The Senate Needs to STOP the Side Show

We are a nation of rules. The Senate MUST stop all this gamesmanship and posturing over Blagojevich. Blagojevich is still Governor, the Illinois constitution still calls for gubernatorial appointment to fill US Senate vacancies, and Roland Burris is constitutionally qualified to sit in the Senate. That should be enough to settle the matter. There’s no legal argument to avoid seating Burris, and not a lot in the way of ethical grounds, either.

Senate Democrats are wasting valuable political capital by engaging in this sideshow of trying to forcibly bar Burris from the chamber. We desperately need the first days of the new Democratic majority to be spent on the people's vital business, NOT on an unnecessary circus. (Especially one that seems likely to end up as egg on the faces of the Democratic leaders).

They can back bench Burris. They can avoid giving him any leadership in committees. But they need to seat him and let’s get on with it!