Give Me A Break!

I have refused to watch the political pundits try to convince
the American public that President Barack Obama has to retreat from
his campaign promises, because of the victory of a Republican bimbo who won the election in a New England State, that was never as liberal as its purported. Remember the violent retribution against busing in Boston in the seventies?

Then I saw Senate Leader Harry Reid, who is fighting for his political life, insinuate that Health Care was now on the back burner because of Tuesday's election.
It was the statement of a gutless leader of a gutless Democratic Senate.

So, let me get this right: Now that the Democrats are down to 59 seats in the Senate, suddenly Health Care Reform is doomed?

I admit that I am a country lawyer who does not understand a lot of
this complicated national politics, but if you can't push through your agenda
by controlling 59 votes, then you don't deserve the power that the voters gave you a year ago.

Mr. President, you have said that you did not come to Washington to do
little things. And, to your credit, you have taken on major issues. I cannot
believe that you did not know there were going to be losses along the
way. As an African-American who is keenly aware of, and is proud of your
history, you understand that struggle has never been easy.

So, don't follow Rahm Emmanuel's advice to move to the
center. Bill Clinton did and he had a successful presidency that
achieved a lot of little things.

America needs more from you.

In your upcoming State Of The Union Speech, take the opportunity to
remind America why you ran and why it is important we keep pushing to
do BIG things.

Mr. President, I can certainly understand your noble desire to reach across the aisle, but brother these folks have drug you into an alley fight.

Now, as a country lawyer, I completely understand alley fights. If someone steps on your toe, you cut him. If he cuts you, you shoot him. And if he shoots you, you send one of his in the morgue. Funny, I thought that was the "Chicago way," too.

Checkmate Blagojevich

In an earlier blog I wrote that true criminals are often brilliant, charming and delusional in how they see themselves and the world around them. Gov. Rod Blagojevich is a true criminal and naming Roland Burris, a former state attorney general, who has a fairly distinguished career as public servant is brilliant. Oh did I mention that Burris is African-American.

Now the ball is in the Democrats and Barack Obama's court. The Democrats have indicated they will not seat any appointment by Blagojevich. However, the Governor has the legal and constitutional authority to appoint the replacement for Obama.

The Senate has no legal or constitutional authority to deny the appointment. The United States Supreme court in Powell v. McCormack ruled that congress could not deny Harlem Democrat Adam Clayton Powell his seat in congress. Just two years earlier, the court in Bond v. Floyd enjoined the Georgia Legislator from denying Julian Bond a seat in that body.

Burris, on the other hand, has a legitimate claim to a United States Senate seat for the next two years. He is in no way implicated with Blagojevich's criminality. He rightly states that the citizens of Illinois have a constitutional right to two senators and he is answering the call for public service. And besides Burris is 70 years-old. What the hell does he care if Harry Reid is pissed off?

The problem that the Democrats have is that the reality of the white boy club called the United States Senate will now come into full view. The debate will move away from Blagojevich's sleaziness and possible criminality to 99 white men looking down their nose at an African-American from taking his senate seat.

You have to appreciate the move from that insane Governor in Illinois.