Blago Appoints A Senator

[Bilbo]

Doesnt matter now. Latest word is that the Democrats are going to seat Burris. I am not sure what is the more pathetic joke. Burris being seated or Reid announcing that Stuart Smalley is the Senator from Minnesota and declaring that Coleman will never set foot in the Senate chamber.

Guess all forms of morals and ethics go out the window in the mad dash to super-majority. What a bunch of pathetic whores.

[Illuminatus Primus]

What's so bad about Al Franken? And what were the Democrats supposed to do with Burris? He was legally appointed, no two ways about it. The law is clear, however distasteful.

[Bilbo]

What's so bad about Al Franken? And what were the Democrats supposed to do with Burris? He was legally appointed, no two ways about it. The law is clear, however distasteful.

What is so bad about Franken is the dozens of reports that say the Election Board used inconsistent and biased methods to do the recount which would have invalidated either candidate. Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

Also in typical fashion the recount only needed to be done until Franken had enough votes then BOOM end the recount!!! Are we in Minnesota or Washington?

As for Burris, this is a stranger case. How a Senator is selected is determined by Senate rules. The Constitution leaves it up to the Senate to decide this. Since there are no hard and fast rules there is the wiggle room to not seat someone which has happened in the past so there is precedent there.

[Illuminatus Primus]

What's so bad about Al Franken? And what were the Democrats supposed to do with Burris? He was legally appointed, no two ways about it. The law is clear, however distasteful.

What is so bad about Franken is the dozens of reports that say the Election Board used inconsistent and biased methods to do the recount which would have invalidated either candidate. Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

Also in typical fashion the recount only needed to be done until Franken had enough votes then BOOM end the recount!!! Are we in Minnesota or Washington?

What a bunch of conservotard crap. Not to mention you just lol your way through saying he's a moron. Why don't you try supporting your claims? I wouldn't be throwing stones when you have James Inhofe as one of your ranking senators.

As for Burris, this is a stranger case. How a Senator is selected is determined by Senate rules. The Constitution leaves it up to the Senate to decide this. Since there are no hard and fast rules there is the wiggle room to not seat someone which has happened in the past so there is precedent there.

Bullshit. The legality of an appointment may be contested, but Burris is a legal appointment. Blago is tragically still the governor, and he has the legal right and responsibility to appoint a sitting senator.

Bullshit. The legality

[Broomstick]

Doesnt matter now. Latest word is that the Democrats are going to seat Burris. I am not sure what is the more pathetic joke. Burris being seated or Reid announcing that Stuart Smalley is the Senator from Minnesota

Al Franken is the man's name - do not mistake the characters he plays for who the man is. The US has had a President (Reagan) and a number of senators (Sony Bono and a few others) who are former actors and/or entertainers, and the current governor of California is likewise from the entertainment industry. It seems every one of them is regarded as a "pathetic joke" until they have been in office awhile. Being an actor/comedian/musician/whatever is neither more nor less a benefit than most other professions when switching to politician.

Guess all forms of morals and ethics go out the window in the mad dash to super-majority. What a bunch of pathetic whores.

I'm sorry if the results of an election displease you. I've lived through both Reagan and two Bush administrations that I wasn't happy with. Tough shit. Welcome to genuine democracy. Your guy(s) doesn't always win.

What's so bad about Al Franken? And what were the Democrats supposed to do with Burris? He was legally appointed, no two ways about it. The law is clear, however distasteful.

The law is clear that his appointment is not final until there are TWO signatures on the papers. If they seat him without those two then, in fact, they are not following the stated process for appointment. If you want to argue that there may be compelling reasons for making an exception please do so but do not pretend this is business as usual.

What is so bad about Franken is the dozens of reports that say the Election Board used inconsistent and biased methods to do the recount which would have invalidated either candidate.

Yet another reason why the fiasco in 2000 set a bad precedent if you ask me.

Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

He's less a moron and embarrassment than our current PotUS. Franken can be a complete and total asshole, but he's not stupid.

Also in typical fashion the recount only needed to be done until Franken had enough votes then BOOM end the recount!!! Are we in Minnesota or Washington?

Did you mean to say Florida rather than Washington?

As for Burris, this is a stranger case. How a Senator is selected is determined by Senate rules. The Constitution leaves it up to the Senate to decide this. Since there are no hard and fast rules there is the wiggle room to not seat someone which has happened in the past so there is precedent there.

No, actually, how a senator is appointed to an empty seat is determined by the state constitution of the relevant state, NOT Congress. There ARE hard and fast rules regarding that appointment in the Illinois state constitution. They have not been followed to the letter which does, in fact, give the US Senate a reason to NOT seat Burris. I'm sorry if that disappoints, angers, saddens, or frightens anyone but that is how things work. I don't think this situation was anticipated when that was written into that particular state constitution, which is why the matter is in the courts to determine if the Illinois Secretary of State's signature is really required or if he can be compelled to sign.

The fact that awkward situations such as this do come up with why we have courts and rules committees and exceptions - but those take time. Allowing Burris the seat yesterday could have easily caused as many problems as not sitting, and easily generated yet more court cases.

[Bilbo]

What's so bad about Al Franken? And what were the Democrats supposed to do with Burris? He was legally appointed, no two ways about it. The law is clear, however distasteful.

What is so bad about Franken is the dozens of reports that say the Election Board used inconsistent and biased methods to do the recount which would have invalidated either candidate. Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

Also in typical fashion the recount only needed to be done until Franken had enough votes then BOOM end the recount!!! Are we in Minnesota or Washington?

What a bunch of conservotard crap. Not to mention you just lol your way through saying he's a moron. Why don't you try supporting your claims? I wouldn't be throwing stones when you have James Inhofe as one of your ranking senators.

As for Burris, this is a stranger case. How a Senator is selected is determined by Senate rules. The Constitution leaves it up to the Senate to decide this. Since there are no hard and fast rules there is the wiggle room to not seat someone which has happened in the past so there is precedent there.

Bullshit. The legality of an appointment may be contested, but Burris is a legal appointment. Blago is tragically still the governor, and he has the legal right and responsibility to appoint a sitting senator.

Bullshit. The legality

I live in Illinois. We have Dickless Durbin as our senior Senator.

Franken brings nothing to the Senate other than a history of vicious attacks prettied up as comedy and books that were little more than personal attacks. He is incredibly crude and has no background to show any qualifications to be a Senator. Unless you want to call his dismal failure on Air America at being the liberal Rush Limbaugh a qualification. At least that shows that he can talk for hours even when no one is listening, so he will be good for filabusters.

Oh and to answer Boomstick. No I meant Washington. The governors race there was as fraudulent as the Minnesota race. The recount "magically" only found lost votes for one side until the local Democrat won. That is complete and utter bullshit.

Florida is a different story. The whole thing became so convoluted with ballot boxes disapearing then reappearing, canvassers physically abusing ballots til extra chads fell off so that they could then "discern voter intent" and again ONLY Demorat votes being found, that it is obvious now we will never know who really won the state.

Did that give us the wrong President? I dont know. The pro-Democrat recount bias was countered by an incredibly elaborate legal challenge by the GOP. To be honest Gore probably did win Florida. But he lost not due to any fraud by the GOP but instead due to incredibly stupid Democrat voters. If you look at several counties down there you find large votes for PAt Robertson in democrat dominate districts that are well out of line with the rest of the state. When you look at the ballot card itself the reason becomes obvious. The card was poorly designed and someone not paying close attention could punch Buchanon when they meant to punch Gore. No GOP conspiracy, though cards were made at the county level and these were democat controlled counties.

[Elfdart]

First of all, each house of Congress can refuse to seat an elected or appointed member and they've done it before. It's their right under Article 1 of the Constitution. The reason this turned into a mess is because Harry Reid is a spineless coward. He didn't have the guts to seat Burris because he (Reid) shits his pants at the idea of a Republitard saying mean things about him. But then, he lacked the balls to refuse to seat him, too as Jane Hamsher points out:

I Want to Play Poker with Harry Reid
By: Jane Hamsher Wednesday January 7, 2009 7:00 am
I want to play poker with Harry Reid. Really I do.

Rather than call for a special election in Illinois, Reid sends a letter to Blagojevich signed by everyone in the Democratic caucus asking him to step down. They assert that they will not seat anyone he appoints.

Harumph.

Blago wipes his ass with it and appoints Burris anyway.

Burris holds a press conference and announces he will be in D.C. on Tuesday to be sworn in with the rest of the Senate. Bobby Rush plays the race card. Reid does not see the handwriting on the wall.

He counters by calling Secretary of State Jesse White, who has already said he won't sign Burris's certification, and encourages him. What White is doing is most certainly outside his legal authority -- the Secretary of State doesn't have veto power. But Reid not only gives White a high five, he tells him they'll use this to keep Burris from being seated.

Then he smugly chortles about how he'll manipulate Senate procedure and punt to the Rules Committee, and assures everyone that they will drag things out for months if necessary until Blago is impeached and his successor appoints someone else. And he does it in the press.

Upon reading this, Cornyn announces that Franken won't have a signed certification either, and the GOP will use it to keep him from being seated,

Reuters: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yielded to Republican threats and agreed on Monday not to immediately seat fellow Democrat Al Franken."

Blago laughs out loud. This is amateur night in Dixieland. He leaks to the press that he spoke with Reid before the election, and that Reid didn't think any of the African American candidates vying for the seat were "electable," while Tammy Duckworth was. He stirs up the potential jury pool and makes Reid look like an idiot -- the day before Reid is set to appear on Meet the Press.

Reid looks like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs on Meet the Press. Nobody knows how much Fitz has (not even Fitz, who is still trying to transcribe his tapes) or how much he'll need to reveal to prove his case, so Reid says he "doesn't remember" his conversation with Blago, but calls Blago a liar anyway. When asked if he supported Jesse Jackson Jr. for the Senate seat, he says he would support JJJ. And admits that there's "room to negotiate" on Burris.

Burris appears at the Senate on Tuesday. Gets turned away. Could Reid look any worse?

Yes!

Obama stares down DiFi, appoints Panetta to the CIA, and the NYT breaks the story before she's told (but Ron Wyden already knows). DiFi's fuming.

Despite having been one of the 50 Senators who signed Reid's letter saying Burris would never be seated, she announces that as the outgoing head of the Rules Committee she thinks the Senate has no choice but to seat him. (Good timing, because Charlie Rangel is already complaining about the Rules Committee dragging its feet, and Jesse White is complaining that Reid made him the fall guy.)

Reid can't hold his own caucus in line. Blames Rahm. Gives interview saying "I don't work for Barack Obama."

Smooth.

WaPo: "Burris Backs Reid Into a Corner."

A seventy-one year old dude who hasn't held office for 14 years, appointed by a crook, takes the Senate Majority Leader to the cleaners.

Reid is a red state senator, up for re-election in 2010 and under pressure from the right, who is already making noise about appeasing Republicans who aren't going to be appeased. He's a hazard to Obama's agenda, which is why leading Senate Democrats tried to ease him out as Majority Leader last year.

See: Daschle, Tom.

Burris will be seated. He's not gonna deal.

Why should he?

He's playing poker with Harry Reid.

In other words: Harry Reid was PWNED!

One more thing: Bilbo, if you ever get around to prying your mouth off Falafel O'LIE-ly's cock, you'll notice that calling Al Franken by the name of the characters he created (and won awards for and became rich from) isn't clever, nor is it much of a putdown. It's just a deranged fucktard flailing about because Franken exposed him as a lying, weasel-dicked douchebag.

So fuck you.

[Pelranius]

Frankly, if Burris does get seated, I can't seeing any of the other senators wanting to do anything with him. He'll become a pariah on Capitol Hill, like Bilbo (I mean Senator Bilbo of Mississippi from the 1930s, that is).

[Bilbo]

In other words: Harry Reid was PWNED!

One more thing: Bilbo, if you ever get around to prying your mouth off Falafel O'LIE-ly's cock, you'll notice that calling Al Franken by the name of the characters he created (and won awards for and became rich from) isn't clever, nor is it much of a putdown. It's just a deranged fucktard flailing about because Franken exposed him as a lying, weasel-dicked douchebag.

So fuck you.

Since I do not off the top of my head do not know who you are talking about cocksucker you can go fuck yourself very much asshole. Get your cock out of your own ass before you embarrass the fuck out of yourself more retard.

[Elfdart]

Aside from Falafel O'LIE-ly and his little cockgoblins, no one refers to Franken as Stuart Smalley as an insult. This is because (a) it's moronic to try to put someone down by bringing up one of the characters he created (it's like referring to George Lucas as Luke Skywalker as an insult) when that character made him rich and famous; and (b) only Falafel Boy or his cockgoblins have this kind of seething grudge against Franken. Why? Because Franken exposed O'LIE-ly as a lying putz and Falafel Boy is a blubbering vagina.

[Phantasee]

Aside from Falafel O'LIE-ly and his little cockgoblins, no one refers to Franken as Stuart Smalley as an insult. This is because (a) it's moronic to try to put someone down by bringing up one of the characters he created (it's like referring to George Lucas as Luke Skywalker as an insult) when that character made him rich and famous; and (b) only Falafel Boy or his cockgoblins have this kind of seething grudge against Franken. Why? Because Franken exposed O'LIE-ly as a lying putz and Falafel Boy is a blubbering vagina.

Elfdart is referring to Bill O'Reilly, Bilbo.

[Knife]

Elfdart is referring to Bill O'Reilly, Bilbo.

And it is really annoying too since his little anagram for Bill O'Reily is so far removed from the actual name, that even when I know who he's talking about, the Falafel bit just makes me do a mental pause as I read it.

[CmdrWilkens]

What is so bad about Franken is the dozens of reports that say the Election Board used inconsistent and biased methods to do the recount which would have invalidated either candidate. Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

Also in typical fashion the recount only needed to be done until Franken had enough votes then BOOM end the recount!!! Are we in Minnesota or Washington?

So lets see, aside from the fact that the 'Election Board" did nothing while the State Canvassing Board (incidentially is happens to be composed of 2 Republican appointees, 1 Independent Appointee, 1 democratically elected representative, and 1 Democratic appointee) made all the decisions. what that board did was:

1) provisionally certify Coleman the winner based on the initial count
2) have a recount requested pursuant to state law
3) ordered a statewide hand recount where each candidate was allowed to freely challenege the ruling of local election judges in regards to the disposition of each ballot
4) accepted the ameneded returns of each county Canvassing Board
5) debated and resolved each of the challenges brought by each candidate
6) accepted amended returns based on absentee ballots rejected for reasons other than those listed in Minnesota statute as per the state Supreme Court
and
7) declared Franken the winner based upon the compelte hand recount of all ballots and ajudication of all challenges by both parties.

There is NO evidence that there was any sort of systematic bias (that bias exists is possible but it only matters if it favors one party of the other) nor was the process terminated prior to the counting of every single valid ballot acording to state law and the rulings of the state Supreme Court. I challenge you to produce evidence of systematic bias or shut the fuck up.

[Patrick Degan]

What is so bad about Franken is the dozens of reports that say the Election Board used inconsistent and biased methods to do the recount which would have invalidated either candidate.

Evidence for this contention right now, if you please.

Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

According to who? His detractors? And compared to who? Franken more embarassing than Rick Santorum or Jim Inhofe? More embarassing than elected GOP politicians who actively deny evolution? More embarssing than that failure of a "president" who, thankfully, will be out of office in just eleven days?

Also in typical fashion the recount only needed to be done until Franken had enough votes then BOOM end the recount!!! Are we in Minnesota or Washington?

Your evidence for this contention. Right now. And by "evidence", we mean something that will actually withstand examination and not the bleatings of whichever propagandist you let do all your thinking for you.

[CmdrWilkens]

Though one does not need to dig very deep to find reasons why a complete moron like Franken would be an embarrassment to any party.

According to who? His detractors? And compared to who? Franken more embarassing than Rick Santorum or Jim Inhofe? More embarassing than elected GOP politicians who actively deny evolution? More embarssing than that failure of a "president" who, thankfully, will be out of office in just eleven days?

You forgot to mention the serving Senators who have been convicted of various felonies and misdemeanors not the least of which being some old fashioned man sex in the bathroom. I think Larry Craig sums up about all one needs to know about the current GOP crop (well him and Ted "tubes" Stevens).

[Tanasinn]

Dig up a sex scandal and get rid of him that way. Or something to that effect.

I highly doubt a man Burris's age doesn't have some outrageous skeletons in his closet, and skeletons are always on sale.

[Bilbo]

Elfdart is referring to Bill O'Reilly, Bilbo.

Thanks. Never watched him. Saw how he liked to mix opinion with fact when reporting the news and how he gets off on abusing his guests and changed the channel. His "no spin zone" is a load of bullshit.

[CmdrWilkens]

Dig up a sex scandal and get rid of him that way. Or something to that effect.

I highly doubt a man Burris's age doesn't have some outrageous skeletons in his closet, and skeletons are always on sale.

Hell you don't even need that. In the same Powell decision that hamstrings the ability of the Senate to refuse seating Burris (though they do currently have a leg to stand on) the Supreme Court held that there is no limitation on the ability of the houses of Congress to expel their members so long as they reach the requisite vote total. In other words, just as with impeachment, the validity and legality of removing someone from political office is SOLELY dependent upon the wishes of the chamber in question regardless of any aciton on the part of the person being acted upon. Obama could be impeached on day one with the charge of waking up so long as a majority of the House votes that way and he would be removed if 2/3rds of the Senate voted for it. Now the likelyhood of that happening is beyond infintessimal but the point is that the legality (or illegality) of the action is immaterial to impeachment and conviction just as legality and illegality are immaterial to removal from the Senate. Right now Reid could be removed if 2/3rds of the Senators voted to expel him.

[Broomstick]

I highly doubt a man Burris's age doesn't have some outrageous skeletons in his closet, and skeletons are always on sale.

From what I caught on TV in passing last night, apparently one of Burris' skeletons is a $1.2 million campaign loan he hasn't paid up on that has somehow disappeared. Hm....

[Pelranius]

I hope Burris enjoys being a pariah in the Senate. It would almost be amusing to watch him scream phony charges about racism and segregation, but he would spitting on the grave of Martin King Luther in doing so.