When asked today, what he thought about Ronald Burris being seated by the Senate, Barack Obama said:
“I know Roland Burris. I think he’s a fine public servant. If he gets seated, then I’m going to work with Roland Burris just like I worked with all the other senators to make sure that the people of Illinois and the people of the country are served.”
Now I understand the whole “there’s only one President at a time,” theory. It basically allows Obama to pick and choose which topics he wants to weigh in on and which he wants to be second guessing the current administration on. However, if there was ever a topic that Obama should have an opinion on wouldn’t you think it would be this one?
One of the things that I find completely amazing in the Burris saga is that Obama has had absolutely no comments about Reid’s refusal to seat the person who would be the only African American in the Senate.
According to the Chicago Sun-TimesHarry Reid talked to Illinois Governor Blagojevich telling him who he would accept as Blagojevich’s appointment. According to the Sun-Times, Reid specifically lobbied against each of the potential candidates who were African American.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t even consider Reid’s comments as potentially racist. But, that was before I saw the light according to Barack. It is now clear to me that Reid’s insistence on not seating any of the African American candidates was specifically racist. I only need think back to Obama’s perspective on a similar situation during the campaign.
When I look at the three candidates that Reid specifically didn’t want nominated, I think “they don’t look like any of those presidents on the dollar bills.” Nor for that matter did any of them look like any of the other Senators seated in the chamber. If the reasoning was good enough for Barack as a reason to become President why wouldn’t it be good enough to seat Roland Burris?
Well, it’s none of O’s business. The Senate has the right to seat/not seat whoever it wants, even if they are DULY elected or appointed.
O doesn’t need to say a thing. It’s better for him that Reid & Co. look like complete idiots on their own…
Only if 2/3rds of the Senators agree. Barring that, the only discretion it has regarding an appointment is that it meets Constitutional muster.
Of course, I’m already slated for the first train to the ObamiNation Memorial Reeducation Camp, so I don’t care about having that date moved up.
Dad,
Come now. Equal rights and the Constitution aren’t areas that the incoming President should be concerned with? We’ll have to step up the date of your reeducation camp scholarship! :)