* 4:44 pm - Let’s start a fresh impeachment thread. The other one was getting too long. The committee is back in session now. Here are a few news updates…

* Burris denies any improper deals for Senate seat

* Burris in Springfield, hasn’t read complaint

* Burris: Reid And Durbin Never Asked Me Whether I’ll Run In 2010

* How business gets done in Illinois: Not on the phone

* Illinois’ Burris is a man of high ambition

*** RACIAL PUSHBACK *** Well, this is interesting. There’s some pushback on the African-American play by Gov. Blagojevich. Exhibit 70 is written testimony by a former IDOT employee who said she tried to investigate allegations that job applicants were being coached on their employment test. The alleged idea was to get around minority hiring laws. When the employee investigated, she was fired.

*** GENSON/ADAM LEAVE *** Sam Adam and Ed Genson have left the room and won’t be coming back. Rep. Bill Black is now asking whether he can be sworn in to testify before the committee. The view was that Adam was one of the governor’s defense attorneys, but Ed Genson said that was not true and told the committee not to expect any testimony from Adam.

* The committee is now debating the impeachment report. Not sure how long it will be before we get a vote.

* Process debate on why the report was released this morning at 9. Rep. Currie said she was trying for transparency.

*** ROLL CALL *** Beginning now. Each member will have a couple of minutes to explain their votes.

* GOP Rep. Bost points out that all but about three charges in the impeachment report predate his call for Blagojevich’s impeachment in July of 2007, when he was scolded for speaking out. Good point.

* Rep. Mary Flowers: Governor should have stepped aside so we weren’t made the laughing stock of the country.

*** NEW POLL *** I told subscribers about this poll today. There’s a lot more to it than what’s in this story, but it’s a start…

[The Glengariff Group] poll indicates that 52 percent of Illinois voters oppose the [Burris] appointment. Only 32 percent support it and only 21 percent approve of the governor’s decision to exercise his appointment power, while 72 per cent want a special election or an appointment by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to fill the Senate seat.

* I never thought having Burris testify was a good idea and I told a GOP member of the committee just that the other day. Burris has the right to crow a little…

Roland Burris, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s choice as the next U.S. senator from Illinois, says he “passed the test with flying colors” when he appeared today in front of a legislative committee investigating whether to impeach the governor. […]

“I have nothing to hide,” Burris said at a State Capitol news conference immediately after he finished answering questions from committee members. “I am a hard-working public servant.”

The Lon Monk meeting is quite curious, and he should’ve been asked about it far more than he was, but nobody thought to do it. Maybe the papers will pick it up. If not, this was a very good day for Burris.

*** 21 YES, 0 NO, 0 PRESENT. MOTION IS ADOPTED TO SEND THE IMPEACHMENT REPORT TO THE HOUSE *** Committee adjourns.

* It’s time for a little tune. Hit the play button…

*** IMPEACHMENT RESOLUTION MOVED TO HOUSE FLOOR *** With a hat tip to a commenter, the House has filed its impeachment resolution, HR 1671, and the Rules Committee has already sent it to the floor.

*** MORE ON THAT POLL *** From CBS2…

When asked “Should the General Assembly remove Gov. Blagojevich?” – 78 percent said “yes”; 12 percent said “no.” […]

Voters were divided along racial lines when asked if they support the embattled governor’s appointment of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate.

Among all voters, only 32 percent expressed support. Among white voters the margin was just 26 percent. Among African-American voters, 67 percent, or two-thirds, supported Burris’ appointment.

Still, 46 percent of African Americans supported impeaching Blagojevich; 28 percent of black voters favored keeping him as governor.