Category: Blagojevich

Political snapshots

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• Former President George W. Bush starts a 2009 speaking tour next month that will take him to several foreign nations. He’s now listed with the Washington Speakers Bureau and, to date, has ten speeches scheduled. I can’t help wondering who would actually pay good money to hear him speak. Public speaker he is not. Never was. Never will be.

• Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the GOP’s 2008 vice presidential candidate, appears in a just-released documentary about how the news media sought to destroy her. Speaking as only she can, the governor says, “This is for the sake of our democracy that there is fairness in this other branch of government, if you will, called the media.” Reports on MSNBC today noted the governer includes “Saturday Night Live,” “The Daily Show,” and “The Colbert Report” among the news media she is criticizing. Methinks the governor had better develop a thicker skin if she wants to play with the big boys on the national political stage.

• Illinois Senator Roland Burris, appointed by impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill Barack Obama’s vacated seat, has come under increasingly heavy fire for being … umm … less than forthcoming about his dealings with the governor’s office just prior to his appointment. Okay, Senator, you’ve been in Washington a couple of weeks now. You’ve earned the addition of “U.S. Senator” to that list of achievements on your monument. Now go home. Just go.

Defiant Blagojevich booted from Illinois politics

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Blagojevich

By a vote of  59-0, the Illinois Senate just convicted and removed Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office. Blagojevich is only the 8th governor in U.S. history to be impeached and removed from office. Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn will replace the ousted governor.

I wish I could believe this marks the end of Blago’s stranglehold on U.S. media, but I suspect it just means another round of appearances, this time to protest his conviction.

In addition, the Illinois Senate voted a “political death sentence,” passing a motion prohibiting Blagojevich from ever again holding elective office in the state.

Looks like the Maytag man is no longer the loneliest man in the world.

Burris sworn in and Blagojevich wins again

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Roland Burris was just sworn into the U.S. Senate by Vice President Dick Cheney, assuming the Illinois junior senator seat vacated by now President-elect Barack Obama.

Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, impeached in two different votes by his state legislature, appointed Burris and initially no one wanted him seated in the Senate. Tainted by Blago and all that.

However, much to Burris’s credit, he kept his head up, did everything by the book, and ultimately prevailed. Congratulations, Senator Burris.

Meantime, back in Illinois, one of the loneliest men in the world is getting one last laugh as his latest political move succeeds. Enjoy it while you can, Governor. Word is you won’t be around much longer.

Burris turned away but undeterred

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Roland Burris

The 111th Congress convened today in Washington, and Roland Burris, the Democratic senate appointee of indicted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, was turned away because his papers “were not in order.”

He is expected to meet with Majority Leader Harry Reid tomorrow and that may or may not turn out as he’d like. Analysts are saying Reid may make a deal that he’ll seat Burris if Burris promises to serve only the two years remaining in the term and not run for re-election in 2010. Others are suggesting the plan is to drag the whole thing out until the Illinois political machine finds a way to get Blagojevich out of office, thus invalidating Burris’s appointment.

It’s an interesting story to follow. Burris is a super ambitious political hack who failed in his last five attempts to win higher elective office in Illinois. The fact that Blagojevich appointed him does nothing for his reputation, and he seems not to realize he’s just a black pawn in Blago’s twisted game.

On the other hand, despite the stench surrounding his nomination, Burris does not appear to be guilty of anything worse than political tone deafness, and Blago, as long as he remains governor, has the authority to appoint someone to the empty senate seat.

 

To ensure his place in Illinois history, Burris has already erected a monument/tombstone/mausoleum for himself.

Burris lists his achievements on his tombstone/monument, lest history forget. Rumor has it that “humility” is not among them.