In a stark repudiation of his threats to block the seating of Roland Burris as the new junior senator from Illinois, the Senate Democrats decided that the law had more authority than their hapless leader.
This also marks a baby step set-back for President-elect Barack Obama, who originally knee-jerked in favor of Reid's scheme. His former colleagues in the Senate politely demurred.
Whew. Finally ... score one for the rule of law -- at least in Washington.
Since the seating is still contingent on the signature of Illlinois Secretary of State Jesse White, the pressure is on him to obey the law and sign the certification, as he is obligated to do. He has no authority to use the technical need for a signature to essentially negate the Governor's exslusive right to name a qualified person -- and we the people should be sure that he does not usurp and assume such authority.
One hopes that the Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, will officially advise White of his involuntary legal duty, but nothing is certain. There are indications that she may try to provide specious legal cover for the Secretary of State in the same way she took a sham case to the Illinois Supreme Court to have the Governor declared incompetent to serve.
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