Harry Reid’s Ego v. The Junior Senator From Illinois

WILLIAM A. JACOBSON JAN 9, 2009 2:55 PM

Harry Reid refuses to give in to the U.S. Constitution. With each passing day, Reid has been embarrassing himself more and more. The decision of the Illinois Supreme Court ruling that Roland Burris is the lawful appointee of Gov. Rod Blagojevich makes clear that this dispute is about Reid’s ego, not whether Burris is the lawful appointee.

Reid has refused to seat Burris on an extremely strained, and wholly unjustified, theory that the Senate can do whatever it wants as to seating Senators, which would make elections and lawful appointments merely advisory. Reid risks creating horrible precedent merely to soothe his need for power.

There are only two people who are looking good in this process: Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris. Blagojevich may have acted in his own political self-interest, but he acted legally and properly in filling the Senate seat promptly with no taint on the person selected. Burris, though, is the real hero. While acting in his own self-interest, Burris was correct to stand up for the lawful appointment, not to play Reid’s political game, and to go to Washington to uphold the Constitution. I hope Burris will continue to fight for what is lawfully his.

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