Roland Burris & the passage of the Obama Stimulus/Spending Bill ...

Hello Destiny, Hmmmm, yes I see your point about ulterior motives. Though, the question remains: If Burris purjered himself, then what happens to the Obama Stimulus/Spending bill?

I think that the reality is that it won't make a difference. If you recall, the second bailout that Bush signed came from the Senate, which is not who makes the appropriations... and therefore were Constitutionally illegal. In fact, the whole bailout business was illegal according to the Constitution, but I don't see that being rolled back based on that fact. Therefore, I see no reason to believe that even if Burris is removed that nothing would change. The only way any of this can be undomne is f the 0bamunist is found and ruled to be ineligible to be president which would invalidate everything that he has done to date.

Hello Destiny, Hmmm, I didn't recall that. Yes come to think of it, that does shed a different light on the way this mess has unfolded, now doesn't it??? In my eyes, Bush will never live down his part in this abuse of The People's Trust! As for how Burris' vote or non-vote would make a difference, the 2/3 rule is based on a 60 vote filibuster proof majority. If Burris' vote was illegal then cloture was taken off the table, and a filibuster would have been an option. Yup, it's a HUGE issue! 'Cause as we all know, filibusters work! Especially when the objective is to slow down the process enough for the voter to make the difference. Ya' know, it's just an off-the-wall bit of trivia, but I'll share it for entertainment's sake. The Chinese New Year festivities always bring forth a slew of interesting "predictions". This year I was somewhat intrigued to learn that a some of the most respected Feng Shui masters have apparently "forseen" the scandalous end of the Obama administration by years end. I certainly wouldn't place a sizeable wager on their prediction, though I'd definitely throw a 'fin' into the pot. It'll be interesting to see if any part of their prediction comes true. Though if it does, the b-c issue is certainly a gaping hole in Obama's armor. So, who knows???

Thank you very much for clearing that up for me. I should have known that, but didn't. I'd say you asked the great question. Jeesh... this is a sticky wicket! My guess is that SCOTUS does not have the courage to rule on it so things will stand as they are no matter what.

Isn't it strange how often we've found ourselves in uncharted territory regarding this new administration and the election cycle leading up to it. Hmmm, kinda' makes ya' wonder, doesn't it?

Great question, Red! The final Senate vote was 60 to 38. If Burris' vote didn't legally count, then cloture would have been ruled out, and a filibuster could have prevented or postponed the vote until the bill could have been read. Or, more appropriately stated, until the U.S. Taxpayer had an option to shine the light of scrutiny on this boondoggle. http://www.ask.com/bar?q=senate+filibuster+&page=1&qsrc=2106&zoom=Recent+%3CKW%3EFilibuster%3C%2FKW%3E%7CLongest+%3CKW%3EFilibuster%3C%2FKW%3E+in+%3CKW%3ESenate%3C%2FKW%3E+History%7C%3CKW%3ESenate%3C%2FKW%3E+Procedure+%3CKW%3EFilibuster%3C%2FKW%3E&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.senate.gov%2Fartandhistory%2Fhistory%2Fcommon%2Fbriefing%2FFilibuster_Cloture.htm

Hello Deejean, Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this question. Indeed -- Illinois politics has long been a terribly tangled web. Good for you for being astute enough to recognize the improbability of any politician acting as a true reformer for transparency. Uh, aren't the terms "politician" and "transparency" antonyms? As for how Burris plays into the urgency -- without Burris' vote, the tally would have remained at 59 "yeahs", meaning that the Republicans could have filibustered the bill. Which, would have given the American People enough time to learn what was really in the bill. Which, of course, would have given We The People the necessary time to put the 'fear of the unemployment line' into the hearts and minds of Queen Pelosi, Master Reid, and their minions. You're right about the panic thing though. When it manifests into unchecked ugliness, I wonder if Nancy, Harry, & Obama will acknowledge their roles in fomenting that panic???