Jan 06 2009
Senate refuses to see Burris
Former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris went to Capitol Hill today thinking that he was going to be the next Illinois senator. However, after a confrontation with Sgt. at arms and fellow Illinoisan Terrance Gainer, Burris was escorted to the office of the Sec. of the Senate where his credentials as a senator-elect were denied.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, otherwise known as Springfield, Illinois, steps are being taken to impeach the governor of Illinois that appointed Burris to the Senate seat. Speculation runs high in the state of Illinois that the governor, Rod Blagojevich, will be removed by office no later than February 4. Some Illinois lawmakers have offered statements assuring the public that the governor will be out of office before Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday on February 12.
Regardless of what happened in Illinois, now that Burris has made the attempt to be sworn in as senator, it is clear that there will be a long court battle in both the federal and state courts regarding his appointment to the position. Sadly, the coming court battle signifies more clearly than ever that the governor had no intention of doing what was in the best interest of the state of Illinois. When he appointed Burris to the seat, the governor said that he was doing so because Illinois had a right to be represented by two Senators for the full term of the Congress.
Clearly because of the actions of the governor, the state of Illinois will be without a junior senator for the foreseeable future. Many Illinois lawmakers have suggested that if the governor is removed from office, legislation will be passed calling for a special election to replace the junior senator. However, until the governor is removed from office, passing such legislation is pointless as it would require the governor’s signature to become law.
For the political junkie in me, this is all very interesting. It becomes a question of constitutional law versus what is right. Under the United States Constitution, when a senator cannot complete his term of office it falls on state rules to determine how this senator is replaced. Under the Illinois Constitution, the sole duty of replacing a senator for the remainder of their term falls to the governor.
So legally, Blagojevich had the right to appoint Burris to the Senate position. However, morally, his right seems circumspect. The governor stands accused of trying to use his position and ability to appoint a new senator for his personal gain. The people of Illinois and the Senators of the United States Congress are insulted by his actions and believe that he should not be allowed to hide behind the law.
What ends up happening, then, is that the people of Illinois suffer. Roland Burris likely would have made a good senator, but his service is tainted because of the way he was appointed. In his vanity and folly, the governor has managed to make sure that the state doesn’t have a junior senator for the foreseeable future and has managed to eliminate a good man as a potential candidate for the position.
