Political Punch

Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper

« Previous | Main | Next »

Durbin Trying to Arrange Meeting Between Reid and Burris to Avoid Senate Showdown

January 03, 2009 2:25 PM

What will happen if Roland Burris -- the former attorney general of Illinois whom Gov . Rod Blagojevich has appointed to fill out the remainder of President-elect Barack Obama's Senate term, against the wishes of Senate Democrats -- tries to walk onto the Senate floor next week?

"Unless he has the proper credentials, he won't be able to gain access to the floor," a Democratic Senate aide tells ABC News. "If he doesnt have at least credentials, there is no precedent to allow him on the floor."

Will the Capitol Police physically keep him off?

"Same thing as if you tried to follow a Democratic senator onto the floor," the aide says.

Referring to the Senate sergeant at arms, the aide says that Chief Terry "Gainer, who has known Mr. Burris for awhile, is confident that any potential confrontation can be avoided."

And the Senate majority whip, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., "is working to set up a meeting between Majority Leader Reid and Mr. Burris for Wednesday."

- jpt

January 3, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (18)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Momma said voting for a democrat is like a box of chocolates...you never know what your gonna get till its too late

Posted by: greg | Jan 5, 2009 12:02:56 AM

obama ..reid ...pelosi...box of rocks..

see the pattern?

Posted by: greg | Jan 4, 2009 11:59:43 PM

The Dems will fold like the cheap suits they are.

Posted by: Karl Marx | Jan 4, 2009 4:42:38 PM

Obama made a blunder by injecting his atavistic views into the discussion .i was fiestily for OObama but now he is acting like the spoilt kid mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Posted by: kolawole ojulari | Jan 4, 2009 2:34:16 AM

Mentioning NY in the same breath as IL is just acting stupid.

There is no, nothing in common with the two Senate seats.

Posted by: Ranger phx | Jan 3, 2009 10:23:36 PM

Burris should get Blaqo to send the Ill Natl Guard to help him "shoot" his way into the Senate. This is almost like the movie=---Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Will Burris be arrested and sent to Gitmo---as the LAST prisoner before Obanma closes it on Jan. 20 as promised? After all, Bush has the "power" to declare Burris "an enemy combatant."

Posted by: Gary klahr | Jan 3, 2009 7:51:03 PM

Blagojevich appointment for the senate is among the best appointment in senate history. that does not mean that Rod Blagojevich is a good man. It was Rod Blagojevich interest to make an exceptional appointment because it helps him deflect legal troubles (you can't accuse him of selling senate seat if he didn't sell it). Also it brought him sympathy from blacks and he fulfilled he duty as a governer. In all the open seats for appointment diversity of the senate should have been considered as paramount but it seems the democrats are not interested in real diversity and just pay lip service to diversity to get minority votes. There should have been more affrican american appointed to those open seats why were n't they appointed more is it because democrats believe that they can't find qualified candidates!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: samerbayer | Jan 3, 2009 6:23:24 PM

Reid got to GO!!!!!

Posted by: sisterdearest09 | Jan 3, 2009 5:59:10 PM

Burris a race baiting, self-important disgrace.

Posted by: Rich | Jan 3, 2009 4:51:40 PM

Keith:This is certainly giving NY Governor Patterson a view of what happens when you don't appoint someone from Obama's approved list
------
Exactly.

Posted by: MayBee | Jan 3, 2009 4:25:10 PM

What if Senator Sanders or somebody, in a surprise move, shows up with a briefcase full of ... shoes to toss?

Posted by: Belle Starr | Jan 3, 2009 4:11:40 PM

"a Democratic Senate aide tells ABC News"

Uh, whose water is the anonymous "aide" carrying? :^)

If infamous crybaby Durbin is trying to mau-mau Roland Burris (the first "black" to hold state office in Illinois) through an anonymous aide, well, Burris' knowledge of mau-mauing may be greater than Durbin-Reid-Pelosi-Obama put together.

Do the Great White dweebs imagine THEY will embarrass BURRIS? For all his black-preacher demeanor, Burris might just whip off his loafers and bean Reid AND Durbin on national teevee. Has the "aide" thought of THAT? :^)

Posted by: Chiquita Banana | Jan 3, 2009 4:02:59 PM

Send Reid packing >>>>>>>

Posted by: indp voter | Jan 3, 2009 3:48:31 PM

Blago's gifts just keep giving.

Posted by: kat | Jan 3, 2009 3:39:47 PM

This is certainly giving NY Governor Patterson a view of what happens when you don't appoint someone from Obama's approved list, or the double-checked by Reid sub-list. There's little chance he'll appoint anyone other than Kennedy-Schlossberg now. Why put anyone else through this?

The Democratic Party has become a cartoon.

Posted by: Keith | Jan 3, 2009 3:36:17 PM

Since Burris is qualified, untouched by scandal and under NO stain of corruption, it's beginning to look more like Reid and the senate is just trying to keep itself "white's only".

Posted by: DemosBullys | Jan 3, 2009 3:18:48 PM

The one who angled for the position and accepted it, knowing full well that it would be a source of controversy and unethical is the one who should not be seated, regardless of what the results would be. He has shown that he is lacking in morals and ethics and should just await to find out how much has really been paid, or promised, in exchange for the seat. NONE OF THIS IS HAS COME OUT YET, and until then, no one appointed by the corrupt sewer rat should be accepted.

Posted by: Karen | Jan 3, 2009 3:02:09 PM

So ... after trying to strong-arm Burris into NOT accepting the appointment, DURBIN's now the go-between for REID and Burris?

On the day AFTER whatever's gonna happen with Burris HAPPENS? Does this mean Durbin's dried his tears on the appointment?

This is weirder by the hour.

Posted by: Chiquita Banana | Jan 3, 2009 2:42:33 PM

Post a comment





 

POLITICAL VIDEOS