If Burris is okay, no connection with waterboarding and not more than, say, fifty bucks in his freezer, go ahead and seat him. Democrats need his vote; Illinois needs a working Senator.

How long until the term expires? Two years? It well may be two years before we get any resolution on Blagojovich. We need a Senator now.

In modern MSN ethics the "race card" insertion automatically aserts that a Black person is playing the "race card"..

This of course is nosense since whites invented the "race card' i.e only whites need apply"...."jim crow" laws ..etc

In this case Sen. Ried played the "race card" by contacting the Illinois governor and instructing him not to appoint Burris, Jesse Jackson Jr, Davis etc..

Burris not only trumped those whites who tried to play the 'race card" but he also slammed dunked Obama( his impotent happy negro reaction to the Burris saga was quite predictible)..

ALL WHITE SENATE NO MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blagojevich is still governor, and despite being an obvious sleazebag, has yet to be convicted of anything. Its in his power to appoint a replacement and he appointed a qualified person for the spot. He should be seated, simple as that. If we find out during the investigation that Burris did something wrong, then he can be unseated. So far I've yet to see anything that suggests this.

It amazes me that they gave Lieberman a pass without much of a fight and are looking the other way while another senator is being appointed on her name alone, but they're so willing to jump over this like its a giant crisis.

You have make nice and say all the sweet sounds required of you. If Blago got on his knees and was contrite and demanded to be punished, the Senate would seat a mule if he sent them one.

BURRIS IS IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

look backward and beholden to the "happy negro crowd"( folks who like to ignore racism in our nation)...

Obama's posture on Burris was no newsflash but revealing and a precautionary signal for Black activism...

More work to do even with brother in the White House...

Diane Feinstein might has a bit more credibility about Panella if she hadn't been part of the Bush chorus, rubberstamping Bush's little illegalities like domestic wiretapping, rendition, waterboarding and defining torture. Apparently she needs to go back and read her personal diary as to where her opinions were with previous CIA leaders walked the plank.

What silliness! Of course they're going to seat Senator Burris. All of these machinations they're going through are just political theater designed to save face. Of course, Reid and the others wouldn't have to save face if they had just kept their big mouths shut from the start. But they're politicians, after all, and prone to be a bit silly now and then....unfortunately.

The Burris matter is the clearest shot across the bow you can get, that Harry Reid is just not up to the job. His continuation in his majority leader position is dangerous for all of us. The Repubs have no offense now, but if I may continue a stupid football analogy, they have brilliant defense: McConnell and his buddies will sack Reid every time before he gets the ball off. They are smarter, cleverer, and more ruthless than the Dem leadership -- by far.

This is no laughing matter: Obama's economic plan, and all of our hopes for getting out of this recession, may depend on getting some decent Senate Dem leadership. What about Jim Webb? Other suggestions?

Jim Webb is great, but he only has been around for two years. Maybe Carl Levin of Michigan? He might be a wonderful Senate leader, even though he is no handsome prince. He fears no Republican, owes nobody anything.

and sooner than anyone expects. It is just and fair and the right thing to do. It is happening as we discuss it.

Thank California Senator Diane Feinstein for that.

You can be sure our new President has her cell number.

it is a done deal...Reid and Burris shaking hands....what a totally great day today has been!

This good news ( answered prayer for me ) about Burris, and the lovely large manilla envelope holding my completely unexpected, amazing , precious and priceless to me, 8x10 engraved commerative Inaugural Invitaion....embossed gold seal and all!

I have cried three times in the last few hours, once for being called a racist in denial, and much worse, yesterday, on Open Salon , the second time for the stunning surprise of the large envelope from "The Presidential Inaugural Committee" and just now for the happy news of Roland Burris, an honorable man who deserved the appointment...I predict that he will be such a fine Senator that he will be unopposed for election.

I'm glad to see that this dispute over Burris' appointment appears to be heading towards a resolution where Burris will be seated, but Reid's original pronouncement that no Blagojevich appointee would be seated, and his initial reaction to Burris selection, are part of a troubling trend.

Essentially, Reid, and the Democratic leadership, have sought to show that they are honorable and free of the sort of corruption Blagojevich is accused of, by expressing an intention to use technically constitutional tactics to thwart the Constitution's clear provisions, in this case delaying Burris seating by "evaluating his credentials" until the next election, or relying on the Senate's constitutional right to control its own rules, and the inclusion in those rules of a recommendation that appointments by a Governor be signed by the secretary of state, to sidestep Powell v. McCormack's holding, in keeping with the Constitution, that Senators(or Representatives), in evaluating the credential of new members, cannot exclude a new member for reasons other than a lack of the credentials required by the Constitution.

The Constitution cannot fulfill its purpose if those sworn to uphold it work to intentionally thwart it by using its provisions for purposes clearly not envisioned by its creators.

Other recent examples of this are the use of impeachment as a political tool against President Clinton, President Bush's refusal to enforce congressional subpoenas, and the Democrats' failure to impeach Bush because it was more politically advantageous to have a criminal president from the other party to point to. See my blog in my signature for a more lengthy discussion of this.