Lawmakers moving to strip Blagojevich of Senate choice
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/12/10/art.springfield.gi.jpg caption="Illinois lawmakers are set to convene over stripping Blagojevich the privilege of appointing the next senator ."](CNN) - Illinois lawmakers were quickly moving to take the decision of who will replace President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate out of the hands of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The 17th Amendment to the Constitution allows governors to fill vacant Senate seats, but politicians from both sides of the aisle have said it would be unacceptable for Blagojevich to choose Obama's successor.
"No appointment by this governor under these circumstances could produce a credible replacement," said Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois' sole senator at the moment. Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal conspiracy charges.
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@ MARK.......WHO ARE REAL AMERICANS????????????????????
OBAMA WILL SUCCEED, AND THE FAR-RIGHT NUTS WILL HAVE TO EAT CROW!
BLAGOJEVICH NEEDS TO RESIGN NOW!
you can bet jessie jr will be running for cover to his daddy ,,,, ops i for got big jessie want to do a little cutting off of obama ....man oh man ...what a mess in the 2 nd city..............
Chicago Legislature has the power to impeach this Governer. Do it quickly and send him to jail faster!
The end of time is near. Take this comment how you want, but if your a christian or prehaps a Bible scholar, then you know the Bible foretells of all these strange events that are happening around the world. The Bible predicts before Jesus comes the second time there will be wars, men will be lovers of themselves (homosexuality) knowledge will increse, crime of every type, people it will not get better, sure there will be a since of peace but the worst is yet to come!! JFYI
God forbid we follow the Constitution for once. Don't like Blagojevich appointing Obama's successor? Then amend the Constitution. There is no federal or state law that can simply disregard a clear constitutional provision.
There is no legal or constitutional way around preventing him from naming a successor to the Senate. Unless he is removed or resigns from office, the Constitution will not allow anybody else to name Obama's successor.
Follow the Constitution. I know it seems like a radical idea, but how about give it a shot.
How about you pin heads in government also strip Ted Stevens of his government retirement? Felony crimes should strip elected officials of every privilege and perk, as well as their freedom.
In this case, 'CRIME' goeth before the fall.
Another politician who speaks one thing and does another. bye-bye. and remember, don't drop the soap in the big house.
If the Constitution of Illinois states that the governor is responsible for filling a vacant Senate seat, then that is what should happen. I'm sure all of the strict constructionists on the other side of the aisle would agree, eh republicans?
This is not to condone Blago's reprehensible actions, but the law is the law. Of course, the legislature could always just change the Constitution. Slippery slope anyone?
Impeachment proceedings should be initiated and completed within one week and in the interim he should be deemed unfit for office. Governor Quinn...your turn.
After taping the evidence, Blagojevich should be stripped of any governor's authority and placed on paid leave till he is proven innocent.
I thought J.J. Jr. was the non-voting rep for the District of Columbia. Now he's a potential candidate for Illinois senator. Does he take a page from his Dad's playbook, and just pop up wherever there's a TV camera?
To S Callahan:
Your idea sounds great but the reality is that President-Elects would not pick certain senators to fill cabinet posts due to the risk of losing their seats to a different opposite party in a special election.
The current policy for replacing senators isn't ideal but it does allow PE's to choose whomever they so desire based on merit, without worrying about costing his/her party a senate seat
The Gov was back in his office and had requested a couple of shredders and was last seen hauling a bunch of hardrives out to the land fill. Just doing a little early spring cleaning.
Good luck to Jesse Jackson Jr.
He needs to just resign...and plead guilty. It's faster and it won't cost any money....
The next four years of democrats running this country ought to be interesting. The list of names that Obama will have to pardon at the end of his term in four years looks to be a long one.
Illinois has always been corrupt. From the bowels of Chicago where the police in the Shakespeare District kill homeless people with immunity, to the statehouse in Springfield. Why would anyone be surprised? Illinois...the next nuclear test area?
I guess the corruption can go both ways. Imagine this is coming from Obama's home state!
If the US Constitution says it's up to the governor, how can state legislation prevent that?
Impeach him and then ship him off to prison.
What a JERK. What an absolute scummy low-life toxically narcissistic JERK.
Impeach, and then imprison.
This is all Bush's fault.
Sorry, nobody blamed Bush for this yet. I just wanted to make sure we don't ruin the "comment" tradition.
Breaking the law in Il. So what else is new?
We need to have a war on corruption not only in Illinois but across the country. Fine them, jail them, hang them whatever – but lets get rid of this scum.
Geez, Mark, what blogs on CNN are you reading? Go back one step to the blog following the story on PE Obama calling for the governor to step down and you will see LOTS of comments trying to link him to this scandal, even though there is ample evidence to show that they were barely civil to each other, and that Blagojevich had absolutely nothing to do with Obama's campaign. CNN does moderate - look to the right of the comment box - but that doesn't mean that they don't print anything derogatory about the Democrats, and especially Obama.
If you want to blog to fellow Democrat haters, go blog on AOL or Fox. If you want to read diverse opinions, including those that disagree with your stand, then come to CNN.