That Crazy Senate

Roland Burris got rejected on a technicality by the Secretary of the U.S. Senate yesterday, the opening card in what could be a high stakes PR poker game for Democrats – particularly if one of the cards that gets played is the dreaded “race card.”

Burris, appointed by scandal-plagued Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s unexpired term last week, was dissed by Senate Secretary Nancy Erickson because Illinois Secretary of State Jess White refused to sign off on his certificate of appointment.

Seriously, people. Is this elementary school? Do both parents have to sign off on the homework now?

Love Blagojevich or hate him – and it appears that most people (rightly) hate him – it’s tough to argue that this isn’t a legal appointment.

Blagojevich is governor, and even if he’s the scum of the earth and tried to sell the office to the highest bidder, the law says he has the authority to make the appointment.

The Illinois legislature had the chance to stop all of this and and impeach Blago before he made his move, but they declined to do so. That should be game over.

Plus, Blagojevich couldn’t have made a savvier pick, as we’ve noted previously.

There’s really no way to tie Burris to any of the drama surrounding his administration, and by appointing him Blagojevich pisses off all the right people.

Anyway, returning to the race card, we sincerely hope it doesn’t get played here.

Race has nothing to do with this, and blacks shouldn’t be mad if Burris (who would follow Obama as the only black man in the U.S. Senate) doesn’t get seated after a legitimate debate.

Blacks might have cause for complaint, though, if Burris is simply dismissed on a technicality, which appears to be the Dems PR strategy at the moment.

That’s a bad move.

In addition to bad imagery, it avoids a debate on the merits of the man as well as the law governing his appointment.

From everything we can tell, both of those arguments would go to Burris.

Interestingly enough, we’ve had a few Republican friends complain in recent days that we should be busy stoking the partisan fires for a special election to fill this seat, which the GOP is confident they can win.

Whatever.

Republicans had their chance to lead … and they completely blew it by abandoning the principles their party was founded on.

At least when the Democrats grow government at obscene levels, they come by it honestly.

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