The Blog Hole: Burris is Bribe-y, Robot Judges and Self-Awareness

Put Skynet On The Supreme Court: Let me get this straight: a judge who allows the Bible to influence rulings is fine. But a judge who allows their racial, gender, and life experiences to influence their rulings is not fit for the bench. Blogger John scrambles, like most conservatives, to find arguments against Sonia Sotomayor. That she draws on her life when interpreting law, which requires interpretation, seems utterly permissible and necessary. After all, judges are not robots. [powerlineblog.com]

What Did He Pay And When Did He Pay It: Tarnished Senator Roland Burris doth protest too much. Did the maligned politician pay disgraced former Governor Blagojevich for his appointment as the junior senator from Illinois? Mark Brown basically says "Maybe." He definitely tried, or maybe he's just one of those sketchy guys who comes off as permanently corrupt. Like the Hamburgler. [suntimes.com]

Self-Awareness Takes The Fun Out Of Debate: David Harsanyi tackles the abortion debate with candor and honesty, casting intellectual doubt on his own beliefs as a devout secularist. Which is, you know, totally not any fun. Hey, David — you either love abortion to pieces or you listen to angels who tell you to hate the womb. There is no middle ground. Anti-life or Pro-fanatic! No middle ground! Fight, fight, fight! [denverpost.com]

Roland Burris May Have Pretty-Pleased His Way into the U.S. Senate

So, you're totally not gonna believe this, but it appears that Roland Burris may have promised to "personally do something" for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in exchange for appointing him to Barack Obama's empty senate seat…

I know! I'm blown away, too! I never, ever, never, ever, ever, never, nevever would have guessed it!

I mean, who could have foreseen that the guy who was quickly appointed by the guy who was unanimously impeached by the Illinois senate might not be the cleanest knife in the drawer?

Sen. Roland Burris' Son Also Rode the Blago-Wagon to Jobsville

Newly-appointed senator Roland Burris has been catching a lot of flack recently for getting his new job from disgraced former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich amidst what might have been some shakily moral campaign-contributing.

But here's some good news for Sen. Burris…

The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a federal tax deadbeat who landed a $75,000-a-year state job under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich five months ago, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Blagojevich's administration hired Roland W. Burris II as a senior counsel for the state's housing authority Sept. 10 — about six weeks after the Internal Revenue Service slapped a $34,163 tax lien on Burris II and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure suit on his South Side house.

See? Apparently, the senior Roland Burris' contributions had nothing to do with his getting the job as a U.S. senator.

Rod Blagojevich simply had a penchant for giving jobs to people named Roland Burris.

Sen. Dick Durbin Has Some Advice for Sen. Roland Burris

I wonder what Illinois' senior senator Dick Durbin thinks his state's new junior senator Roland Burris should do now that it's looking like he may not be a totally innocent party in the whole Blagojevich affair…

"I told him that under the circumstances I would consider resigning," Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois' senior senator and the Senate's No. 2 Democrat said after a nearly hour-long meeting with Burris.

Oh, really? Well, I suppose that means Burris will be leaving the Senate now. I bet he's packing up his stuff right now as you read this…

"He's told me clearly that he will not resign."

Or not. Yeah, I guess not. That kinda makes more sense.

Borowitz Report: U.S. Nationalizes Illinois Senate Seat

Andy Borowitz writes…

In an unorthodox move certain to generate controversy, the United States today nationalized the Senate seat held by Roland Burris.

The White House quickly defended the measure, arguing that Burris' seat had become a "zombie seat" that was a drain on the rest of the Senate.

Minutes after the U.S. assumed control of Burris' seat, speculation centered on what it would do with what is widely regarded as a toxic asset.

Here is where I would write something clever if I thought that there was anything worthwhile to add.