With only three days until the potential showdown between Roland Burris and the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, there's quite a bit of news on the Blagojevich-Burris front.
- Yesterday, Burris filed an emergency request:
... urging the Illinois Supreme Court to demand that Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White certify Mr. Blagojevich's appointment. The move came after a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said she didn't plan to respond to Mr. Burris's request until Wednesday, a day after Congress convenes. Ms. Madigan is representing Mr. White's office.
Mr. Burris's filing said he sought the emergency consideration because media reports indicated Senate leadership would use the lack of a certified document to refuse to seat him.
- Burris' "team" has also sent a letter to the Democratic leadership, saying:
The appointment is legal. The appointment is legitimate and the Governor's problems have absolutely, positively nothing do with my appointment," said Roland Burris, U.S. Senate Appointee.
Actually, Roland, the Governor's problems have absolutely everything to do with your appointment.
- There's an impeachment vote looming:
llinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is telling lawmakers to be prepared to vote on Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich's impeachment next week. The move illustrates the dynamic playing out as leaders in Springfield and Washington pursue the same goal: denying a U.S. Senate seat to former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, Blagojevich's post-arrest pick to succeed Barack Obama. State lawmakers are accelerating impeachment proceedings with the idea that the new governor, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, could pick a senator without taint.
... and The Illinois House Impeachment Committee wants Burris to testify.
- And in related news, it seems that Blagojevich's attorney is telling the Illinois House committee that "it is unfair to vote on impeachment based on snippets of conversations." You know, snippets like this:
"I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I’m saying. And if I don’t get what I want and I’m not satisfied with it, then I’ll just take the Senate seat myself" ... "is a fucking valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing" ... "I’ve got this thing and it’s fucking golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for fuckin’ nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there.
- In a move that was described as "pretty standard," the Department of Homeland Security:
... has revoked embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's access to classified federal security information, officials said Friday.
- If Blagaojevich's taped conversations are released, we'll be hearing Harry Reid's voice:
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich before his arrest to argue against his appointing Democratic Illinois Reps. Jesse Jackson, Jr., or Danny Davis or State Senate President Emil Jones to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate "because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election."
Somehow, Reid doesn't seem like someone who would enjoy a conversation where every third word is "fuck."
- Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White released an op-ed outlining his reasons for refusing to sign off on the Burris appointment.
- Don't let it be said that Burris doesn't have his supporters. About 20 held a rally in support of his appointment. Demands included having Sen. Dick Durbin escort Burris to Tuesday's swearing in at the U.S. Capitol. This must have been the "outcry" Burris warned us about.
- And saving the best for last, a few excerpts on an interview Burris did Friday:
Roland Burris, being Roland Burris, put it to me this way Friday when we talked: "We are the senator." [...]
"There is no confrontation here, there is no antagonism here," Burris said in a phone interview from Chicago. "And so we are proceeding very diplomatically, and we are proceeding with all concern about not creating any type of circus that will entertain the media." [...]
Durbin, said Burris, "said don't take the seat, he had said that, certainly, and I took that into consideration." Burris said a reason he accepted the offer from Blagojevich was "to take this issue off the plate of the people of Illinois, and they can go on with other problems."
He also ruled out a caretaker role; Burris said he would likely run in 2010 to keep the seat if his appointment sticks.
In order: Oh brother, good luck with that, how's that working out for you, and, great, Illinois could use a Republican Senator