Rod Blagojevich: in ur senate, sellin ur seats

nexuscrawler

I'm no legal scholar but technically isn't Burris returning since he is in fact finishing Obama's term? He wasn't elected

PantsB

Daedalus wrote: »

that all said, would it really be that hard to get a two-thirds senate vote on this issue?

Given that both McConnel and Reid have said he can't become a Senator it seems unlikely to be that big of a problem, but they don't want it to get that far.

And knowing Reid if it does he'll throw in a repeal of the estate tax to sweeten the deal

Emanon

I bet a dollar that Burris will be seated and that Rod sees no jail time.

DevoutlyApathetic

Right now it sounds like the sane people of the world should be thanking the Illinois Secretary of State. He's refusing to affix his signature to the appointment of Burris which is pretty solid grounds for the Senate telling him to fuck off.

Of course then they talk about swearing Franken in (but not seating him or something) which is just fucking stupid with Burris hanging around.

moniker

Emanon wrote: »

I bet a dollar that Burris will be seated and that Rod sees no jail time.

I'll PM you my address when he's cellmates with Ryan.

Emanon

moniker wrote: »

Emanon wrote: »

I bet a dollar that Burris will be seated and that Rod sees no jail time.

I'll PM you my address when he's cellmates with Ryan.

LOL, you got it! Um, wait... you don't have Paypal??

AngelHedgie

Oh, this just takes the cake:

PantsB

Emanon wrote: »

I bet a dollar that Burris will be seated and that Rod sees no jail time.

x1000 and you got yourself a deal

enderwiggin13

AngelHedgie wrote: »

Oh, this just takes the cake:

I had heard tell of the tomb that Burris is creating for himself where he etches in his accomplishments one by one as he achieves them, but I had not seen it until now....wow. o_O

AngelHedgie

Okay, this makes me laugh:

Bitstream

Hahaha :^:

It's good to see a politically-relevant-joke ad that's actually funny for once.

Tomanta

So the IL House, by a count of 114-1 voted to impeach Blagojevich. Now it gets tossed to the IL Senate.

Not sure who thought Blagojevich should stay in office.

moniker

Tomanta wrote: »

So the IL House, by a count of 114-1 voted to impeach Blagojevich. Now it gets tossed to the IL Senate.

Not sure who thought Blagojevich should stay in office.

Someone who wants to get interviewed a lot.

I wonder if the Senate will manage to resolve this before next Wednesday when the new session starts. Not that it really matters as it'd just mean voting on everything again, only faster, but I wanted him kicked the fuck out 3 weeks ago.

PantsB

If Blagojevich is removed before Burris can appeal and potentially force the Senate to seat him, is the seat still "vacant"?

Can the replacement Governor nominate someone, get the AG to quickly sign it and put him on the first place to DC?

Scooter

I'm picturing a Hollywood-style montage of the new guy sitting on a plane, running out of the airport, getting a taxi, and running up the steps of the capital, while Burris is eating lunch, smelling the roses, and stopping to use the restroom, just to get beat to the empty seat by a fraction of a second.

moniker

PantsB wrote: »

If Blagojevich is removed before Burris can appeal and potentially force the Senate to seat him, is the seat still "vacant"?

Can the replacement Governor nominate someone, get the AG to quickly sign it and put him on the first place to DC?

I'm pretty sure it's unprecedented, so no idea. If he gets impeached prior to Burris being seated that might void the appointment should Quinn so choose (?). In any event I'd like to see him get refused his seat, then have the new Governor simply reappoint him/someone else after scheduling a special election for ASAP.

Ah to be a dreamer.

PantsB

moniker wrote: »

PantsB wrote: »

If Blagojevich is removed before Burris can appeal and potentially force the Senate to seat him, is the seat still "vacant"?

Can the replacement Governor nominate someone, get the AG to quickly sign it and put him on the first place to DC?

I'm pretty sure it's unprecedented, so no idea. If he gets impeached prior to Burris being seated that might void the appointment should Quinn so choose (?). In any event I'd like to see him get refused his seat, then have the new Governor simply [strike]reappoint him[/strike]/someone else after scheduling a special election for ASAP.

Ah to be a dreamer.

Except for the reappoint him part I'm on board, although the alternative is more entertaining.

But Burris shouldn't be a US Senator, his conduct and comportment in this whole fiasco proves that.

nexuscrawler

moniker wrote: »

PantsB wrote: »

If Blagojevich is removed before Burris can appeal and potentially force the Senate to seat him, is the seat still "vacant"?

Can the replacement Governor nominate someone, get the AG to quickly sign it and put him on the first place to DC?

I'm pretty sure it's unprecedented, so no idea. If he gets impeached prior to Burris being seated that might void the appointment should Quinn so choose (?). In any event I'd like to see him get refused his seat, then have the new Governor simply reappoint him/someone else after scheduling a special election for ASAP.

Ah to be a dreamer.

since the SoS hasn't signed off on it yet is the appointment official yet at all?

I could easily going to the SCOTUS if they push it.

Scooter

Apparently there's an argument that it doesn't need his signature, but that raises the question of why then do they even bother.

PantsB

The US Senate is saying the signature is required.
The Illinois officials argue the SoS isn't compelled to sign it and its optional.

The combination allows the legal dispute to be dragged out and take longer.

moniker

PantsB wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

PantsB wrote: »

If Blagojevich is removed before Burris can appeal and potentially force the Senate to seat him, is the seat still "vacant"?

Can the replacement Governor nominate someone, get the AG to quickly sign it and put him on the first place to DC?

I'm pretty sure it's unprecedented, so no idea. If he gets impeached prior to Burris being seated that might void the appointment should Quinn so choose (?). In any event I'd like to see him get refused his seat, then have the new Governor simply [strike]reappoint him[/strike]/someone else after scheduling a special election for ASAP.

Ah to be a dreamer.

Except for the reappoint him part I'm on board, although the alternative is more entertaining.

But Burris shouldn't be a US Senator, his conduct and comportment in this whole fiasco proves that.

Yeah, but if he'd only be there until March then the humour value would be worth it.

Gosling

I think we're past wanting 'humor value' out of our Senate, especially when we don't have seats to spare.

Tach

Scooter wrote: »

I'm picturing a Hollywood-style montage of the new guy sitting on a plane, running out of the airport, getting a taxi, and running up the steps of the capital, while Burris is eating lunch, smelling the roses, and stopping to use the restroom, just to get beat to the empty seat by a fraction of a second.

I'm seeing the sprinting scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off in my head, only through DC and the Capitol Building instead of the suburbs of Chicago.

Aegis

Bagojevich is on CBC (probably CNN) right now talking about all the things in which the Senate is trying to impeach him on. Basically saying how all the programs he's being investigated on as being corrupt with are actually really useful great programs, which long anecdotes, and bringing up Rahm Emmanuel as supporting the creation of a program or two.

Aegis

And he leaves again without taking questions, after quoting some poetry.

Elki

That was amazing.

Aegis

Elki wrote: »

That was amazing.

CNN actually picked up for the moment about how Blagojevich might have purposefully brought up Rahm's name to potentially screw with the democrats/Obama. I hope this doesn't take off.

Savant

Aegis wrote: »

Elki wrote: »

That was amazing.

CNN actually picked up for the moment about how Blagojevich might have purposefully brought up Rahm's name to potentially screw with the democrats/Obama. I hope this doesn't take off.

Most of Blago's actions recently have been at least in part flipping the bird to the dems. Pretty sure he wants to take someone down with him.

AngelHedgie

And things get weirder...

I never require a client to do what I say, but I do require them to at least listen. I intend to withdraw as counsel in this case.

oldmanken

The press conference Blago held the other day was the most absurd thing I have ever seen from a politician.

Gaddez

details?

enlightenedbum

Um, something about him being an old time cowboy and being accused of stealing cattle but really he was with his buddies on the ranch but the state Senate is not letting him call witnesses and so it's really a lynching not a trial...

It got weirder from there.

oldmanken

Part 1:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jPjvSFob0kA

Part 2:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=OD3avrqHf2w

lonelyahava

Oh, those clips are even better from the Rachel Maddow show. When she busted out the popcorn and just kinda chowed down while he was talking about being a cowboy.

oldmanken

Yeah, that was funny as well and it was difficult choice as to which one to link. Ah, what the hell...

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=aR3RMtxrFdw

FyreWulff

Oh god. She looks like a female John Stewart. Pause it at :53.

enlightenedbum

She's smarter and somewhat snarkier than Jon.

seasleepy

There were also some other hilarious quotes from an AP article that came out before the press conference:

Illinois' embattled but defiant governor turned to the history books to describe the emotional strain on him and his family, comparing his arrest last month to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

"Dec. 9 to my family, to us, to me, is what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States," Gov. Rod Blagojevich told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. "It was a complete surprise, completely unexpected. And just like the United States prevailed in that, we'll prevail in this."

AngelHedgie

Well, I think the moral here is that if you're going down in flames, you should enjoy the trip.

lonelyahava

Or at least help others around you enjoy it as well.

Cause let's face it. He's far too much fun.