Jan 7, 2009 8:49am
Senate Deal in Works for Burris
EmailWould-be Sen. Roland Burris of Illinois is expected to meet this morning with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the senior senator from Illinois Democratic Whip Sen. Dick Durbin.
Senate leaders are still hoping to work out that deal that I first reported on on Monday.
The deal is that they would find a way to seat Mr. Burris if he agrees not to run for reelection in 2010. They’re concerned that he couldn’t win that race for the Democrats.
The Lt. Gov. of Illinois is also signaling that he could go along with that deal.
If Burris agrees to that, I think he could get seated in the U.S. Senate.
But so far, Burris not giving an inch. No sign yet that he would accept the terms.
–George Stephanopoulos
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
Stop the bleeding.
Seat Burris.
Posted by: USmarine0331 | January 7, 2009, 9:17 am 9:17 am
Isn’t that blackmail? And isn’t that a form of pay-to-play and, therefore, illegal? Why should Burris agree to those terms, when he is the legal appointed Senator?
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 7, 2009, 9:22 am 9:22 am
Isn’t that blackmail? And isn’t that a form of pay-to-play and, therefore, illegal? Why should Burris agree to those terms, when he is the legal appointed Senator?
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 7, 2009, 9:22 am 9:22 am
why did my comment post twice?
Posted by: ellsbells930 | January 7, 2009, 9:23 am 9:23 am
Cmon George!
What are you? The official mouthpiece for Team Obama??!!
What bunch of softballs you keep throwing around……my daughter could use you on her softball team…..
Try and pretend to be a journalist and ask some the REAL questions out there!
Posted by: opedanderson | January 7, 2009, 9:24 am 9:24 am
Burris should tell Reid, et al to stuff it. Until he is no longer Govenor, Blago has the legal right to name Obama’s successor. Burris did nothing wrong in accepting the post. He did not buy it or make any promises. The Sec of State of Ill should immediately issue the certificate. If not, the courts will order him to do so. Burris can be seated without these conditions but it may just take a bit longer.
Posted by: beto | January 7, 2009, 9:31 am 9:31 am
HA HA Most Democrats don’t want him but BLACKS are taking over the Democrat party and their hands are tied by the RACE CARD>
Democrats created this mess with the BLACKS trying to get them to vote for them in blocks. No other race is a problem like the BLACKS thanks to Democrats. Now they are getting it in the end.
Posted by: grizzly bare | January 7, 2009, 9:55 am 9:55 am
The Dems really dropped the ball on this one the fact is he was appointed by the Gov of Illinois, who has not been convicted of any wrong doing, he has not been indicted of anything, it’s all accusations to date, the law is clear on this, it amazes me that there are so many Lawyers in the Senate and they could be so clueless where this is concerned, this should have been a non issue from the beginning. If they don’t seat him then any legislation, or appointments or Government business that has been done by Blago since he was named in this scam would be null and void, they cannot have it both ways. The Dems dropped the ball in 2008 and they are starting out 2009 doing the same thing. I can’t believe that I voted with this party across the board for the past 21 years. Thank God I’ve seen the light.
Posted by: kim | January 7, 2009, 10:07 am 10:07 am
He should not accept those terms, he was appointed by a sitting Governor why in the world should he agree to something like this. This has to be illegal, what the heck is wrong with the Dems these days? they have lost their collective minds. This party has become a joke already in 2009, they are heading down the same path that the Repubs did with all these scandals and illegal actions. When will the people call them on this, this is straight up and down illegal what they are doing to this man and then the mess in New York with Kennedy trying to forge her way into Hillary’s seat. I have a feeling four years from now we will be just as fed up with them as we are with the Repubs todaly. Goodness Gracious!!
Posted by: karen | January 7, 2009, 10:12 am 10:12 am
LMAO AT THE DUMOCRATS, Scandals everywhere
Harry Reid “the george wallace of the dumocrat party”
Posted by: MSN exposed | January 7, 2009, 10:15 am 10:15 am
What is a “dumocrat?”
Posted by: Silky | January 7, 2009, 11:18 am 11:18 am
What is a “dumocrat?”
Oh I figured it out. Its a Kennedy and an Obama when they have a Inbred baby together
Posted by: Silky | January 7, 2009, 11:44 am 11:44 am
I can give you over $700,000 reasons why Burris wants this senate seat. Thats how much Burris lobbying firm gave to Blago. PAY TO PLAY now gets you a senate seat.
Posted by: dumbocrat | January 7, 2009, 11:48 am 11:48 am
The world feared United States under President Bush. Now with the Democrats we are now a laughing stock of the world
Posted by: dumbocrat | January 7, 2009, 11:49 am 11:49 am
If i lived in America I would be embarrassed to Be an American after this mess
Posted by: muslow | January 7, 2009, 11:53 am 11:53 am
Heck I live in America and am ashamed to call my self an American after watching Democrats destroy our free Government
Posted by: EX DEMO | January 7, 2009, 11:55 am 11:55 am
Anybody would be better than the Scum Bum who use to hold the Senate seat who was Obama.
Posted by: Dog Luv | January 7, 2009, 11:57 am 11:57 am
“Oh I figured it out. Its a Kennedy and an Obama when they have a Inbred baby together”
There is a comma after “Oh.” “Its” should be “It’s.” It should be “an inbred baby,” not “a Inbred baby.” There should be a period after “together.” And, unless the Obamas are related to the Kennedys by blood, they cannot have an inbred baby. Nice work. And don’t post using other people’s name…it’s pathetic.
Posted by: Silky | January 7, 2009, 12:21 pm 12:21 pm
“The world feared United States under President Bush.”
Only in the same way somebody on the road fears a drunk driver when they see the car coming at them swerving wildly.
“Now with the Democrats we are now a laughing stock of the world”
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. “The world” has responded to the Obama win with nearly unanimous resounding applause.
Posted by: Silky | January 7, 2009, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
LOL… More wheelin & Dealin…
At first every Democrat in the Senate & Obama were saying NO, now they agree to seat him, but over in the corner at the liddies table !
LOL, you just gotta love it.
And for all you people who have bashing Bush… THIS IS WHY CONGRESSES APPROVAL RATINGS HAVE BEEN WORSE THAN BUSH’S !!!
Nice to know Harry Reid now controls Illinois politics!
LOL….and Obama actually thinks that Pelosi & Reid are going to let him run the country!
Posted by: Mike_C | January 7, 2009, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
The Democrat’s are Republican’s too. It is only about the politics, not about whats right.
I imagine they will work a deal under the covers with Blago as well as long as he agrees to play their game.
This is what you get when demographics and politicians run the government. Dirty, corrupt, government that sells themselves and the country for for two bits.
Posted by: wmb | January 7, 2009, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm
I fail to see what Burris running in 2010 has to do with Burris being seated right now. It seems that the Democratic leaders would want the person taking the seat to be prepared to run in 2010. Wouldn’t they have a hand up on the competition after serving the people of Illinois for two years. Whether or not he returns to the Senate in 2010 should be up to the people of the State. The promise not to run in 2010 is absurd and downright un-American —— when Burris is being legally appointed! Shame on them! This sideshow is taking away from the work they should be doing…work on the economy, etc.
Posted by: Katrina | January 7, 2009, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
Blago, Bobby Rush and Roland Burris are going to pass Harry Reid around like a pack of smokes.
Posted by: Obamatronix | January 7, 2009, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
EX DEMO—if you are so ashamed to be an American there are many options available: Scandinavian countires (longer life-expectancy), Canada or any of the European democracies. it sounds like you don’t have democratic tendencies, so maybe N. Korea or Iran.
Burris needs to be seated. and without stipulations. he was legally appointed by the governor.
Posted by: Paul Wall | January 9, 2009, 4:57 pm 4:57 pm
Katrina—i agree with you. “strings-attached” would be illegal. from what i’ve heard from and about Burris he is an ideal person to represent Illinois in the US Senate. he may very well be elected in 2010. either way, as you implied, there are primaries and if Illinois democrats vote for someone other than Burris that would be the people’s prerogative.
Posted by: Paul Wall | January 9, 2009, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
grizzly bare—African-Americans are hardly a problem to the Democratic Party. the problem is with the Republican Party and its blatant racism. the party which represents pluralism, equal rights and equal protection has, for decades, is the Democratic Party. your racism is on the decline. all ethnicities have a place in the Democratic Party. during the election which party was (proudly, at times): racist, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-intellectual? the majority of Americans do not share your racist feelings for our nation.
Posted by: Paul Wall | January 9, 2009, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
The Illinois Supreme Court has denied the writ of mandamus application from Burris to force the Illinois secretary of state to certify his appointment. This means that Burris will not have the signature from the Illinois secretary of state to comply with the U.S. Senate rule that the governor and the secretary of state from his state certify his appointment. The Democrats can still chose to seat him, but they can also refuse to seat him on a technicality. The appointment of Burris might be valid under Illinois law, but it does not meet the Senate rule.
Posted by: tony | January 9, 2009, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
tony—thanks for the explanation. after reading your post i think the Senate should seat Burris soon. i hope they do. and i don’t understand why the secretary of state did not sign it. it’s a legal appointment. i understand his disrespect for Blagojevich (which everyone shares), but for him not to sign due to personal feelings is not too cool.
Posted by: Paul Wall | January 9, 2009, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
Dog Luv: You said it right. Didn’t Obama give Acorn $75,000 to make sure he got the votes. And I can take bets that Pelosi, Dean and Reid made deals with the superdelegetes to switch their vote to Obama making sure Hillary didn’t get the nomination. Now if that isn’t corrupt I don’t know what is. And Dean gave Obama half of Hillary’s votes from FL and MI cutting Hillary’s throat. What happened to Jesse Jackson, Jr. Is he in hiding after he snitched and how about that woman named Davis. I do not like snitcher’s. And Davis is so proud of what she did. The high court stated today that Burris didn’t need White’s signature and his paperwork is valid therefore the senate has to seat him.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 9, 2009, 8:17 pm 8:17 pm
Paul Wall: I read on the internet that the high court said that Burris didn’t need White’s signature and his paperwork from the governor is valid. Therefore the Reid has to seat him. They should have done that in the beginning and also Blago has not been convicted of any crime yet so there was no need to impeach him so soon. If he is found guilty then they should start impeachment procedings. Quinn wants to be the governor and Lisa Madigan wants to run for governor. The democrats are really a joke this year.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 9, 2009, 8:23 pm 8:23 pm
obamatronix: Right on. I agree. And Burris should not accept any deals from the democrats like Reid and Durbin. They both need to step down and let someone that is not racial take their place. I feel that Reid is a racist. The only reason they wanted Obama to win, not because he is half black, but they do not like the Clinton’s and neither does Pelosi, Dean, Kennedy, Kerry, Richardson (he’s corrupt)and all of Clinton’s administration now working for Obama. I can take bets that Obama approached them making deals with them that he would give them a job in his administration if they voted for him. He is also corrupt but he hasn’t been found out yet. The public has now been duped by Obama and the worst is yet to come.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 9, 2009, 8:29 pm 8:29 pm
beto: You are so right. I think White is mad because he was not chosen. Durbin wants to wait until the governor is removed so Quinn can take over and have a special election dumping Burris. Reid, Quinn and Durbin are all racist. They think they are above the supreme court. Burris should file a lawsuit against the senate because his appointment has nothing to do with the actions of the governor who has not been convicted in court yet.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 12, 2009, 10:23 am 10:23 am
tony: The senate rule is not above the supreme court. Burris certificate from the governor is valid making him to be seated as senator. Feinstein wants him seated and disagreed with Durbin and Reid. Durbin wants to wait until the governor is removed and quinn takes over to have a special election. Durbin and Reid are both racists and probably want Madigan in the senate. Her and her father are a pain in politics. I hope Burris files that lawsuit and wins the case.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 12, 2009, 10:27 am 10:27 am
kim: You are so right. I did not vote for Obama and he changed his tune when he said he knew Burris for years and the senate to act quickly on seating him. Durbin and Reid are the problems because they are racists and no doubt want a special election. It has nothing to do with the governor’s problems, it has to do with Burris being black. They don’t want another black in that seat although Obama is only half black. Don’t think Reid and Durbin like Obama, they endorsed Obama to knock Hillary out of the race because they didn’t want the Clinton’s back in the white house again. This is a race issue and Jesse White is afraid if he doesn’t go along with them he won’t get re-elected. He should do was is right not what is wrong.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 12, 2009, 10:35 am 10:35 am
dumbocrat: Burris didn’t ask for that seat, it was offered to him. What have you been reading. There were numerous firms giving donations to Obama’s campaign and lobbyists also. We all know how Obama got the nomination. Dean, Durbin, Reid, Pelosi are corrupt and you have to be smart to figure it out. I can take bets on it they all went to the superdelegates and made deals with them to switch their vote to Obama because Pelosi didn’t want Hillary to become president. She wants the power. I am glad I voted republican even if McCain lost. Its time for the public to wake up and find out that the democrats duped them. And the economy is going to get worse not better because Obama cannot change it. We need another Bill Clinton in the white house to balance the deficit which Obama will never be able to do. Get a grip and smell the coffee.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | January 12, 2009, 10:44 am 10:44 am