PrintBen Joravsky is the author of Hoop Dreams and a staff writer for the Reader newspaper in Chicago.
It's only appropriate that Governor Rod Blagojevich appoint Roland Burris to fill Barack Obama's vacant senate seat. After all, Blago owes his governorship to Burris.
To understand, you have to return to 2002, when no one in the country was paying attention to politics in our goofy little fiefdom, and Blagojevich was running for governor in the Democratic primary. Hard as it is to believe now that he's an international sensation, Blagojevich, then a relatively unknown congressman from Chicago's northwest side, was not the front-runner in that race. His main opponent was Paul Vallas, the former head of Chicago's Public Schools, who had built quite a reputation as an unpredictable and slightly autocratic reformer--just the type of take-no-prisoners bulldog who had the potential to clean out the swamp of Illinois politics.
Vallas strength was his popularity in the city's black wards. During his six-year stint with the schools, he had assiduously courted the black community--the running joke was that he had attended more Saturday-morning meetings at Operation Push than Jesse Jackson. In contrast, Blago had no standing in the black community. There were few blacks in his district. More to the point, his father-in-law and political patron, Alderman Richard Mell, had vehemently opposed Mayor Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor--a fact that older black voters still have not forgotten. If Blagojevich and Vallas split the statewide white vote, it would be the black voters of Chicago who would put Vallas over the top.
And then Roland Burris jumped into the race. When the primary election was over, Blago had about 457,000 votes, Vallas 431,000, and Burris 363,000. But the real story was in the black precincts of city's west and south sides, where Burris accumulated about 85 percent of the vote. In the aftermath it was clear, had Burris not run, Vallas would have won, and we would have been spared the spectacle of the Blagojevich circus, as entertaining as it's been.
Of course, Blagojevich has a funny way of thanking the folks to whom he owes the most. Once in office he almost immediately cut off Alderman Mell, who has been steaming mad ever since. And now with this senatorial appointment, he has made Burris the butt of jokes across the nation, even if Burris, ever eager for higher office, doesn't quite get it.
Over the years, I've wondered if Burris candidacy in 2002 was part of some convoluted back-room deal engineered by the wily Alderman Mell, who moved heaven and earth to advance his son-in-law's career. I guess we'll never really know, unless of course it turns out that the feds were wire-tapping Blago even way back then.
COMMENTS (6)
" And now with this senatorial appointment, he has made Burris the butt of jokes across the nation, even if Burris, ever eager for higher office, doesn't quite get it."
The joke, if any, is on the faux comedians. Burris has done nothing wrong. Everyone agrees he's a clean politician, and that his appointment to the Senate is legal. The US Senate has no authority to block it. Blago is not convicted. Hell, he's not even charged. So, what the hell is the joke?
Mark this down: unless some very stinky proverbial shoe drops, Burris is the Senator from Illinois. As usual, Harry Reid just got outflanked, except this time it wasn't by Republicans.
" And now with this senatorial appointment, he has made Burris the butt of jokes across the nation, even if Burris, ever eager for higher office, doesn't quite get it."
The joke, if any, is on the faux comedians. Burris has done nothing wrong. Everyone agrees he's a clean politician, and that his appointment to the Senate is legal. The US Senate has no authority to block it. Blago is not convicted. Hell, he's not even charged. So, what the hell is the joke?
Mark this down: unless some very stinky proverbial shoe drops, Burris is the Senator from Illinois. As usual, Harry Reid just got outflanked, except this time it wasn't by Republicans.
In any way, does this help Jessie Jackson Jr? Once Blago chooses someone else, Jesse Jr is no longer seen as Blago's guy, right? Jessie Jr is now in the position of having been shafted by Blago just like everyone else.
In any way, does this help Jessie Jackson Jr? Once Blago chooses someone else, Jesse Jr is no longer seen as Blago's guy, right? Jessie Jr is now in the position of having been shafted by Blago just like everyone else.
Ben, you are forgiven the conspiracy theory about 2002, but in reality, Burris was a fly in the ointment for Rod in that primary. Truth is, Rod believed HE (i.e. Rod) would be able to lock up the South Side black vote, or at least a substantial chunk of it. For every Vallas friendship south of Cermak, there was a corresponding vendetta; don't forget that if Rod had Dick Mell, Vallas had Jeremiah Joyce hanging around his neck. Second, Rod counted on his relationship with the Jacksons---Junior and the Rev---to give him profile and cred in the Black community. And third, don't discount hubris: Rod truly thinks that he, a la Bill Clinton, has a special rapport with Africa ... view full comment
Ben, you are forgiven the conspiracy theory about 2002, but in reality, Burris was a fly in the ointment for Rod in that primary. Truth is, Rod believed HE (i.e. Rod) would be able to lock up the South Side black vote, or at least a substantial chunk of it. For every Vallas friendship south of Cermak, there was a corresponding vendetta; don't forget that if Rod had Dick Mell, Vallas had Jeremiah Joyce hanging around his neck. Second, Rod counted on his relationship with the Jacksons---Junior and the Rev---to give him profile and cred in the Black community. And third, don't discount hubris: Rod truly thinks that he, a la Bill Clinton, has a special rapport with African Americans, and that that feeling is mutual. Burris jumping in screwed up everything. The Rev was reeling from the Karin Stafford thing, and couldn't NOT support Burris. Plus, he made it impossible for Rod to collect votes on the South Side to counteract Vallas's strength in the burbs. What saved Rod's ass was (1) downstate and (2) the Daley's letting the 11th Ward work for Rod.
For more on the Blagojevich scandal please visit www.blagojustice.com
For more on the Blagojevich scandal please visit www.blagojustice.com
Regarding scrubbyoaks' comments:
"Burris has done nothing wrong." Unfortunately, that (if it's true) is just about the only qualification that Burris has -- except, of course, for being black, which for his supporters is the only one that matters.
"Everyone agrees he's a clean politician, and that his appointment to the Senate is legal." Wrong. He may be "a clean politician," at least by the standards of Illinois politics. But if "everyone" thought that his appointment was "legal," there would be no controversy here. What does this statement mean anyway? The question is not whether the appointment is "le ... view full comment
Regarding scrubbyoaks' comments:
"Burris has done nothing wrong." Unfortunately, that (if it's true) is just about the only qualification that Burris has -- except, of course, for being black, which for his supporters is the only one that matters.
"Everyone agrees he's a clean politician, and that his appointment to the Senate is legal." Wrong. He may be "a clean politician," at least by the standards of Illinois politics. But if "everyone" thought that his appointment was "legal," there would be no controversy here. What does this statement mean anyway? The question is not whether the appointment is "legal"; it's whether it is in the best interests of the citizens of the State of Illinois and of the United States Senate. As to the former, is scrubbyoaks saying that Blagojevich has the interests of Illinoisans at heart? I didn't think so. As to the latter, the Senate is explicitly designated by the Constitution as "the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own members."
"The US Senate has no authority to block [Burris' appointment]." Presumably scrubbyoaks is referring here to the Powell decision, which the media and pundits have been repeating fairly mindlessly since Blagojevich's arrest. Nobody seems to have actually *read* the decision or the facts of the case. Here's a key passage from a recent piece by two Constitutional scholars who have done so: "The case involved an elected congressman, Adam Clayton Powell, whom the voters had clearly chosen in a fair election and whom the House nevertheless excluded—wrongly, the court held. The key fact is that there was no doubt whatsoever that Powell was the people's choice, and in issuing its ruling, the Warren Court repeatedly stressed this. The justices insisted that their ruling was aimed at protecting the people's right to vote. None of that spirit applies here. And that's why the case doesn't stand in the Senate's way now."
craig writes, " Unfortunately, that (if it's true) is just about the only qualification that Burris has -- except, of course, for being black, which for his supporters is the only one that matters."
Ah, so that's the problem for you -- that he's black. You should be ashamed, though, at least you are honest, craig. BTW, Burris had won state-wide elective office as attorney general, which is a lot more qualification than Obama had before running for the Senate. So, yes, he's very qualified, and very clean.
" As to the latter, the Senate is explicitly designated by the Constitution as "the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own members." "
Ther ... view full comment
craig writes, " Unfortunately, that (if it's true) is just about the only qualification that Burris has -- except, of course, for being black, which for his supporters is the only one that matters."
Ah, so that's the problem for you -- that he's black. You should be ashamed, though, at least you are honest, craig. BTW, Burris had won state-wide elective office as attorney general, which is a lot more qualification than Obama had before running for the Senate. So, yes, he's very qualified, and very clean.
" As to the latter, the Senate is explicitly designated by the Constitution as "the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of its own members." "
There's no election here. It's an empty seat which the Illinois governor has a right to appoint anybody -- yes, anybody -- that he wants, and the US Senate has no authority --NONE -- to block it. Now, they can use delays and other legislative procedure to stymie the appointment, but they can't reject it. The governor's authority to appoint anyone is absolute. Look it up again, let me know what you find out and leave race-baiting out of it.