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Seating the Senate
Jan 05, 2009
Tomorrow (Tuesday) could be interesting in seating the senate as it seems two people may not be seated. Al Franken, who appears to have won the seat in Minnesota, and Roland Burris in Illinois, the pick of the castigated Gov of Illinois. Oy vey, what is the Midwest doing?!
I don't have a lot of new ground to cover on either of these but there is one aspect of the Burris appointment which I find interesting but have not heard mentioned. I will interrupt myself to say that regardless of that innocent until proven guilty wording in our laws, I think it has to be assumed Blagojevich is guilty, the tape is too hard to ignore.
Anyhow, Burris is by all accounts a stand up guy and it is worth noting he is a solid African American appointee filling the shoes vacated by another African American. It is a point I don't think was lost on Blag...he's sleazy but he's smart. So it will be difficult for them not to seat him and really test the legality of what they are doing. They certainly can't make the case he is unfit.
But the part I think is most interesting was the beginning of the press conference when Blag explained why he is making a pick. "The people of Illinois are entitled to have two United States senators represent them in Washington DC. As governor I am required to make this appointment. If I don't make this appointment then the people of Illinois will be deprived of their appropriate voice and vote in the United States Senate. Therefore I am here to announce my intention to appoint an individual..."
Frankly, he is doing what he is required to do. What caught me though is that the residents of Washington DC have to be more than slightly irked by these proceedings. A soon-to-be criminal is making the appointment of a representative for his constituents when the people of Washington do not have that representation.
It's all by the book, I am not saying it's shady or illegal. But how pissed must the people of DC be to pay the same taxes as residents of Illinois but not have any seats in the senate and hear this smug, crooked, a-hole give the finger to his detractors and make an appointment and then say he is being 'lynched' on the way out the door. I just find it interesting.
Yeah, it is a district but they have one representative (I believe to the House) who is more of a lobbyist than a senator. I don't think congress as a whole represents them any more as they represent any one of us. A senator from ND isn't going to support coastal defense for me just because he wants to keep me happy and represent me. He may support it for his own reasons but not for me...assuming I support that, it just seemed like a decent enough example.
DC isn't a state and the Constitution doesn't give them the right to have representation. There have been a lot of pushes to get them that right and this little maneuver by Blag just brought to mind that it is kind of unfair that they get the joy of taxes without the joy of representation.
I see your point. DC is just one ugly animal. No representation, can't vote in most federal elections but is still governored with the same federal laws. Supposedly needs to be neutral due to potential partisan issues. I could see that when communication wasn't as convenient as it is today. Isn't it potentially unconstitutional to tax DC since they have no true representation? I mean the one rep can't even vote.
In the end I am not sure I understand the urgency behind Burris wanting to be named. Why let Blago elect you if you know it's going to result in the Senate blocking your path.
"6. That elections of members to serve as representatives of the people, in assembly, ought to be free; and that all men, having sufficient evidence of permanent common interest with, and attachment to, the community, have the right of suffrage, and cannot be taxed or deprived of their property for publick uses without their own consent, or that of their representatives so elected, nor bound by any law to which they have not, in like manner, assented, for the publick good."
Virginia Bill of Rights, June, 1776
Washington DC has been "Governed Without Consent" since 1801
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I'm not sure I understand your argument with regards to the citizens of DC. If I understand everything DC isn't truly a state, but just a federal district. basically Congress as a whole is their representation.
What's a shame is some newspapers keep trying to inject some racial overtones into the conversation when they discuss Burris walking onto the senate floor to be sworn in.
Jesse White refused to sign his certification so it's legality is still questionable. Regardless Burris seems like a decent individual who is unfortunately caught in the political web of a very corrupt governor.