Blogging Blue » Roland Burris

Burris will not seek reelection to U.S. Senate

Zach W — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:41:35 +0000

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting Roland Burris will NOT run for reelection to his U.S. Senate seat in 2010, due to his inability to raise funds:

The decision by Burris was based on his inability to raise campaign funds; campaign disclosures with the Federal Election Commission are expected to be filed next week…and he has reportedly only raised approximately $20,000.

Sen. Burris’ decision not to seek reelection, coupled with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s decision to not run for the U.S. Senate or Illinois Governor likely makes the path to winning the seat previously held by Barack Obama much easier for Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who has to be considered the Democratic frontrunner.

Burris approval rating hovers at a robust 13%

Zach W — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:36:18 +0000

In what certainly can’t be seen as a great sign that’s he’s headed towards reelection to the U.S. Senate, a new Rasmussen poll finds that Sen. Roland Burris’ (D-IL) approval rating in Illinois is bad – extremely, really, very bad:

Among likely Illinois voters, only 13% say he should run for a full term in 2010, to 74% who say he should not. If he does run, only 6% say they’ll definitely vote for him, to 61% who say they’ll definitely vote against him.

I’ve read reports Sen. Burris has set up a campaign website and has started raising funds, so the Illinois Senate race may be a race to watch in 2010.

Burris likely to have opposition in 2010

Zach W — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:24:28 +0000

Josh Kraushaar of Politico is is reporting Senator Roland Burris of Illinois may have challengers in the Illinois Democratic senate primary in 2010. I’ve figured Sen. Burris would have a challenger or several, and according to Politico those challengers could include a who’s who of Illinois politics.

In addition to William Daley, the brother of the Chicago mayor and co-chairman of President Barack Obama’s transition team, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a close friend of the president, could also be in the mix. I saw Giannoulias speak at the Democratic Convention in 2008, and I thought then he’d be a rising star in Illinois politics, and he could be a strong contender for Burris’ Senate seat. Giannoulias announced last week he’s created an exploratory committee for a run against Burris in 2010 and he’s currently raising money and meeting with interest groups. Another name being mentioned as a possible challenger to Sen. Burris in 2010 is Cheryle Jackson, disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s first press secretary and currently the head of the Chicago Urban League. The final name mentioned is Rep. Jan Schakowsky, though she’s rumored not to be keen on giving up her House seat to run for the Senate.

No matter who runs against Sen. Burris, the Illinois Democratic senate primary in 2010 ought to be interesting…

A few Roland Burris tidbits

Zach W — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:34:02 +0000

I have to admit I’ve been keeping track of the travails of Illinois Senator Roland Burris, if only because his situation is like a car crash that I just can’t peel my eyes away from. After his swearing in as the junior Senator from Illinois and the subsequent revelation he may not have been 100% truthful during his testimony in the Rod Blagojevich impeachment proceedings, calls started for Sen. Burris to resign. Not only has Sen. Burris ignored those calls to resign, he’s set up a re-election website in advance of a likely run for re-election in 2010. I have no doubt Sen. Burris will run for re-election, but I’ll be curious to see if the Democratic Party finds a challenger or two for Burris in the Democratic primaries, because there’s no doubt in my mind a Democratic Senate primary in Illinois in 2010 would be worth watching.

In another Roland Burris-related story, the Politico has an amusing anecdote about the abundance of Rolands in the Burris family tree:

According to the always factually correct site, Wikipedia, check this out – it really is hilarious: “[Roland] Burris is married to Berlean M. Burris, Ph.D., and is the father of two adult children, Dr. Rolanda S. Burris, and Roland W. Burris II. He also has a grandson, Roland T. Burris.”

Not to mention Burris’s penchant for his use of the 3rd person, there’s a LOT of Rolandi going on in that family.

That’s a whole lotta Rolands on one family tree…

H/T to Deke Rivers at Caffeinated Politics.

Feingold: Give appointment powers to the people

Zach W — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:37:33 +0000

In the wake of the controversial selection of Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate seat and the decision by embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to name Roland Burris to President Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold announced plans to introduce an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require Senate vacancies be filled by special elections instead of allowing governors to make those appointments.

Said Sen. Feingold:

“The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end” Feingold said. “In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators. They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid-term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people.”

It was another of Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators – Robert M. La Follette – who led the movement to the enact the Seventeenth Amendment, which did away with the Constitutional requirement that U.S. Senators were selected by state legislators. The process of legislative selection of U.S. Senators had been largely corrupted, with bribes and political calculations commonplace, but the Seventeenth Amendment was read to allow states to choose on their own how to fill Senate vacancies, with many states relying on some form of gubernatorial appointment to fill vacancies. Considering the entire purpose of the Seventeenth Amendment was to allow for the citizens to directly elect their U.S. Senators, it seems only logical that the people should get to choose a replacement for a duly elected senator through a special election.

Considering the fact that all House vacancies must be filled by special elections, it only makes sense to bring the process for filling Senate vacancies in line, not only for the sake of consistency, but more importantly so that the people will always have a voice in choosing who will serve them in the United States Senate.

Burris to be seated as U.S. Senator

Zach W — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:57:23 +0000

It looks like the Roland Burris saga is finally coming to a close, as Senate Democrats have accepted Burris’ credentials, paving the way for Burris to be sworn in as the junior senator from Illinois by the end of this week. Burris being seated as the junior senator from Illinois will put an end to what’s largely been a huge embarrassment for Senate Democrats, and if I were a betting man, I’d say Sen. Harry Reid’s days as Senate Majority Leader are now numbered. In my opinion, Sen. Reid grossly underestimated his adversary – in this case embattled Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich – and in choosing to make public statements that anyone chosen by Gov. Blagojevich would not be seated by the Senate, Sen. Reid for all intents and purposes dared Gov. Blagojevich to call his bluff. Once Gov. Blagojevich called his bluff and appointed Roland Burris to fill the vacant Illinois senate seat, Sen. Reid must have known he would have not choice but to seat Burris, and in doing so he’d lose a fair measure of credibility as a leader in the Senate.

Mark my words; it won’t be long before Sen. Harry Reid is out as Senate Majority Leader, and as someone who’s never been a fan of Sen. Reid, that moment can’t come fast enough.

SNL does Maddow & Burris

Zach W — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:39:58 +0000

It’s long, but funny:

Roland Burris is a busy guy!

Zach W — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:12:17 +0000

“Illinois is too important to its 18 million citizens to have a chief executive who is now incapacitated,” said Roland Burris at a December 13 news conference, prior to his nomination to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. What’s curious to me is that despite his statement on December 13 that Rod Blagojevich, the “chief executive” of Illinois, is incapacitated, Roland Burris apparently had no problem accepting Blagojevich’s nomination to fill President-elect Obama’s Senate seat.

As CNN is reporting, Burris has also filed paperwork asking the Illinois Supreme Court to require Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White “to certify Governor Blagojevich’s appointment of Mr. Burris to the office of United States Senator from the state of Illinois and do all other acts required to confirm such appointment.” It’s been what, two days since Burris was announced as Gov. Blagojevich’s nominee for the U.S. Senate seat and already he’s played the race card and initiated legal action? Boy, he really is anxious – or desperate – to become Illinois’ next U.S. Senator.

Burris plays the race card

Zach W — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:35:11 +0000

The more time I’ve had to process Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s appointment of Roland Burris to fill president-elect Barack Obama’s now vacant U.S. Senate seat, I’ve come to the realization this appointment was specifically engineered to call the bluff of Democrats in the U.S. Senate and force their hand in regards to whether or not they’d seat someone named by Gov. Blagojevich. What’s really disappointing is the concerted effort that was started yesterday by Congressman Bobby Rush to inject race into this appointment. During the press conference announcing Burris’ appointment to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat, Congressman Rush stated any refusal to set Roland Burris by Senate Democrats would be the equivalent of a lynching, and on the Today Show earlier today, Roland Burris himself asked if a refusal to seat him by Senate Democrats is racism. Here’s a little snippet of Roland Burris injecting race into the discussion:

Given the public statements by Congressman Bobby Rush yesterday, as well as Roland Burris’ own statements today, it’s become obvious this entire situation was carefully orchestrated in an attempt to shame the U.S. Senate into seating Gov. Blagojevich’s pick, but it’s an absolutely despicable move, and it’s sad to see Roland Burris sell his soul simply so he can be a United States Senator.