevich To Name Burris To Obama Senate Seat

If Burris had any integrity, he would decline an a...

2008-12-31T11:46:00.000-05:00

If Burris had any integrity, he would decline an appointment by Blago and await appointment by a proper official. Accepting a Blago appointment shows Burris is a component of The Machine.

Dan,Actually I AI and I were talking about the min...

2008-12-31T09:12:00.000-05:00

Dan,

Actually I AI and I were talking about the ministerial act of the Secretary of State.

As far as the supposed constitutional right of the Senate not to seat a member, you need to take a look at the Clayton Powell case. The constitutional right is to not seet people who do not meeting constitutional qualificaitons for office, for example, that they be 30 years of age for the Senate). I don't think there is any question Burris meets the constitutional qualifications.

The Senate does have a right to kick people out of the Senate but that takes a 2/3 vote and supposedly must involve something the person did while in the Senate that warranted his being kicked out.

It's not that black and white, albeit courts are always reluctant to intervene in such matters.

The senate actually does have the constitutional r...

2008-12-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

The senate actually does have the constitutional right to choose not to seat a member. Yep, its true.

It is strictly a ministerial act. A court should o...

2008-12-30T17:40:00.000-05:00

It is strictly a ministerial act. A court should order the ethically-challenged White to do his job. I'm frankly surprised White hasn't been busted by the feds. He had his hand out all the time when he was in the legislature, shaking down lobbyists to give money to a group of youth gymnasts he managed which put on public performances. It was quite a lucrative little NFP thing had going on for years. John Kass says he heads down to a casino in Aruba with some real sleazebag gambling lobbyists on a regular basis. Burris has truly earned the right to serve in the Senate. This is all a bunch of political BS by powers who are absolutely as corrupt as Blagojevich.

Isn't the certification by the secretary of state ...

2008-12-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

Isn't the certification by the secretary of state merely a ministerial act?

Politico reported that a Senate Majority aide said...

2008-12-30T16:50:00.000-05:00

Politico reported that a Senate Majority aide said that Reid viewed Burris as unacceptable. A statement from Reid and Dick Durbin explained: "We say this without prejudice toward roland Burris' ability, and we respect his years of public service, but this is not about M. Burris; it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate seat." For anyone who has followed this story, the explanation is very redundant.

It doesn't matter whether or not White certifies the appointment. I agree that the Senate doesn't have the [constitutional] right not to seat Burris, not that they may not nonetheless. I tend to agree that he should be seated.