I ought to get some props for calling this as early as I did. As Zachary Roth notes, Roland Burris is now under investigation on multiple fronts (including whether he perjured himself), and both the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post have demanded that he resign.
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Any sensible person would come to the same conclusion as you did, Dan. A crook is a crook is a crook…Dem or Republican.However, since sensibility is not a requirement for posting on this blog, O-Fish’s statement that Burris “will remain untouchable in the Senate at least for the remainder of his current term” should still be taken seriously. Because, as we all know, Democrats are willing to let African-Americans (especially if they’re gay) get away with anything for fear of being “outed” as insensitive or racist. That’s why we were all forced to vote for Obama even though a white guy would have made a much better president.
I’m in favor of speech that militates against group think. Community is not unanimity of opinion, and egalitarian communities have their advantages. I can understand, though, that someone else’s blog may not realistically be such a place.I have a hard time believing that Burris’s race and Gillibrand’s gender were not factors in their selection as senators. Of course, that is not to say that either factor is relevant to their respective strengths and weaknesses as people, professionals, or politicians, just that these factors were probably taken into account by the governors in their selection process, whether that is considered manipulative, brilliant, wrong, or a sad reflection of our society.
Ani, thank you, thank you, thank you. You have summed it up far better than I, and without the stigma of being a Republican on a Democrat site, perhaps you will not be asked to elevate your game.
Fish, I suspect I’ll just be ignored.
Ani,I don’t think that anyone here is calling for this blog to reject opposing views. I’ve been reading and posting for about 7 months and honestly don’t see “groupthink” at all. It would be quite a dull place if that were the case.Your posts seem to be thoughtful and, I think, taken seriously and not “ignored.”I have no problem with opposing views. Rush Limbaugh, for example, is dead-on in his exposure of hypocrisy on the Left. However,predictable screeds harping on the same issues over and over (from either side of the political spectrum) certainly don’t create “community” in my experience. As far as Burris and Gillibrand, I agree that their race, gender were taken into account. Sarah Palin was almost solely chosen for her gender (plus a few other go-to hot buttons). It’s part of politics and, despite Fish’s rant about blacks, gays, Democrats, etc. both parties are guilty of it.
This country is too important to the ordinary, honest, hardworking, devoted citizen to have a sleaze like Roland Burris out on the loose. He should be in federal prison as soon as his speedy trial is completed. We should have a society, and in particular a congress, that respects the highest values, ethics and morals, either by their own conviction or by the consequences of loss of freedom, but in no way should sleazes like Roland Burris or the former Senator Stevens ever be allowed, even by mistake, to walk and sit in what should be one of the most honorable chambers of this country.Letting Roland Burris linger on is an injustice to every law abiding citizen in this country, and fortunately I think there are still a few honest people left.And this useless twaddle of Democrat or Republican, White or Black or Indian. Big deal. What’s wrong with being Black in Chicago? He was elected the state’s attorney general. Does anyone know if I am White or Black? Of course not. But, there again, I’m not in the Senate either as far as anyone here knows, or cares.We’re a grown up, mature country now, and most of the people who are Black or American Indian have had the same equal opportunities as anyone else. Roland Burris has not been deprived of an education or holding high office. He is the sleaze that has failed us, and the trust and friendship, maybe partly for political reasons, by Senator Reid.
Whow News Hound… a lot of Illinois Reps would be out the door with your rules……wait until we hear Rahm, Valarie, David, Tom Balanoff and the rest of the team on those tapes. No one gives away bleeping valuable things in this state without something in return.Rezko is talking and soon all will be known.
Recall Arenda Troutman’s words about Illinois Pols… she just got a four year sentence today…In another infamous quote that was caught on tape and later drew scorn from council colleagues, Troutman compared politics in Chicago to prostitution. “Most aldermen, most politicians are hos,” she said. The lady knows. Don’t believe the others telling you they were virgins in the whorehouse we call Chicago Politics.
Tunder,I dunno, I feel plenty ignored on the libel issue, among others.As for predictable screeds, Cato is said to have begun (or is it ended?) all his speeches in the senate with something like, “Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse.” (However I think Carthage must be destroyed.) I’m happy to look past the boilerplate if there’s something real there beyond it. I think we don’t see our own boilerplate as such, hence my characterization of group think.
Gee, Dan, have you lost your capacity for wistfulness so quickly? It was only three weeks ago that you and Jon Keller were wondering if civilization would survive if we kept holding politicians like Sal Dimasi accountable. And now it’s “good riddance”. Why the about face–it’s like day and night, or something.
They should have stuck with the special election like Durbin wanted in the beginning and this problem would not have existed.
So what’s on those tapes? If it’s incriminating, he goes. If the conversations are vague he stays and a primary opponent turns up, forthwith.