With a new president and enlarged majorities in both houses of Congress, Democrats should be aglow on the national stage. Instead they're stuck in the muck of Chicago politics.
The latest mud ball the vainglorious Gov. Rod Blagojevich has thrown at his fellow Democrats was to make a U.S. Senate appointment, despite facing charges he tried to sell the seat, and being urged not to by the U.S. Senate. The problem is the appointee is Roland Burris, 71, a highly respected African-American public servant.
Were it not for the man who appointed him, Burris would be hailed as a great choice. This is what is so embarrassing to Democrats. Will they really block a competent black man from taking a Senate seat? And would it stand up in court?
It is an awful conundrum that Democrats brought on themselves when the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature voted not to fill the seat in an open election - for fear they would lose it to a Republican.
Comments
Chicago is one of the nastiest spots in the Democrat party and the Chicago machine is truly ugly when light shines on it. It also gave us our present president, so among other things, it's very efficient. The Dems will juggle the embarrassment until it's out of the headlines and then will just "move on". This is a non-story for this party and America doesn't seem to care.
Granted the Chicago machine is truly ugly when light shines on it, but let us not forget that the Chicago "machine" stays in power - not because of the Democrats - but because of the citizens of Cook County. It may well be true that as Chicago goes, so goes the State of Illinois, but the voters are not all stupid nor blind. They simply follow the perceived strongest party/individual running for a particular office. Give them a good, strong Republican (if there are any) to follow, and perhaps you'd see a change there. Let's face it, no political machine can face the bright light. In spite of Chicago's reputation as a center of rotten eggs, they still manage to do a great deal of good for their citizens. We here in our area can't even begin to offer what their citizens often take for granted. The political affiliation simply does not matter. They are who they are because they choose to be. You don't see a mass exodus of citizens to get away from Chicago. If my blood was thicker, or the winters a bit warmer, I'd live there - just for the benefits of the ordinary folks, regardless of political affiliation. The woes of the nation do not rest on Chicago. IMHO
And how many Republicans are honest? Craig? Well, how bout Foley....ok...New Gingrich....Rush? Two caught in homosexual scandals, one who philandered while trying to get Clinton, and a dope head. Hmmmm...and the list can go on and on for the past 8 tears. It has nothing to do with political party, it has to do with INTEGRITY...something that the Republican party lost prior to 2000.
Yes GaC, we've heard you list of two Repubs embarrassed by the press. Way to stay on subject. Happy New Year.
Illinois previously had a republican governor (George Ryan) before Blago and he is currently sitting in prison..
There were 4, pt. obviously, like the rest of the Repub party, you can't count. McCain also said the fundamentals of the economy were sound..... Happy New Year to you, too!
Just out of curiosity, what did Craig do that was illegal?
He was caught by a cop in an airport bathroom making gay advances. He pleaded guilty.
Craig's charge was lewd conduct, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
When did it become illegal to solicit sex? Not for money mind you......again....just curious. It's not illegal to pick up women at a bar....why is it illegal to pick up guys. Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
I know this may be off subject but isn't the PEBO an admitted crack user? Wasn't our last Dem President an admitted pot user? Wasn't he accused of rape? Wouldn't That constitute lewd behavior? Wasn't he impeached? We can do this all day. The current situation with the Illinois governor and Chicago is really exposing the seamy side of politics.
I guess neither can get their facts straight-hee,hee, no pun intended. I told you they all are a bunch of crooks and vote for anyone other than a Dem or Rep. Time to shake things up.
GaC, there were two. Neither guilty of a crime, just embarrassed about being gay. Newt has been out of office for many years and Rush never was in office. I can count, you don't seem to be able to stay on subject.
teharper, check out Ryan's bio. He was barely a RINO. Pure Dem in human clothing. He was totally hooked into the Chicago machine. The big joke when he was running for office was that he was running as a Repub.
hamersham makes a good point. It is fine for officials to be corrupt as long as they are taking care of the people. Integrity be damned.
Too many crooks in political office. Ted Kennedy should just now be getting out of prison, and whoever said the justice was blind was himself blind.
calling mr. burris a mudball seems a bit racist, don't you think? why couldn't he have been a snowball and make a "chance in he##" analogy? or am i just being overly sensitive? LOL
does this mean there is no black caucus in the senate? BTW how many does it take to make a caucus? I really wonder what it takes to be qualified for the Senate or Congress or President or any of the other political posts?
The motto "Land of Lincoln" on Illinois license plates has been scrapped. The new motto is "Where governors make our license plates".
No there's no black caucus in the Senate there was only one black senator and it was Obama.
Why does the AC feel it necessary to point fingers at corrupt policians in Chicago when Augusta Richmond County has a combination of corrupt and incapable politicians at every level and in every commission or committee? For a while, seems the feds and Georgia had to build extra prisons for our area's corrupt, thieving politicians. ARC may be at a point of turning things around but until we do, our newspaper should quietly let corruption in other communities be their problem, not ours.
gcap, the Chicago machine is in the national news and editorials relate to whatever is in the headlines, locally or nationally. A U.S. senator is everyone's business.
This is what happens when you vote for a Serbian!!
perhaps you mean burris, justus4? funny that you would observe only DEMOCRATS as benefiting from his service; do you mean to infer that non-dems won't benefit?
That's exactly what he means, bone.
I think Blago was an egotistical boob, whether he is a Republican or Democrat, an [filtered word] is an [filtered word] no mater what he wears or what political party he is in. Just another idiot with really bad har.
Justus4.....Blago has the legal authority to appoint the senator....but who is trying the hardest to block the appointment? The democrats are. The democrats are notorious for ignoring the rule of law when they think they are doing the right thing. Remember Elian Gonzalas?
It is interesting to note that Blago is within his legal rights. It is a pretty "smart" move on his part because the hoopla over the appointment seems to have watered down his part in trying to sell the seat in the first place. This will prove interesting!
GAC, with that guy(?) Barny Frank as the leading Congressional homo, "Cold Cash" Jefferson under indictment, B J Cliton runing the WH as a bordello and a convicted liar, Blogo trying to sell a Senate seat, I wouldn't be throwing stones at any Republicans. At least we get rid of them.
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