The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Burris not backing down on the race issue

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

TODD — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:37:17 -0000

THE REASON THE SENATE IS ALL WHITE IS BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ELECTED THEM. HOW CAN PEOPLE SAY THAT IT IS RACISM? THERE IS A BLACK PRESIDENT WHO SAYS BURRIS SHOULDN'T BE APPOINTED. ALSO JESSE WHITE IS A BLACK MAN. AND HE REFUSED TO APPROVE HIM. ITS SO SAD.. IT IS RACISM FOR BLACKS TO TRY TO USE RACE TO GET WHAT THEY WANT. GIVE IT UP ALREADY. THE PRESIDENTS BLACK, YOU CANT USE THE RACE CARD FOR EVERYTHING ANYMORE!!!! ITS FUNNY EVERYONE AGREED ROD SHOULDN'T APPOINT ANYONE AT ALL BUT AS SOON AS ITS A BLACK GUY TRYING TO BE APPOINTED ALL THE OTHER BLACK REPS CHANGE THEIR MIND.. WHAT THE HELL??? RACIST BLACK POLITICIANS!! WHITE PEOPLE ARE PERSECUTED FOR THIS TYPE OF THINKING BUT BLACKS GET AWAY WITH IT EVERYDAY! TIME TO STOP BEING SCARED OF PISSING OFF THE BLACK POPULATION.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Peter Hoh — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:58:30 -0000

Blago is playing the Democrats. They're not necessarily screwed, but he's set them up to look foolish.

Burris has little reason to back down. He doesn't suffer if he loses, and he wins big if he wins.

I wouldn't want to play chicken with a guy in his position.

How about Reid and the Senate Democrats?

Looks to me like there are 4 ways forward. Unless I'm missing something, the best the Senate Democrats can hope for is a neutral outcome.

Burris withdraws -- he loses a Senate seat, the Senate Democrats win.

The Senate succeeds in blocking Burris -- Burris loses, the Democrats gain nothing, and look bad in the process.

The Senate blocks Burris, but courts intervene in his favor -- Burris wins, the Democrats lose and look bad. Burris and Lieberman caucus together.

The Senate accepts Burris -- Burris wins, party unaffected. Maybe the Senate Democrats look a little silly for changing course, but what else is new?

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Scott — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:47:49 -0000

Kevdog,

You need to get out more :) Go check out the PETA and Greenpeace affiliated blogs (both official and unofficial) if you want some good, balanced grade A, first rate crapola. Balanced, that is, when compared to RedState.

I'm hoping we can look back a few years from now and someone will have done a documentary on the end of 60's racial politics, citing this Rush crap as one of the most telling coffin nails.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:14:47 -0000

Sorry guys. I meant to delete that rant by Marlene. Please ignore from here on out.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

KevDog — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:51:57 -0000

Marlene,

That may be one of the most unhinged rants I have ever read on a blog, and I read RedState every now and then just for fun.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Gspng — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:47:09 -0000

Some people strive for naked power, and some abuse it. While Blagojevich should not have made the appointment for moral reasons, he has the authority to do so. Now, every politician and his uncle, who lack the actual power, are taking action to extra-legally remove that authority. Lisa Madigan files an obviously ridiculous lawsuit with the Illinois Supreme Court. Harry Reid threatens not to sit Burris even though there is a U.S. Supreme Court directly on point. And now, the Illinois Secretary of State chooses not to certify the decision granted solely to the Governor for no actual legal reason. When one person usurps the legally issued power of the executive, its called a coup.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Rainy — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:37:56 -0000

I'm sure every other black person in this country is like: yeah, there aren't any blacks in the Senate, but what the fuck is your point, man? It would not look in the least bit racist not to seat the man. As a black person myself, I say they should not seat the man just on principal.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

sgwhiteinfla — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:06:46 -0000

Marlene

Bobby Rush is a frikkin joke and most of the people calling him out are other black folks so your diatribe is mute here. Like others have said before, Rush didn't give a damn about a black face being in the senate when he backed Obama's white rival back in 04. Should we have black representation in the Senate? Of course. Does Bobby Rush wear clown shoes for backing this particular black person in this particular situation? HELL YES! You might actually want to check out what Rush had to say about whether Blago should appoint someone BEFORE he decided to appoint Burris before you come off looking just as hypocritical as he does.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

KevDog — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:03:58 -0000

@DB Cooper by way of Burris

"Is it racism? That's the question that someone may raise."

Someone = Burris, Rush and all those who can't get over the fact that their main political is dead, dead, dead.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Mike — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 02:30:23 -0000

Naked power would look pretty good to you if you were in chains picking cotton.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

marlene — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:57:16 -0000

THERE IS NO REASON BURRIS SHOULD NOT BE SEATED.

Americans of all colors including Blacks have been trained like animals to be racist pigs on steriods.

Those who call Bobby Rush a racist, simply for telling the truth of need for a Black senator in a Blackless senate are hypocrits.

Just Because Obama is the President Elect, does not change the history of America. People make a big deal about Obama because of the Racist history against Black People. Then to act like Blacks who speak truth to power and people about this are the scum of the Earth, confirms that America is constipated with White Supremacy always being right, and the right way to do things. Blacks should not have to protect whites from the truth. Who is racist in America when Blacks vote for White, Black, Hispanic and Asian senators, but the reason no Blacks are in the Senate is the racists modernist claiming liberalism that know Blacks may not secure these seats with out vast money or other races voting them in. If there are NO BLACKS IN THE SENATE AND PEOPLE WANT TO JUDGE BURRIS CHARACTER BY A WHITE MAN. NO WONDER THIS COUNTRY IS FALLING FAST AND BEING TAKEN OVER BY CORPORATIONS AND ILLEGALS. RACIST REGRESSIVE AMERICANS CHOOSE TO GIVE IT AWAY BY CRYING REVERSE RACISM BECAUSE OF A MIXED PRESIDENT AFTER 500 YEARS OF BLACK OPPRESSION. GOD BE WITH YOU, BECAUSE ANOTHER 911 WILL HIT EACH ONE OF YOU PERSONALLLY.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

sgwhiteinfla — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:23:10 -0000

Hey I don't know the history of Powell, I only know Roland Martin said race was the reason they kept him out. Could be he said it just to try to fit it into his own meme.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Rae — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:03:50 -0000

I didn't catch Roland on CNN, but comparing Burris to Powell isn't particularly illuminating, despite a shared race and the relevant Supreme Court case. And Jetan's right - Powell was definitely not denied his seat due to race, even though I'm sure many of those good ole boys in Congress weren't too sorry to see him go. Powell served in Congress for over 20 years before the Supreme Court case in question. During that time, he did do several great things, but he ultimately did himself in with a stupid but not uncommon combination of power, incompetence, and greed.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Kuros — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:38:04 -0000

I don't think there's racism in rejecting him.

But Burris's absolutely right: a) Burris is not Blago, b) Blago has the legal power to appoint him.

Its not racism to reject Burris. I don't think it makes sense to reject him, just because of the allegations and investigation against Blago.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

jetan — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:54:51 -0000

I daresay Adam Clayton Powell's race didn't help at the end, but Powell, for all of the good things he did, destroyed himself more effectively than ny white pol could have done. As I recall, Charlie Rangel took his seat, n'est ce pas?

I quite like TNC's comment on Rush being seen as enunciating the default "black" stance respecting Burriss. It amazes me that these guys, year after year, still get away with this weird, outdated Huey Newton rhetoric....Cornel West added an academic patina and made a whole career of it, and cable news still laps him up. The white equivalent might be if if all the lefties still sounded like the Weathermen or the White Panther Party (remember them? Of course not).

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

sgwhiteinfla — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:16:05 -0000

I usually like Roland Martin on CNN because he will say stuff that nobody else will. But I saw him talking about Roland Burris too and I came away very dissappointed. He never usually comes off like an old guard type but he did this time. He even tried to compare Burris to Adam Clayton Powell who WAS evidently denied his seat over race. And what was up with his eyes? It looked like he has jaundice or something.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:08:45 -0000

Not really. But in all fairness, I'm suspicious of cable talk. I understand that people want another voice out there, but the format of cable news, really doesn't allow for much nuance. I probably would speak on the Burris piece. I think a lot of young black folks are worried--rightly or wrongly-- that Rush's position will be seen as the "black position." Of course that has more to do with television, than with Rush.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

southpaw — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:49:28 -0000

I don't know; he looks pretty hale. Twenty years?

The fascination here, I think, is that most people don't dig and decorate their own graves. But it's certainly not that big a deal.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

sgwhiteinfla — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:30:43 -0000

southpaw

The guy is 71, how much longer do you think he has?

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

k1 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:30:19 -0000

Coates are you ever invited to speak on any of the cable outlets? I just heard Roland, of all people, making the case to seat his namesake...ridiculous.

k1

ryanculver.blogspot.com

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Tyler — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:30:03 -0000

Emma: Are you saying that Chicago is Obama's Billy Carter?

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

emma — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:28:48 -0000

Blago's white, but I think we can officially call this "Negro Nonsense" at this point. I swear Chicago politicians are becoming Obama's equivalent to crazy kin folks. I'm not sure what else they can do to annoy and embarrass the man.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

Steve — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:22:53 -0000

Someone explain to these idiots that their antics have taken away political capital from the first black president.

I could be way off, but I really don't think advancing the career of Barack Obama is the first item on Bobby Rush's to-do list.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

J.C. — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:19:42 -0000

Sg nailed it: After two failed attempts at city (and state) office, this is as close as Burris is gonna come to the state house. And Shine's point about ignoring the history of IL politics is a salient one.

Am I on the only one getting "Wire" flashbacks right now? Blago is on some straight Tommy Carcetti shit.

Re: Burris not backing down on the race issue

sgwhiteinfla — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:19:34 -0000

Shine

I agree with you on Blago but some part of me admires that he had the balls to pull this off. For a guy with a 4 percent approval rating who was arrested on charges of trying to sell the senate seat, to appoint Burris, if played right. could be political genius truly. The problem is not Blago now, its Rush and Burris. They are overplaying the race angle. They had to know that Burris' face would be all over the news and every cable station after he accepted so there is no need to play up the race card. People can see it with their own two eyes. So Blago appoints a black guy with a financial and law background who has never been in trouble and has been in politics for over 20 years. He is the epitome of a "safe" pick. And Dems could just resign themselves to primarying him with a better Dem in 2010, problem solved. But now Senate Dems almost HAVE to push back on this racist rhetoric Rush and Burris are spewing.

If I was a betting man Id say Blago is happy that they are doing it because it once again takes the focus off of him but also I bet it wasn't his idea. And it won't work out well for him as well ultimately if Burris isn't ever seated because of the pushback.