It finally looks like Roland Burris will be seated in the US Senate.
Three cheers for common sense.
Of course I did have the pleasure of watching the Democrat Senate hem and haw as they decided what to do with the ‘tainted’ appointee. Getting to see Harry Reid make an ass out of himself by threatening to physically bar the junior Senator from the Senate chamber was particularly amusing. Then all the madness with signatures from the Secretary of State, an ancient ritual that was required in an age before telephones, was the icing on the cake.
What the Democrats fail to see (and they are not alone in this) is that Roland Burris has done nothing wrong. Blagojevich was definitely thinking on his toes this time. Burris is so clean it is practically criminal. The funny thing is that something similar to this happened in recent history.
This whole affair reminds me of the scandal-ridden transition of leadership in the House of Representatives in 1998. Robert Livingston, the new Speaker, was exposed by Hustler magazine as being involved in an extra-marital affair. This might not have meant much on its own, except Livingston was particularly blunt in his criticism of President Clinton’s illicit liaison with Monica Lewinsky. In an attempt to quell any unrest over immorality in the party the Republicans hunted down the squeaky clean, albeit inexperienced, Dennis Hastert and put him behind the podium.
Once again we have the old shell game. To take attention away from (supposed) impropriety an all too perfect distraction is found. In 1998 it was Hastert, ten years later it is Burris.
It is something of a shame, though, that Roland Burris has been subjected to all this harassment. The man has an excellent record of service on the state level and is a successful lawyer and business owner.
