Backroom Democrats

Outrage! Dictatorial and slimy, in Chicago and now DC, it's the backroom Democrats. Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tosses out the reforms instituted in the 1994 GOP-run Contract with America Congress to term limit committee chairmen and protect the rights of the minority--opting instead for one-party backroom dealing, business as usual. Over on the Senate side Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, along with his No. 2, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois is maneuvering to deny the voters of Illinois a choice for their Senator. The Politico:

The Democrats’ preferred solution to the Burris problem is for the Illinois Legislature to impeach Blagojevich, paving the way for Democratic Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to take his place and appoint someone other than Burris to Obama’s vacant seat. But even that could create a legal headache, legal observers say, since the Burris appointment would still be pending.

“Even if Blagojevich is impeached, that doesn’t undo all the actions he has taken as governor,” said Andrew Raucci, a former chief justice for the Illinois Court of Claims and now a Chicago-based attorney.

Democrats say that if Burris hasn’t been seated by the time Quinn takes over, he could name someone else to the seat by rescinding Burris’ certification papers.

While the room may not be smoke-filled, it still reeks. Showdown in the Senate this morning, as Burris is denied. Even if Quinn eventually reappoints Burris, Illinois voters should still be given the opportunity to choose who will represent them in the Senate, free of any taint. Pat Quinn ran for reelection with Blago, when the governor was already under nine federal investigations--common knowledge at the time. He called him an honest man. While Burris should legally be seated, his moral authority to represent Illinois is totally compromised, given his accepting the appointment by a corrupt governor. Burris is due Wednesday in front of the Impeachment Committee to explain the circumstances of his appointment, but has put them off, as his "senatorial duties" come first. Dennis Byrne is caustic in the Tribune today, putting the responsibility for this travesty squarely on Democrats:

According to a New York Times editorial, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, by appointing Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate, has reduced the Illinois Statehouse to an opérabouffe.

For us flatlanders who had to look it up, an opérabouffe is an operetta, performed in an extravagant burlesque style, containing elements of comedy, satire, parody and farce that often ends happily. Except, this bouffe has no happy ending. And, if I may point out to the Times and other keen observers of the Illinois political scene, Blagojevich didn't single-handedly turn Illinois into "La Belle Helene." Blagojevich had a lot of help, and all of it came from Democrats, the Times' favorite political party. The ones who run the state, from whose maw emerged President-elect Barack Obama. The ones who control both houses of the legislature, occupy every statewide elective office and debauch Chicago and Cook County governments—Democrats all.

If any lesson is to be learned from this farce, it's that Democrats here know how to get elected but can't govern. It wasn't just Blagojevich who turned Illinois into the nation's most financially challenged state. Illinois Democrats were co-conspirators in wringing huge deficits, stiffing Medicare and other service providers and stuffing the budget with politically motivated programs. I would remind the Times that the legislature, over Blagojevich's objections, passed a budget that was $2.5 billion in the red in a blockheaded attempt to embarrass the governor.

The Democrats' most recent blunder was their stunning failure to pass legislation that would have stripped the governor of the power to appoint someone to fill Obama's Senate seat.

We're waiting now for Burris' rejection at the Senate door, and his subsequent ridiculous news conference. DEM-Mock-racy in action.