Call It A Comeback
From Progress Illinois
She reminds us all that this clown was the Illinois Attorney General:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=059ex9MiK_0[/youtube]
Mendoza has had some very good media appearances between Blagojevich and Burris.
As many of you know, I am party to one of the lawsuits seeking evidence that would help to establish, one way or the other, whether Obama in fact meets the U.S. Constitution’s eligibility requirements for the office of President of the United States. To understand my view of the critical issues involved see the WND articles The End of the Constitutional Republic, and Obama, Oaths and the End of Constitutional Government.) Now Obama’s lawyers have filed a motion to quash our effort to obtain the relevant documents (cf. Bob Unruh’s WND article Sanctions sought in eligibility case.) I am told that it includes a demand that monetary penalties be assessed against me and the other plaintiffs in the suit. Though not unexpected, this motion confirms Obama’s ruthless determination to destroy anyone who continues to seek the information the Constitution requires. Why should they demand penalties against citizens who are simply seeking the enforcement of the Supreme Law of the Land? It is simply because their persistence runs contrary to the will of a supposedly popular demagogue? This smacks of tyrannical arrogance. That Obama thus signals his intent to bring financial ruin on those who won’t accept his cover-up of the circumstances of his birth is a tactical escalation. It confirms the common sense suspicion that he won’t act forthrightly in this matter because he has something to hide.
Turns out the lawyers in the case Keyes brought are trying to obtain Obama’s records from Occidental College for a challenge to Obama’s citizenship. It’s a particularly nutty attempt given such records won’t demonstrate anything about Obama’s citizenship and the ‘threat’ is that because the lawyers are filing silly motions and filing for subpeonas that have nothing to do with the heart of the case, the defense is asking for sanctions against the loons. This is Andy Martin territory.
Really, Roland. Get out of the US Senate.
David Orr calls for Burris to step down according to Greg Hinz. Everyone else please follow:
**** Update: Cook County Clerk David Orr, who always has been very sensitive about offending African-American voters, just issued a statement calling on Mr. Burris to step down.
The statement accuses Mr. Burris of playing “verbal hide-and-seak with the truth.” It concludes that voters should not have to “suffer through more episodes in this unseemly drama…I ask you to step down and let the people of Illinois move forward.”
Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan today referred several documents associated with U.S. Senator Roland Burris and his testimony last month before the Illinois House Special Investigative Committee to Sangamon County States Attorney John Schmidt.
Speaker Madigan also sent a letter to Schmidt which begain “Pursuant to our telephone conversation today…” So, this is obviously more than just a blind referral. More in a bit.
Rich has the original story up linked above. Good for the Speaker. John Schmidt, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney, is a Republican and while I’m not terribly familiar with him, my understanding is he’s a career prosecutor and a good State’s Attorney.
Don’t investigate, just take Roland Burris at his word and seat him in the United States Senate.
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has acknowledged he sought to raise campaign funds for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the request of the governor’s brother at the same time he was making a pitch to be appointed to the Senate seat previously held by President Barack Obama.
Burris’ latest comments in Peoria Monday night were the first time he has publicly said he was actively trying to raise money for Blagojevich. Previously Burris has left the impression that he always balked at the issue of raising money for the governor because of his interest in the Senate appointment.
In comments to reporters after appearing at a Democratic dinner, the senator several times contradicted his latest under-oath affidavit that he quietly filed with the Illinois House impeachment panel earlier this month. That affidavit was itself an attempt to clean up his live, sworn testimony to the panel Jan. 8, when he omitted his contacts with several Blagojevich insiders.
Who could have predicted….
Just feel the awesomeness
Burris told reporters he talked to Robert Blagojevich on a “routine fundraising call” in October, prior to Obama’s election as president, and the governor’s brother said, “I am now the new fundraiser for the governor, and Roland, you’ve been helpful for us in the past,’ and I said, ‘Yes, you know, I’ve certainly tried to work with the governor. I’ve tried to help you all. A lot of people didn’t.’”
Burris said Robert Blagojevich told him, “‘We need to raise some funds. We hope that you could probably get some of your friends together.’ I said, ‘What type of money we looking for?’ He says, ‘Can you raise us 10-or-15 thousand dollars?’
“I said, ‘I don’t know, but I can’t do it now because we are in the midst of an election. Call me after the election.’ He said, ‘Fine.’
In his recently filed affidavit, Burris said it was during his first discussion that he “asked Rob Blagojevich what was going on with the selection of a successor if then-Senator Barack Obama were elected president, and he said he heard my name mentioned in the discussions.”
But in his comments last night, Burris added new details.
“So some time shortly after Obama was elected, the brother called,” Burris said last night of Robert Blagojevich. “And now in the meantime, I’d talked to some people about trying to see if we could put a fund-raiser on. Nobody was—they said we aren’t giving money to the governor. And I said, ‘OK, you know, I can’t tell them what to do with their money.’”
“So when the (governor’s) brother called me back, I said, ‘Well, look Rob…I can’t raise any money from my friends. I said, maybe my partner and I, you can talk this over and see, could we go to some other people that we might be able to talk to that would help us out if we give–because we give a fundraiser in the law office, nobody going to show up. We’ll probably have a thousand dollars for you or something to that effect.’
I had allergy testing this morning.
Anything happening?
Some jackass got himself impeached and this feature has been put to the wayside consistently. So, let’s hear from everyone how they see the IL-5 Special Election. I do reserve the right to moderate delusional Pulido supporters (meaning all Pulido supporters).
Here are our Democratic Candidates:
Sara Feigenholtz
John Fritchey
Charles Wheelan
Victor Forys
Pete Dagher
Jan Donatelli
Frank Annunzio
Carlos Monteagudo
Paul Bryar
Roger Thompson
Tom Geoghegan
Cary Capparelli
Mike Quigley
Patrick O’Connor
Burris did attempt the I don’t recall bit later in response to Representative Tracy
REPRESENTATIVE TRACY: So you don’t recall that there was anybody else besides Lon Monk that you expressed that interest to at that point?
MR. BURRIS: No, I can’t recall.
While that probably isn’t enough for a conviction, it might well be enough for a prolonged investigation. Perhaps Roland can just tell us now that he’s not running in 2010. Because he will lose in the primary and right now, he’s embarrassing the party.
Again, this misses the big picture that Roland Burris misled the people of Illinois and was an active participant in the culture of sleaze with lobbyists being the entree into government. And recall, his conversation with John Harris was about getting a relative employed by the state.
Finally, Harry Reid has to feel great about rolling over and just admitting Roland without hearings and stuff. I mean, what else could have come out….
Especially impressive is how Burris contradicts himself in the affidavit.
In the second affidavit he says he was attending a fundraiser for Blagojevich on June 27, 2008, where he made a donation, and asked Scofield and/or Wyma about the potential position.
Next paragraph, Burris says he rebuffed Rob Blagojevich for fundraising because to do so would be a conflict of interest.
It’s like he didn’t read the paragraphs together.
But let’s review what we now know. Burris sought out the Senate seat from
1) Lon Monk Lobbyist
2) John Wyma Lobbyist
3) Doug Scofield State Contractor
4) Rob Blagojevich Chief Fundraiser for Blagojevich
5) Finally, John Harris Chief of Staff
Burris is shocked, he tells you, shocked that there was gambling going on… pay for play going on, but he approached two lobbyists, a state contractor, and a chief fundraiser for Blagojevich as his first contacts to determine if he could be a legitimate candidate.
And it took him one month to set the record straight with the public about all of these contacts suggest it wasn’t only because he wasn’t allowed to answer, but he was actively trying to hide the information from the public.
U.S. Sen. Roland Burris said today he didn’t have any inappropriate contact with allies of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich about his desire for Illinois’ Senate seat, and he defended his evolving explanation of what happened as an effort to make sure all the information comes out.
“I’ve always conducted myself with honor and integrity,” Burris said at a combative news conference, where his attorney repeatedly stepped in to try to answer questions as reporters insisted the senator take the microphone.
He was just working the system of governance by lobbyist. Fantastic
The new affidavit prompted calls by Illinois House Republicans, including Rep. Jim Durkin (R- Western Springs), to convene the Democratic-led House impeachment panel and ask it to refer Burris’ affidavits and testimony to the Sangamon County state’s attorney, Republican John Schmidt, for investigation over possible perjury. Durkin was the lead Republican on the House panel and questioned Burris about his contacts.
According to transcripts of the hearing, Durkin asked Burris if he discussed the Senate vacancy with “any members of the governor’s staff or anyone closely related to the governor, including with family members or any lobbyists connected with [Blagojevich]” and then named Harris, Blagojevich, Scofield, Monk and Wyma as well as deputy governor Bob Greenlee.
After conferring with his attorney, Burris responded, “I talked to some friends about my desire to be appointed, yes.”
On Sunday, Burris maintained his “yes” answer applied to every name Durkin asked about except Greenlee.
Asked why he went on to answer a follow up question by Durkin that only detailed contacting Monk, the senator blamed his Republican questioner who “took us off in a different direction” that didn’t allow him to give a complete answer. “Why didn’t he come back to those [others] if he was interested in them?” Burris said of Durkin.
After Burris’ news conference, Durkin said it was “pretty clear what I was asking” at the hearing. “There’s nothing from what I heard in the press conference that changes my mind” in seeking a perjury investigation, he said.
Burris’ attorney said the senator decided to file a new affidavit after reading a copy of the transcript of his testimony at the hearing “to make sure there was nothing left out.”
Burris said on Sunday that the initial affidavit was in response to the panel’s interest in how he obtained the appointment and that the most recently filed affidavit “dealt with contacts I had about the Senate seat. Look at the difference.”
I want to side with Jim Durkin here, but as Rich points out, the record is that Durkin moved on.
Check the transcript. After Burris testified about his meeting with Lon Monk, this is what Rep. Durkin asked…
REPRESENTATIVE DURKIN: Okay. Did you speak to any individuals who — any individuals who were also seeking the appointment of the United States Senate seat, otherwise people we’ve referred to as Senate candidates one through five?
My jaw dropped when Durkin did that because I couldn’t believe he just let go of Burris approaching a lobbyist for consideration as a Senate replacement.
It was sloppy questioning and while Burris clearly was evasive, there isn’t a perjury case for that sequence.
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