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This just in… Guv appears to cave on Burris

Monday, Mar 2, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* 12:01 pm - Did the governor just cave on Burris? From the AP…

Gov. Pat Quinn says it’s time to move on from the flap over embattled U.S. Sen. Roland Burris and focus on the economy.

Quinn wants a special election for the Senate position, but said Monday he doesn’t think that can happen unless and until Burris quits. […]

Quinn met Monday with black elected officials on Chicago’s West Side, including U.S. Rep. Danny Davis.

Quinn says most of the meeting was about economic recovery.

Yeah, but the most important part of that meeting with Davis was surely about Sen. Burris. As I told you earlier today, Quinn seemed to be getting nervous about all the pushback from African-American leaders about his Burris position.

* Just last week, Quinn said this…

Gov. Pat Quinn said [on Jan. 26th] that if embattled U.S. Sen. Roland Burris doesn’t step down within the next two weeks, he wants lawmakers to send him a bill to set up a special election that could effectively remove Burris from office.

Quinn, appearing on “The Steve Cochran Show” on WGN-AM (720), said he spoke to the top two Democrats in the General Assembly [on Jan. 26th] about the possibility of moving ahead with the legislation, which would take advantage of a clause contained in the U.S. Constitution’s 17th Amendment.

Quinn’s actions follow a legal opinion issued [on Jan. 25th] by Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan who said she believed the state could enact a special-election law that would effectively force Burris from office. Under the Constitution, a governor’s appointments to fill Senate vacancies should be considered temporary until an election is held, she said.

The governor really needs to start thinking things through on this Senate crud. First, he was for a special election, then he was for an appointment, then he was for a Burris resignation and a new appointment followed by a special election, then he was for a special election regardless of what Burris decided to do. Now, he wants to drop the whole thing?

My head hurts.

…Adding… I forgot to mention today that the Tribune editorial page continues to bang the drum ever louder on the special election issue.

…Adding More… As with the post below, I am totally uninterested in angry drive-by comments on race. Put some thought into your comments or you’ll be swiftly deleted.

*** 12:53 pm *** Sen. Durbin was asked about Burris at a presser today in Chicago, and [from the way the story is written] appeared to back off as well…

Sen. Dick Durbin sounds resigned to fellow Illinois Democrat Roland Burris remaining in the Senate for the next two years.

Durbin has called for Burris’ resignation, but says he’ll still work with the embattled senator. Durbin says Burris has a vote in the Senate like everyone else and it’s an important vote. […]

Durbin says the economy should now be the most important issue at hand.

…Adding… The Durbin office sent over an audio clip from last week which shows that Durbin said pretty much the same thing to DC reporters then as he told Chicago reporters today. So, today’s alleged “news” is not really news, they say. I’m willing to give them that point.

*** 2:49 pm *** The prodigal son is welcomed back with open arms…

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Ald. Ed Smith (28th) said they were happy with the outcome of the meeting with Quinn, saying it’s time to get past politics and down to work.

“In the final analysis, we’ve got to put this issue behind us,” said Smith. “Roland Burris isn’t going any place, and we can talk about this until whenever, but Roland isn’t going any place. We may as well forget about this and deal with those issues that have to be dealt with.”

How very predictable.

31 Comments

Question of the day

Monday, Mar 2, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Should the General Assembly pass a bill which would schedule a special election for the US Senate even if Sen. Roland Burris refuses to resign from office?

Please explain fully, and stick to the specific question at hand. Thanks.

48 Comments

Burris upping the ante on race

Monday, Mar 2, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Back in January, Roland Burris said this…

”I have never in my life, in all my years of being elected to office, thought anything about race.”

* That wasn’t true, of course. From 1998…

Roland Burris, the Democrtic front-runner in the Illinois gubernatorial race, spent Wednesday fending off allegations that he had made race an issue in the primary campaign.

Burris, the only black candidate in the Democratic field of four, issued a cryptic response to reports that he told an African-American community group that his opponents are “non-qualified white boys.”

The allegations stem from a videotape of Burris that aired on a cable-TV community access channel and the local ABC affiliate in Chicago. Both stations dubbed out the words “white boys.”

* Burris kinda-sorta denied he said that way back then, but he’s going full tilt on the race card these days. As I told you last week, he’s hired a PR person who is playing up the race issue in a big way. And her strategy memo is now being played out in real time. First, it was the Chicago City Council’s Black Caucus…

In Chicago, members of the City Council’s Black Caucus held a news conference Thursday to defend Burris, the nation’s only black senator, and his son. Alderman Freddrenna Lyle said white politicians have not been similarly targeted for accusations of wrongdoing.

“We don’t want the seat to be denied Roland under circumstances not applied to someone else,” Lyle said.

More…

“I would just suggest to those people who seek to run in the wards of the city of Chicago where there are people of color living that they should tone it down because some of us are taking notes,” said Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th). “Those people will run at their peril.”

* And then over the weekend, Burris appeared with a group of ministers and Bobby Rush…

The ministers also said Burris, the only black U.S. senator, is being held to a different standard than the 99 white senators.

“He hasn’t done anything that’s indictable,” said Rep. Bobby Rush, who added that many politicians calling for Burris to resign have “stalking horses” ready for test-runs for his seat.

Now, there’s a campaign slogan for you. “He hasn’t done anything that’s indictable.” Yeah. Stick with that.

More from Rush…

Rush chastised the media and fellow politicians for “making something out of nothing.” He also suggested for Gov. Pat Quinn to work “night and day to get the state in order,” instead of calling for Burris’ resignation. “The state constitution worked for [Quinn]. Let it work for Roland,” Rush said.

* Gov. Quinn has always enjoyed significant support in the black community, but he now appears worried…

Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday called “unfortunate” a suggestion by a group of African-American aldermen that black voters may withhold support for politicians critical of beleaguered U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, saying he feared the return of a racial divide in the Democratic Party. […]

Quinn said he feared the controversy surrounding Burris would echo the “Council Wars” of the 1980s, when race divided the city’s Democrats.

And he’s clearly on the defensive…

Gov. Pat Quinn is defending himself - in the face of criticism from African American aldermen who say he’s trying to dictate to the black community by pushing Senator Roland Burris to resign.

First came the comments of African American aldermen, including Ed Smith of the 28th ward.

“Pat Quinn who we’ve known for years, all at once he decides that he’s going to dictate to us what should go on in our community.”

Governor Quinn has responded to that.

“Well, I’m not dictating to anyone. I think we have to do what is good for the people of Illinois. I think there should be a special election where the voters of Illinois hear all the candidates. If Roland Burris wants to run for a special election, that would be a way to let the people decide.”

* Some ground rules for comments on this matter: Hysterical, drive-by comments simply condemning the obvious are not welcome. Put some thought into what you write, please. I have zero interest in reading the same exasperated stuff over and over.

* Sen. Dick Durbin addresses racial issues in seating of Sen. Roland Burris

* Quinn renews calls for Burris’ resignation

* Burris should resign, this saga needs to end

* Can Senator Roland Burris be effective?

* Burris Fights to fit in

* Burris gathers with supporters Sunday

* Roland Burris Speaks to Supporters

* Burris says he’s working hard for Illinois

* Burris Speaks to Supporters Sunday

* Burris speaks out, ignores calls to resign

* Burris says he’s working hard to represent Illinois

* A plea for parodies…. LEAVE ROLAND BURRIS ALONE!!!!!!

49 Comments

A peek at 2010

Monday, Mar 2, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Lynn Sweet lays it out…

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, 32, opens his exploratory bid for Senator today hoping his close association with President Obama, generational appeal, record and early start locks him in as a front-runner in what today is a very undefined field.

Giannoulias, I am told, is running no matter the election scenario or the other contenders. Last week, William Daley, the former Commerce Secretary and mayoral brother, floated his name in order to head off Giannoulias securing early endorsements. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is also mulling a run, with her chances of getting in more likely in a special election.

Though a special election is being called for by some to force embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) from office, lawmakers may have second thoughts because of the cost. The regular primary and general election is in 2010 and nominating petitions are due later this year for the February primary.

Giannoulias is figuring the primary could cost $5 million and a general election at least $15 million. After a series of interviews to discuss his bid today–there is no splashy kick off–Giannoulias heads to Florida to prospect for labor support at the annual AFL-CIO Winter meeting in Miami. His initial campaign focus will be on fund-raising.

Jordan Kaplan, who directed the Obama fund-raising effort in Illinois, is assisting Giannoulias on the money front. “The goal is to get out early and start raising money,” I am told. Giannoulias’ has the wealth to self-fund a portion of his campaign. Eric Adelstein is Giannoulias’ media consultant and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner his pollsters.

* The Daily Herald looks at a possible Mark Kirk vs. Alexi Giannoulias matchup…

Kirk has been blasting Blagojevich for years. He could paint any Democrat as part of the Blagojevich problem.

And even better for him if the opponent is Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, whose family bank used to make loans to Blago insider and convicted felon Tony Rezko.

Commercial: “When convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko needed cash to do his deals, he turned to Giannoulias. Don’t turn over your Senate to him too.”

But Obama will be a huge factor in this home state election. Giannoulias and him are basketball buddies.

Kirk voted against Obama’s stimulus plan twice and all the tax cuts and construction jobs it included.

That vote my jive with suburban Republicans, but voting against Obama may not jive with voters in the popular president’s home state.

* Sen. Bill Brady is also out on the statewide circuit today…

As state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington prepared to enter the 2010 Republican race for governor, he discounted Sunday the effects of scandal on Democrats at the ballot box and instead contended a policy of tax hikes and overspending would lead to a GOP rejuvenation. […]

With a projected deficit of at least $9 billion facing the state by the end of June 2010, there is increasing talk of a tax increases. But Brady maintained the state’s true operating deficit was about half that amount and that it could be resolved by policies of tougher fiscal management, lower taxes and incentives to stimulate job growth.

I offered a long critique of that last sentence to subscribers today. You can hear all of Brady’s interview at this link.

* Related…

* ADDED: Bill Brady podcast

* Suddenly, GOP has plenty of candidates for governor

* A Line Forms to Succeed Burris, Sooner or Later

* The senator who wasn’t Obama