Roland Burris: Reid Embraces Him, Says No Deal (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Roland Burris will not likely take Barack Obama's Senate seat until a court in Illinois rules on a dispute surrounding his appointment.

While Reid embraced Burris, he said the Senate is awaiting a court ruling in a case that tests whether the signature of the Illinois secretary of state is needed for Burris to take the seat. He suggested that would be a step toward seating Burris.

"One of the first things he said to us was, 'Hey, this is nothing racial, do you understand that?'" Reid said. "A lot of people tried to make this a racial issue. Roland Burris has not, and will not."

"He's not trying to avoid any responsibility to hide anything," Reid added.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who also met with Burris, praised the man and said he hoped the legal matters would be resolved "so we can fill all the vacancies and have a full compliment of the Senate."

"That decision will be before the Illinois Supreme Court today or tomorrow. We are hoping that they act on it in an expedited fashion. I called the Attorney General of Illinois, Lisa Madigan, yesterday, as well as the Secretary of State, and urged them not to delay the decision," Durbin said. "Whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, we want it to be made on a timely basis, and we both agreed that was their intent as well."

Democrats had claimed the appointment was tainted by allegations that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich attempted to sell the seat.

Comments

[oldbrit]

Secretary of State Jessie White said this morning that signing the certificate is ceremonial, he won't sign the certificate, and that Burris should be seated in the senate.

I predicted Burris would be seated.

What happened is that Blago set a trap by appointing Burris.

Obama and the Senate Democrats made a knee-jerk reaction when they opposed Burris and jumped right into Blago's trap. SNAP!

[dollbaby]

look blagovich pulled on over on everyone. he chose a black man to put a racial spin to it. i wouldn't want to seat him either but there is no way they can't since bobby white threw in the lynch card.

[kevinw]

Here is a clue for our Democratic leadership. Why doesn't Reid and Durbin call Jesse White, the SOS of Illinois and tell him to just go ahead and sign and seal the document. That way they can seat him and this circus can end.

[OkieIntellectual]

They can ask him to sign it, but the can't tell him to sign. Its not like they can order him to put his signature on something that he does not agree with. The thing I don't get is this argument that the SOS signature is merely a matter of ceremony or tradition, and it doesn't really mean anything because there are no outlined veto powers for the SOS in this situation. Well if his signature doesn't actually mean anything, then who cares? If you're going to use the argument that Burris can't be seated without the SOS signature, then it actually DOES mean something, that the SOS has de facto veto powers.

They need to make up their minds about how this thing works.

[nomobull]

it seems a lot of people are mad at harry for not giving to their prediction that he would let him in.why don't you ask why burris is trying so hard to gey in somewhere he isn't wanted . franken ain't making a stink and he was elected. and we know he's a fighter.

[Voellf]

The constitution allows for each party to make the ultimate decision. It will be left up to the Democrats, no if ands or buts. The more I learn about Burris, the more my gut says he is not a good man. He might not have any blemishes on his record, but the man has built a mausoleum to his own ego out of white marble. They list all of his 'acomplishments' no matter how minute or silly they are. Atop the whole emlazoned in extra large type - TRAIL BLAZER. Who does that? Napolean, the Ceasars, just to name a few fellow ego maniacs. Pick some one else and let the man run in two years. If the people of Illinois pick him, it'll be their mistake (as was the present governor).

[kevinw]

You ever hear of the google? You admit you know nothing about him and the more rumors and media spin cycle comments the less you like. The reason he is called a trailblazer is that he was the first Black man elected to Statewide office in Illinois. He has been more electable in the past. He has never lost a general election that he has run in. For some reason he has lost favor with the Illinois party and has not had their support in the primaries. The elections the pundits have been yelling about that he lost were primary battles. Regardless of anything else, he has a pretty good reputation for integrity. You owe the man at least to do a little research before you trash him.

[dianhow]

Google is great..als­o try www.factcheck.org

[StillAmused]

"the man has built a mausoleum to his own ego out of white marble"

Similar, no doubt, to the millions of mausolea littering cemeteries from coat to coast, bearing inscriptions ranging from poetry to titles held to accomplishments in life.

You just built a monument to your own slobbering ignorance.

[dndobson]

Oooo, the senate has a rule...loo­k out!

[StillAmused]

"A spokesman for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (D) confirmed to Election Central that White KNOWS HE DOES NOT TRULY HAVE THE AUTHORITY to stop the appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate, but he withheld his signature from it earlier today in order to make a statement.­"

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/illinois_sec_of_state_refuses.php

Lots of posturing blowhards "making a statement".

Following the law? Not so much.

Burris has filed for a Writ Of Mandamus* from the Illinois court, ordering White to sign the certification.

Watch what happens when the writ is issued.

* "orders a public agency or governmental body to perform an act required by law when it has neglected or refused to do so."

Add this embarrassment to your long list of achievements, Harry. They keep describing Burris as a "seatwarmer" appointment when, in fact, we have a seatwarmer Senate Majority Leader.

[Freedomscap]

Agree on all counts.

[vinny]

Reid is all too happy to talk about racism now that folks caught on that he was trying to game Illinois' senate appointmen­t... deflect, Harry, deflect...

[nomobull]

spin spin spin

[TribunusPlebis]

No one who knows Illinois politics believes that Burris is (a) the most qualified Democrat for the seat, or (b) easily capable of holding the seat for Democrats if he did run for election in 2010. Reid and Obama both know that too, so political exigencies aren't driving their apparent willingness now to kiss and make up with Roland. Instead of holding to their rightly principled position that Blagojevich's arrest, pending impeachment, and pending trial for trying to sell this same Senate seat had necessarily tainted any appointment he would make -- which is an argument that Republicans in Illinois and the Senate will fling back at them -- they've caved to Burris in order to stop the media tempest about this farce. Reacting to media circuses is not a way to run the Senate, but then Reid isn't a leader -- he adopts postures and then folds, if this affair is any indication. Why do all polls show a majority in favor of not seating Burris? Because the public gets the underlying truth: Any appointment by Blagojevich is suspect. Changing the way Washington works is what Democrats said they would do. Seating Burris is not consistent with that. If he's seated, let's get behind a primary challenger to Reid in '10, so he can be unseated.

[stell]

Why? Why? Why? Isn't Burris electable? If whites would vote for him he would be!! Give him a chance, sheesh!!!

[iblog]

If whites would vote for him?

Does that really make any sense. Think about it. Really.

[truesteam]

Because he does not do the camera thing well. You have seen. He does not have a filter. He does not know how to still be Burris but appeal to a larger audience by not displaying full metal Burris all if the time. He does not have that political finesse. He is very proud of himself and does not have the political sense to know that not everyone is going to dig him and that it is his job to try to change that (if he wants to get elected).

[Grunty1]

I don't know why he isn't electable. It might his race, his campaigns, his policies, or something else. But he does have a rather long list of defeats.

[TribunusPlebis]

I lived in Illinois in the 1980s when Burris was State Comptroller and then began to run for either governor or the Senate, always unsuccessfully. He was broadly if weakly popular among most Illinoisans, because he was honest and straightforward. But he never had the ability to rouse an audience or deliver a commanding message. Competent but distinctly unexciting, was his image. His political chops are not exactly legendary, and for all intents and purposes, he has been politically unrecognizable for a decade. If seated, he will be challenged in the primary by at least two other candidates (Lisa Madigan and Jan Schakowsky) either of whom could well defeat him, and if not, he would be quite vulnerable to the Republicans' new young stud, Mark Kirk. Burris's occupation of the seat puts it in full play for Republicans.

[Freedomscap]

You think the most qualified are in the Senate -- clearly, you jest.

[iblog]

I doubt you'll do anything more than post this blog comment.

[TribunusPlebis]

You have no idea what I've done politically, for over 25 years.

[dollbaby]

The republicans are screaming that he should be seated....­.....do then what? They throw the circumstances of his appt back at the dem. dooesn't make much sense.

[kevinw]

Like a Repub maybe

[hempster]

Now my understanding is Gov. Blagojevich , at present, is the Gov. of IL. Also it his constitutional duty to appoint a person to fill the vacancy existent by the resignation of the previous office holder. My bewilderment is why is it necessary to have the IL Sec. of St. sign the document of appointment other than to verify the signiture of the appointing offical, who happens to be the sitting Gov. of the St. of IL.?
If Harry and the rest of the Dems in the Senate want to sign in with all of their phoney legalesleeze they should be dutifully spanked for the "oh look at me and how important I am" egoment that they are. On the point of the Sec of St. of IL What really is her constitutional duty other then to verify - but I repeat myself. If there is something that can be hung on the Junior Sen. of the St. of IL. Hang him after he gets sworn in. It's a joke that the Democratic Sentors oppossing his appointment ,without precondition are actually distracting from the Good works the people expect from our President Elect.

[kevinw]

Jessie White is a guy.

[ManwithaParachute]

Burris for Senate Majority Leader!!!!!

Reid for Janitor...­.My apologies to anybody doing sanitation.

[Pete Ross]

There is no valid reason under the law not to seat Burris.

Under the law, Blagojevich is still the valid governor with all powers of the governership in Illinois per law fully intact.

The Dems made themselves look like idiots by not seating Burris yesterday! The Repugs could not have orchestrated it any better.

[theplaintrutho1]

Reid and Pelosi are as ancient as McCain was, watching and reading the MSM, then believing in the hype of INDEVIDUALE story salesman, not realizing they are out of touch with America and their own constituents.

Somebody on their payroll or one of their friends warned them, that they should get up to date and start monitoring the blogs, to get a better understanding of the people

Pelosi as since shut Her mouth and trying to jump on the bandwagon. Reid, maybe a little older and more stubborn has taken longer to come around. I think they have both seen the writing on the wall.

I can't forgive either, as, just like Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). were complicit of many crimes of the past 8 years.

These people are dumber than a bag of rocks and don't get it.

Which ever the political winds are blowing, is a thing of the past. Obama made it difficult for Hillary to pay, but many other DEMS will.

[randomx6]

Ah, what?

[realitycheck7]

once again the spineless Harry Reid caves and displays why dems have an uphill battle to repair this country.

It will take balls, and we don't have any in congress

[mouselion]

Wrong.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/07/dem-aide-obama-wanted-sen_n_155909.html

Blago was trying to stay relevant and beat a path on appointing Burris.
Reid was played. (But, yeah, still spineless).

[realitycheck7]

how does any of that change that fact that Reid is spineless?

[kshawNCvoter]

i hate this guy with a passion. so much so that i called some of these spineless dems offices to complain. i know it won't do any good but i tried.