Posted by
Juliana Johnson on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 12:15:31 PM
Is Rod Blagojevich an idiot or an idiot savant?
That is not a
trick question. It turns out he is mostly an idiot. But Blagojevich's
selection of Roland Burris to fill the Obama senate seat was a shrewd
tactical move legally and politically.
Arrested for allegedly
conspiring to sell the seat to the highest bidder, Blagojevich's
lawyers can now argue he did nothing of the sort by pointing to who he
actually appointed.
Burris is the rarest of all Chicago
Democrats (his Centralia, IL roots notwithstanding): one who is
heretofore untainted by scandal. That in itself is an accomplishment
for any four-time statewide office holder in Illinois.
Politically, Burris is a twofer as was telegraphed at the announcement by an almost giggly Blagojevich.
One,
presenting Burris provided the Governor with the platform to give those
in his party allied against him and against a special
election--Democrat leaders in the Illinois House and U.S. Senate--the
old one-finger salute. Like the citizens of Illinois, I wanted a
special election, said Blagojevich, but since the General Assembly
failed to act, I had to make this appointment.
Two, as an
African-American, Burris brings significant political pressure to bear
on Democrats in Illinois and in Washington to seat him.
And Roland Burris should be seated, not for those political reasons but because that is what is called for by law.
Look,
my preference was and is for a special election. But, to be honest,
that's largely because I am a Republican and I think a Republican like
Congressman Mark Kirk or Congressman Peter Roskam would have an
excellent shot to win the Senate seat in a special election.
However, that is not the process set forth by Illinois state statute, which clearly states,
When a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from this state, the Governor shall make
(emphasis added) temporary appointment to fill such vacancy until the
next election of representatives in Congress, at which time such
vacancy shall be filled by election... (10 ILCS 5/25-8)
The
Chicago Democrats in charge had the opportunity to change this statute
but did not do so because they fear the same thing I
anticipate--namely, losing the seat. That fear should not be rewarded
by deferring to their desired appointer (Pat Quinn); their fear should
be spotlighted.
Roland Burris is the beneficiary of a cynical
political maneuver by a soon-to-be impeached and indicted Governor. But
Blagojevich has not yet been impeached and he still enjoys the
presumption of innocence. And guess what? Every political appointment
of this sort is at least in part a cynical political maneuver by the
appointer.
As long as Burris did nothing improper, why should he be held to a different standard than, say, Caroline Kennedy?
To
not seat Burris is to do what Blagojevich has routinely done as
governor which is to simply ignore the rule of law when you do not like
the outcome because you do not feel like putting in the work to change
the law by the appropriate means and methods.
It is in times
like these when, to paraphrase John Adams, we need to decide in
Illinois if our government is one of laws or of men.
To that
end, I offer Illinois voters the following long-term remedy: seat
Roland Burris until 2010 and then use that election, as provided by
law, to unseat every single Chicago Democrat associated with this
running catastrophe.