RightMichigan.com || Levin and Stabenow silent while Reid bars the doors, preventing desegregation of Senate

Advertise on RightMichigan.com

NEWS TIPS!

RightMichigan.com

Buzz

Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?
Tweets about "#RightMi, -YoungLibertyMI, -dennislennox,"

Raise the curtain.

Levin and Stabenow silent while Reid bars the doors, preventing desegregation of Senate

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 08:30:16 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

On June 11, 1963 Alabama Governor George Wallace physically blocked the doorway at the all-white University of Alabama in an attempt to deny access to two African-American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood. He read a statement, offered arguments and attempted to justify his action by citing the Constitution and various state and federal laws.

President John F. Kennedy responded by federalizing the Alabama National Guard and ordering the troops onto campus to desegregate the school.

On January 6, 2009 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had others physically block the doorway to the all-white United States Senate in an attempt to deny access to a duly appointed African-American, Roland Burris. He made various statements, offered arguments and attempted to justify his action by citing a cornucopia of laws and technicalities.

Michigan's United States Senators, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, responded with deafening silence.

The Senate remains, today, an all-white 99 member body and we don't even know how our own liberal Democratic Senators feel about it.

Certainly there are there legal and ethical questions to be answered about any appointment made by corrupt and disgraced (but still sitting) Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D). But certainly the appropriate answer is not to disregard the law of the United States of America and to physically block the Senate's lone African American appointee from even entering the chamber.

This issue is far too serious and far too important for prominent members of our nation's senior legislative body to simply ignore. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow owe voters an explanation of their positions but more importantly, they owe Roland Burris, another Democrat, the dignity and respect due a US Senate nominee and a fellow human being.

Support the man and his right to take his seat? Say so publicly. Today.

Support Harry Reid and his strong-arm tactics that yesterday sent Burris away from the Senate chamber and literally out into the rain? Say so publicly. Today.

This is a defining moment for this Congress and for the Democratic majority. Straddling the gap and refusing to stand up for what you believe in is little more than political cowardice and Roland Burris deserves better than that.

Consider this an urgent action alert:

Step 1: Please take a moment and call our US Senators and ask them if they stand with George Wallace and Harry Reid or if they stand with Roland Burris.

Step 2: Demand they state their positions publicly and unequivocally TODAY.

Senator Carl Levin
P: (202) 224-6221
E: senator@levin.senate.gov

Senator Debbie Stabenow
P: (202) 224-4822
E: senator@stabenow.senate.gov

< Wednesday in the Sphere: January 7 | An Honest Anti-Term Limits Argument from Skubick >

Share This:

Levin and Stabenow silent while Reid bars the doors, preventing desegregation of Senate | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

Is it just me.. (none / 0) (#1)
by theangryconservative on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 09:14:19 AM EST

Maybe it's just me but Roland Burris went to D.C. knowing that he didn't have the proper documentation to become a senator. He has been grandstanding and using this fiasco as his own end and has media circus to generate support for it. I find his conduct revolting as he as been acting as he is entitled to this Senate seat. If this is the way he intends to conducts himself as a member of the Senate then the longer he waits the better.

Careful, Nick (none / 0) (#2)
by Dutchsma on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 09:17:33 AM EST

I don't think this is an issue of race. It has everything to do with an appointment made by a corrupt politician who is trying to play the game to save himself from an eternity in political purgatory.

While Burress appears to be a qualified candidate to be seated in the Senate, Reid rejected his seating because his credentials were not in order - primarily the certification from the Illinois Secretary of State. We don't know if Reid would have allowed him to be seated yesterday if all his credentials were in order, but the fact that they were not is enough of a reason for the Senate to refuse to seat him.

I am all for hitting our two liberal senators when they are wrong but in this case I think they are wiser to keep their powder dry as this process plays out. The GOP should also be careful to not get baited into making this a racial issue and thus join the likes of Bobby Rush and members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

There may well be a solution that is reached regarding this appointment and Burress may eventually be seated but I think most people understand that the radioactive cloud hanging over this appointment has nothing to do with race and everything to do with a question about the legitimacy of the appointment by a corrupt politician.

Silly me, preferring to know by Nick, 01/07/2009 09:38:17 AM EST (none / 0)
And the issue by Nick, 01/07/2009 09:44:41 AM EST (none / 0)

Number corrected (none / 0) (#5)
by Nick on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 09:39:51 AM EST

I pulled wrong line from his contact form initially... my bad. Fixed now and the number you see in the story is CORRECT.

Not a race issue. (none / 0) (#7)
by Come On on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 09:46:30 AM EST

The (black) Illinois Sec. of State didn't certify Burris's appointment. The rules of the Senate didn't allow Burris to be seated. That seems to be the end of the story.

I was shocked when I read the headline. Please don't become involved with ridiculous racial arguments put out by old-school civil-rights era politicians. The comparison between 1963 Univ. of AL and the Burris situation is just plain ludicrous.

To suggest that Burris should be seated without the proper credentials - only because he his black - is not what I expect from this blog.

Call out Stabenow and Levin often, but only when appropriate. There is enough to complain about that you don't need to grasp for straws.

"Only because..." by Nick, 01/07/2009 09:53:22 AM EST (none / 0)

racial games (none / 0) (#9)
by leondrolet on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 10:36:53 AM EST

I agree with Nick that if the GOP were refusing to sit a black nominee, Dems would play their favorite game: race.

That is not an excuse for others to do the same.

The color of the appointee's skin is not relevant. The Dems are not refusing to seat him because he is black. Not an issue.

Then they're refusing to seat him by Nick, 01/07/2009 10:45:09 AM EST (none / 0)

I'm not saying by leondrolet, 01/07/2009 11:55:01 AM EST (none / 0)

According to the WSJ (none / 0) (#11)
by Dutchsma on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 11:06:43 AM EST

The Senate is going to seat Burress.

Not supprising if we understand history. (none / 0) (#12)
by LookingforReagan on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 11:27:09 AM EST

First let me say that the appointment of Mr. Burris was totally within the realm of the Constitution. He does meet the requirements set forth in that governing document, not what Harry"Bull Connor" Reid prefers. When the transcripts and recordings are released we shall see what the Mortician of the Senate really had to say as regards to an African/American filling the seat.
But for those who attended government schools and don't know the real history of the Democrat Party let me enlighten the masses. The Democrat Party was the party of the south in the beginning of this nation. As such it was the party of the slave holder. After the end of reconstruction it was the party of Jim Crow and the KuKluxKLan was the terrorists arm of the Democrat Party. To this day a former Klan member, Senator Robert C. Byrd D-WV still is a member of the Senate and the Democrat Party.
When we hear Cong.John Lewis lament his treatment by Bull Connor,it appears the Congressman from Georgia forgets that Sheriff Connor was a Democrat. Gov. George Corley Wallace who refused entrance of black students to Ole'Miss by standing in the door of that University, was a Democrat, Gov. Forebush of Arkansas that fought the integration of Little Rock High was a Democrat. These things arent' taught in schools today. The revisionism that passes for history education announces that Republicans are the racists in America even though the Great Emmancipator was a Republican and most of the soldiers that fought for the Union were Republicans as well. The GAR was a Republican Veterans Association. It is up to us to begin to educate as to where the real racism and anti-semmitism lies in this country as far as political parties are concerned. And historically and otherwise it isn't in our part of the woods.
Most people do not realize that if it weren't for nearly all of the Republicans in the Congress in the 1960s, the first Civil Rights bill would never have passed. Senators such as Albert Gore Sr. and Bill Clinton's mentor William J. Fullbrighth voted against the legislation. Both were avowed segregationists. Let the record stand as it happened not as the MSM and the Political Indoctrination Centers teach it today. History is what it is and the Democrats have never really shaken off their slave holder leanings.
As a life long student of American history and the Civil War I can say the facts and history are very clear. Democrats are racists.

Correction; by LookingforReagan, 01/07/2009 03:55:13 PM EST (none / 0)

The Real Reason (none / 0) (#16)
by Victor Laszlo on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 06:54:12 PM EST

The only reason that Reid doesn't want Burris seated is because Burris is going to lose the Senate Election in 2010 to a Republican if the Illinois GOP can field a good candidate. Burris has a history of being a poor campaigner and losing more races than he wins. Furthermore, it looks like the Democrats are going to have a tough time holding the Senate seat in Colorado given that Salazar's replacement is a complete political novice. Moreover, in New York, GOP Representative Peter King is going to be the likely candidate in 2010 and he stands a good chance at defeating Kennedy if she is appointed to fill Clinton's seat. I am starting to look forward to the 2010 Senate races already.

Looks as if Judicial Watch... (none / 0) (#17)
by Mark Adams on Wed Jan 07, 2009 at 07:07:49 PM EST

...is now getting involved by filing a lawsuit on this very issue of Burris, there Nick.

Levin and Stabenow silent while Reid bars the doors, preventing desegregation of Senate | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

Login

Make a new account

Tweet along with RightMichigan by following us on Twitter HERE!

NEWS TIPS!

RightMichigan.com

Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?
Tweets about "#RightMi, -YoungLibertyMI, -dennislennox,"

Raise the curtain.

Levin and Stabenow silent while Reid bars the doors, preventing desegregation of Senate

Menu

Login

Related Links