The Governor's Audacity to Appoint

Governor Rod Blagojevich made one thing perfectly clear Tuesday: he is still the governor. He played a brilliant game of checkmate politics. He made a gangster move. He appointed the perfect candidate to the vacant Senate seat and leveraged his political capital to the hilt.

The world may not understand it, it may even seem bizarre that he would have the audacity to appoint, but we who live in Illinois got it. And most of all, the politicians got it. I am the Governor of the State of Illinois, confirmed Mr. Blagojevich.

In appointing Roland Burris, Blagojevich has fulfilled his constitutional duty as governor. He is perfectly within his rights and legal boundaries. He has also jammed the political process and moved the radar from personality politics to process politics. Roland Burris is the perfect candidate. He is stellar. He is a statesman. He is politically correct and he is even historically correct, as a forerunner to our new president.

Burris' political career is well documented. He hails from downstate Illinois and has served as Comptroller of the State of Illinois for three terms. He was the first African American to be elected to a statewide office in the State of Illinois. He has served as Attorney General of Illinois, making him the second African American in the country elected as a state Attorney General. Burris has served as Vice-chairman of the Democratic National Committee and as the Executive Director of Operation PUSH. Prior to his stellar career in politics, Burris was the Vice President of Continental Illinois National Bank, working the Trust Tax Department and Commercial Lending.

Burris is a professional politician. He has been a candidate for governor three times and lost each race, thus he knows both sides of the ropes. Burris was on no one's list for the Senate appointment, the possibility of him assuming the seat merely a faint rumor.

The Senate Democrats have proclaimed they will not accept anyone Gov. Blagojevich selects and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he will not certify Blagojevich's pick. Is this legal? Is it politically correct?

The legal process is threatened. The governor has performed his duty. He has not been convicted. He still holds the constitutional power. He followed the law. The candidate is not tainted and neither is the process. The governor has been accused of attempting to sell the Senate seat, among other charges. But what has been demonstrated is that the feds may have made their move too soon.

If Roland Burris is not seated in the U.S. Senate, the process is violated. He will probably take the matter to the Supreme Court. He is the perfect one to do that, being a lawyer and steeped in the Democratic Party and its bylaws.

Precedent has been established with the case of Powell v. McCormack. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., a senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was reelected in 1966 while embroiled in a misappropriation of funds scandal. In January 1967, House Speaker John William McCormack asked Rep. Powell to abstain from taking the oath of office. Powell took the case to court and was reelected in 1968 and seated again in Congress. This current situation is similar.

The people of Illinois deserve two Senate seats. By filling the vacancy at this time, Burris will have seniority over the incoming freshman Senators. If the seat is not filled, it means that at this crucial historical hour, where we are at war and in an economic depression, we would not have full representation on the Senate floor. We would miss a vote. This equates to taxation without representation.

The Senate's refusal to seat squeaky-clean Burris will become a clear-cut case of racism. If seated, Burris will be the only active African American Senator in the United States, as was the case with Barack Obama and Carol Moseley Braun. The stakes are high.

This is not local Illinois politics, it plays on a national stage. President-elect Obama issued a statement in support of Senate Democrats. He should know better, being a constitutional and civil rights lawyer. He should stay out of it because it is not in his hands.

A black president deserves at least one black senator from his home state. This is a historic situation and I bet on the B guys, to win. Blagojevich, at the end of the day, has done no more than engage in horse trading, fund raising and let's make a deal politics. So what else is new?

The case is being tried in the court of public opinion and it has legs, but in the world of legalese, this case will probably fall flat on its face. We have heard about the tapes, but we have not heard both sides of the tapes. Meanwhile, let's seat Roland Burris.

By the way, Happy New Year. 2008 has been a blast.

Comments

[obelus]

Specifically, what was stated by the political elite to the Governor immediately following the arrest was, "Don't you dare try to appoint anyone." He did anyway. Why was it important to broker the appointment through someone other than who was charged with that responsibility by the Illinois Constitution?

[singforpeace]

Illinois does deserve two senators and Burris may be squeaky clean, but Blagojevich knew that his pick would be challenged. His making a pick seems more about him and asserting his power rather than about the good of the people of Illinois. I am not from Illinois, but it seems very unfortunate that if Burris really is a great choice--being appointed by Blagojevich means he faces a fight to be seated and casts a shadow on him if he is seated. Lose/lose situation.

[Hermene]

If all concerned follow the law, it will work out to Blago's favor and the citizens of Illinois will have a seated Senator.

thanks for writing.

[davidly]

" ...nd to those who say, 'Oh no, he didn't!'
I reply, 'Oh yes, he did!' "

[Hermene]

He did as he said he would, fight, fight, fight. He is the Governor.

[ArtieTorro]

This is an excellently written article! It should have a link on RealClearPolitics - but I may be just well-wishing. I agree completely with the author's points. I hope Harry Reid comes to his senses in a hurry. Are we still a nation of laws?

[Hermene]

The Governor checkmated all. And as you have said, they should all follow the law. They will all run for re election and they are disappointing the public.

Thanks for your comments. Happy New Year

[easarsfield]

A black president deserves at least one black senator from his home state?? No no no. Obama deserves the person most qualified to represent Illinois to take his place, regardless of color.

Why is it Illinois' duty to supply a black to the senate? It is not. I understand that there are currently no other africans americans in the senate, and hey, as a woman I would like to see more women in the senate. But the people elect senators according to who will best represent their interests, not to fill a diversity quota.

And there is a fundamental difference between the circumstances surrounding Powell and Burris. Powell was ELECTED. Burris has been APPOINTED by a governor that the feds are actively going after for attempting to sell Obama's senate seat.

[davidly]

Who is this most qualified person about whom you speak?

[Hermene]

The President of the United States deserves 2 voting senators from his home state. You are right color is not the issue.

It is not Illinois duty to supply a black to the senate. But since we have been leading the country in this regard, we should maintain the sole seat, don't you think, obviously we don't have a diversity quota or we would have more. Perhaps that is a great thought, maybe we should. a political affirmative action for politics.

I am aware of the Powell election and the Burris appointment, but indeed the point is the same.

Thanks for writing.

[Chicago48]

I agree with JimR and Hermene. Once everybody cools down, chills out, and objectively looks at what happened, they will admit that Blago is still in charge. It was a legal move. It secured a black man's seat in the Senate, and like Bobby Rush stated, there are no blacks in the senate vs. other minorities and women. The legislature is who we should be upset with, because they didn't call a special election; and Pat Quinn, who has declared prematurely that the Gov. will be impeached. We don't know that; he doesn't know that.

This Gov has more lives than we want to give him.

[JimR]

I've got to hand it to Blago, like you say, this was brilliant. He has been convicted of nothing and he is still governor, and there appears to be no valid reason as to why Burris should not be seated.