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No one could have predicted…
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if you can't see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.
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When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?
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JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?
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You are here: Home / Stop Talking And Do Something
Stop Talking And Do Something
by John Cole | December 30, 2008 6:48 pm | 119 Comments
This post is in: Democratic Stupidity
The Obama transition speaks out about the Burris pick:
Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision, and it is extremely disappointing that Governor Blagojevich has chosen to ignore it. I believe the best resolution would be for the Governor to resign his office and allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place. While Governor Blagojevich is entitled to his day in court, the people of Illinois are entitled to a functioning government and major decisions free of taint and controversy.
I guess I just fundamentally disagree with what is going on here. We have a system of justice, and there are rules that govern how things happen in this country, even in Illinois. Gov. Blagojevich has been convicted of approximately nothing right now. Yes, there is some damning information and audio out there, and I think I have even called him corrupt in the past, but right now it really irritates me the way things are playing out. All of these folks are playing games and looking for the easy way out, Obama included.
If Blagojevich is so corrupt that he can not appoint an innocent and good man to take the seat, then the Democrats needs to do something about it. He can be impeached. They could have had a special election (something Blago supported, I believe). But sitting around beating our breasts and saying "he should resign for the good of the state and the country" is not cutting it, and unless and until the Democrats stop pussyfooting around and do something, they should all just shut up and cope. Right now, Blagojevich is by legal standards not guilty of anything, and he is well within his rights to appoint someone to that seat.
And all this pearl-clutching makes me want to vomit. If there is room in Washington for William Jefferson all these years, who was caught with 90 large in his freezer, or David Vitter, who was caught in his didy being spanked by a hooker, or any number of others, there is room for Roland Burris, who hasn't done anything wrong.
We are a nation of rules, after all. How about we follow them rather than creating all this damned drama? Blagojevich will have his day in court, but for now he is legally the governor, he is legally carrying out his duties, and unless and until the Democrats grab the stones to get rid of him, they should suck it up and deal with his pick. All this gamesmanship and posturing is irritating.
*** Update ***
From the comments:
Also not sure why you don't realize that a lot of what you call posturing is fairly astute maneuvering for the purpose of cutting off at the knees the inevitable Republican and MSM charges of the Senate Dem caucus's acquiescence to a totally bent governor. We've been bitching for years about how Republicans mostly never let out a peep when one of their own gets busted; we're now supposed to hand the media, the GOP and low-information voters the kind of ammunition they'd get from our blithely accepting a Blago pick for the seat he tried to sell? It's not like we're protesting him fulfilling a function of his office that's wholly unrelated to the charges against him, after all.
Probably right. I guess I just hate pile-ons, even when they are directed at folks who probably are guilty. Come to think of it, I guess I just detest politics.
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Comrade Stuck
25 large in his freezer
I think is was 90 large. Not to be pedantic or anything.
Scott de B.
There is a sitting impeachment panel preparing charges against Blagojevich, although it has run into the problem that Fitzgerald has declined to present his evidence against Blago to the committee.
I would like to disagree with a part of Commrade John's post but unfortunately he has hit this one out of the park.
The impeachment process is moving forward, it just can't happen overnight. And surely you know that criminality and impeachment are two different things. Blago is an asshole of the highest order, clearly unfit for office, more evidence of which we have today where he made the most cynical move possible in choosing a senate replacement — and injected race into the whole thing to boot.
Seems to me you're the one clutching pearls here.
KLG
Eggszackly, John. You are new to this side, but as you already well know, Dems have elevated pearl clutching to a fine art. I fear that Obama will enable more of this ridiculous, self-defeating, and perhaps self-hating behavior.
If Blagojevich is so corrupt that he can not appoint an innocent and good man to take the seat, then the Democrats needs to do something about it. He can be impeached.
That's in process. It takes a few weeks.
They could have had a special election (something Blago supported, I believe).
Not possible given the busted state budget.
Not sure why you're ignoring these points; although you may not have been aware of the second one, surely everyone paying attention knows about the first. Also not sure why you don't realize that a lot of what you call posturing is fairly astute maneuvering for the purpose of cutting off at the knees the inevitable Republican and MSM charges of the Senate Dem caucus's acquiescence to a totally bent governor. We've been bitching for years about how Republicans mostly never let out a peep when one of their own gets busted; we're now supposed to hand the media, the GOP and low-information voters the kind of ammunition they'd get from our blithely accepting a Blago pick for the seat he tried to sell? It's not like we're protesting him fulfilling a function of his office that's wholly unrelated to the charges against him, after all.
The only things I worry about are; Is Burris free of corrupt IL politics. 2 is he capable of doing the job 2 Is there a good chance the people will reelect hiim.
And every answer I hear to the first two things are yes and yes respectively. And that being true, makes him such a rare animal in the IL pol sewer, the people will be so happy to find one honest and competent politician in their state, and maybe make him into a God of sorts, or a full term Senator.
TenguPhule
We are a nation of rules, after all. How about we follow them rather than creating all this damned drama?
We stopped being a nation of laws around Nixon. We stopped being a nation of rules around the Clinton impeachment.
Impeachment has become the empty cannon with the wet gunpowder in politics today. Always off the table.
If Blagojevich is so corrupt that he can not appoint an innocent and good man to take the seat, then the Democrats needs to do something about it.
An innocent and good man would refuse to be appointed by someone accused of Blagojevich's crimes, for the simple reason that his good name is at stake. It's nearly as important to avoid the appearance of impropriety as it is to avoid impropriety itself–if Burris takes office under these circumstances, he does so with zero confidence from his constituents.
The fact that he's both doing so and trying to race-bait his way into keeping the seat long-term, while not saying a word against the least popular Democrat in the country…well, it doesn't bode well for the Democratic party's chances of getting to 60 seats in two years.
If Democrats started talking about the Rule of Law when it involved a corrupt Democrat… they would be attacked as weak on corruption.
It's really that simple.
@evie:
The impeachment process is moving forward, it just can't happen overnight.
This is basically it. The government doesn't move much faster than this at its best days.
Dems asked Blago nicely not to select a Senator because it would look improper. I'm sure someone sent him a Sternly Worded Letter. Blago flipped everyone the bird and appointed a guy all the same.
If the Dems had all just bobbed their heads and gone along with it, they'd have looked like all those idiots applauding Stevens's return to the Senate after his indictment or Vitter returning to the Senate after getting caught with a diapered hooker.
As a Chicagoan, I can tell you that Roland Burris is indeed a fine man. He is a fine dem. machine hack of a man, who is so accustomed to doing what he is told to do, I suspect he agreed to accommodate Blagojevich out of reflex. The only chance Blagojevich had in playing this game was to find someone stupid enough to play along. Roland Burris is that man. Blagojevich is displaying the conscience of a bank robber who returns to the scene of his crime to open a savings account. If you seat Burris in the Senate, Blagojevich has played you for a sucker.
Reverend Dennis
If Blagojevich appoints Burris who is then seated in the Senate the Republicans will bray that Burris is tainted.
If Blagojevich appoints Burris who is then refused his Senate seat by the Dem leadership the Republicans will bray that the Dems are ignoring the rule of law.
In either case, the yakocracy will immediately begin dark speculations about the transparency, honesty, intentions, etc. of the Obama administration.
@Mike B.:
Yea, I heard Jim Warren saying pretty much the same thing earlier today, but haven't been keeping up since then. It seems the Blago has the dem party by the short hairs right now. Maybe not the best choice, but if he's clean, and there are a lot of rocks to be turned over on him in the coming days, then he will probably be seated. I don't think Reid can stop that, although he could work to then start unseating him. And it doesn't stop somebody else from running for the seat in two years. Democrats, you gotta love the Idjit Ballet they put on.
"I guess I just hate pile-ons, even when they are directed at folks who probably are guilty"
Really, though. You're so used to legitimate contenders being piled-on that there's the tendency to want to defend the victim regardless of legitimate criticism.
There are a few incidents in which the media and the blogs' criticism coincides, and in those cases it's probably a good idea to think before any of us kneejerk :)
Also, Blago's smug racism stinks of the GOP, not what I want from the Dems.
John, I just woke up and I had this dream that I'd been living for eight years under a nutjob Republican President and this wackjob woodsman named Daryll. Or maybe it was Dick. And everyone was just crazy, there were no rules at all, or what rules there were made no sense and were completely capricious.
Maybe it was that Japanese food I had before I went to bed.
MarkusB
I agree with your earlier point, John, that Blagojevich is just doing the only thing he can do (other than falling on his sword), which is to just continue to proclaim his innocence and keep on governerin'. But I don't extend that to say that interested parties in the Democratic camp should just nod their heads and say, "yes, yes, you are innocent until proven guilty, and we shall surely take this nomination seriously even though it appears highly likely to anyone with eyes and ears that you tried to sell this very seat for money. This, in spite of our explicit warning in advance that we would likely not consider such an appointment."
You don't punish someone (throw in prison, levy fines) without a conviction, but that doesn't mean you whistle Dixie and act like nothing's happened (although the GOP seems to be pretty good at this). And speaking of the GOP, I agree with other posters here that if the Dems act soft on this guy, the Repubs will hammer them over the heads with it.
mapaghimagsik
I think the whole "I'm govenor, I get to pick the senator" stinks.
But, Illinois should change its rules.
I think Burris should have refused the appointment. Then the Democrats do an investigation, and if he's clean, "insist" that he takes it.
Either way, it would be a good support of the rule of law that if Blago goes down, Burris work with the Illinois legislature to hold a special election. Not only would it look cool, it would be great political theater
But hey, power is power and its hard to turn down.
tom p
Gov. Blagojevich has been convicted of approximately nothing right now.
John, I have to point something out: This gives Blago the right to continue walking the streets as a free man. It does not give him the privelage of continuing to serve as Gov.
Even Nixon knew when it was time to cash in his chips.
Brick Oven Bill
The Democratic Party is in a pickle.
1. If Blago is impeached, he will take down the Illinois leadership during the hearings. Which is why I am doubtful that the Illinois leadership will impeach him.
2. If Blago is not impeached, he will be a lead TV subject for probably years as the wheels of Justice turn.
If Blago's ability to name the Senator is 'fucking golden', his ability to harass the system and threaten the Obama Administration is pick-your-adjective Platinum. And the value probably doubled today.
I'm to the point where I trust none of these guys, except perhaps the Oklahoma Senators, but do admit that this is fun to watch. At least taxpayers are being provided with entertainment. That picture headlining Drudge is very good.
sgwhiteinfla
A point that is being missed is how astutely Blagojevich threw the Illinois Dems under the bus for not holding a special election. Say what you want about that crazy fucker, he made a cold blooded political move today. For one no matter what Harry Reid says or even BHO for that matter, the Supreme Court has already set a precedent for Burris being able to take that seat. For two like Blago said, if the Dems had just passed the legislation for a special election he never would have "had' to do it. For three RACE CARD BAY BEE! For four ask yourself a question, do you REALLY think Harry Reid has the balls to keep this story going indefinitely by trying to keep Burris out and opening himself up to a Supreme Court case over the matter? And last but not least, the guy is actually qualified and has won a state wide race for comptroller something like 3 times along with being a form AG of Illinios.
Folks im thinking Blago was a Rethug in a former life or something because this move was nothing if not evil genius.
Walter Sobchak
We are a nation of rules, after all.
I agree, this isn't Nam. There are rules.
Outmaneuvering Senate Dems in general and Harry Reid in particular hardly qualifies one as a genius, evil or otherwise.
@John Cole
Touche, BUT would you have ever expected anyone with a D behind their name to pull some shit like this? And I am not talking in terms of the move being right or wrong, I am talking about having the cojones to do it.
Yeah, George Bush does it all the time.
Laura W
Geez Louise, John…looks like you sailed right out of that Doldrums Sea you was a flounderin' around in.
I picked the wrong day to stop snorting coke work outside the home.
(Kidding! In case a business associate sees this, KIDDING on the coke issue. Seriously.
/snark?)
Back to skimming threads in progress…
@TenguPhule:
Not for long. They're packing up the Banana Boat for the money cruise to Pitchfork, Paraguay. George has his box of Pretzels and the time to finish My Pet Goat. Cheney will pack his sunblock and itty bitty Electric Heart and a fistful of Peso's for the Senorita's (yuck). They will both have an Easy Button to fuck with all of us and tap our phones any time they want.
jerry 101
There are several problems with the special election.
1. It's Unconstitutional. The Illinois Constitution requires Senate appointments to be made by the Governor. A special election would first require a Constitutional Amendment. After realizing this, Illinois Democrats backed off the Special Election front. It doesn't help that…
2. Illinois Democrats (and National Republicans) are smart enough to realize that there will be an anti-Democratic backlash in any special election, resulting (probably) in Senator Mark Kirk.
Furthermore, Rod Blagojevich is delusional, on a George Bush level. He will not resign. Impeachment is going forward, but Illinois Democrats are a bit reluctant to impeach their own, even if he is hated by about 80% of Democrats in this State. They also don't want to have egg on their faces by screwing with the Federal prosecution, and end up with Blago being acquitted after removing him from office.
The impeachment may fail if certain pieces of evidence being held by Fitz aren't offered up to the impeachment committee. So far, Democrats on the impeachment committee have been unwilling to subpeona evidence that Fitz is holding until going to trial. There is also, probably, some dumbasses in the Illinois Legislature who don't know the difference between a criminal prosecution by a Federal prosecutor and an inherently political trial by a legislative body, and resultingly don't think they should mess with the Fitz.
At the end of the day, it's all about the pissing match between Blagojevich and Mike Madigan though. Madigan and the other Dems who want Blago to be gone and block him from making the appointment will try to throw up every roadblock they can (SoS White refusing to certify, which will lead to a lawsuit, which SoS White probably loses, compelling him to certify, which kicks it up to the Senate, which tries to block the appointment, resulting in a lawsuit, which results in…?)
Hopefully, that gives the Illinois State House and Senate time to impeach and remove. Before the Senate has to vote on whether or not to seat Burris.
The sad thing is this could have been avoided had Blago been willing to play ball instead of trying to screw everyone on his way down. Burris could have easily been appointed as a caretaker with advance blessing from Madigan, Durbin, and even Obama (or a surrogate). Once Burris had such blessing, then Blago could have said that he was appointing the guy everyone else wanted, not his guy. Burris could have said he won't run for re-elect, and the matter would have been resolved.
But, Blago is a delusional imbecile.
@sgwhiteinfla:
Yeah, that's Rod Blagojevich for you.
He's our own little Democratic George Bush.
He knows politics. He knows how to screw everyone else.
He sucks as a governor and he pisses everyone off though.
Plus he's corrupt.
But he knows how to play politics. He destroyed Judy Baar Topinka in a matter of weeks after she won the Republican nomination for Governor.
He took the most popular Republican in Illinois and made her about as popular as a child molester.
He is slick.
It's already apparent that "taint" will be the overworked word for 2009. I used to think it meant that warm dark region between the asshole and genitals. Perhaps it still does.
ThymeZoneThe Plumber
I agree with the Obama statement, and the update from the comments.
In politics, you put distance between yourself and somebody as toxic as Blago.
Politics and government are not a blog.
@jerry 101:
But, Blago is a delusional imbecile
Yes, but unfortunately he's our delusional imbecile.
the inevitable Republican and MSM charges of the Senate Dem caucus's acquiescence to a totally bent governor
Oh go fuck off (in a nice way). We JUST HAD A FUCKING ELECTION. Our side won–by a shitload. Why the fuck does the Weak Saucers always get the fucking vapors worrying about what a dead party of old southern crackers say about the party that's got about a big a majority as possible nowadays. Why the fuck does the majority need to give two shits about what some ideologically dead, vapid assholes in complete party dissarray spew about a NON-CONVICTED gov undertaking his CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED appointment?
Fucking christ on the short bus.
Why the fuck does the majority need to give two shits about what some ideologically dead, vapid assholes
Stop doing my schtick.
I can't live on Social Security, ya know. I need this job.
@Punchy: I am pretty sure that is the longest comment I've ever seen you post. (Of course, I probably missed several others.) You must be passionate!
Heretofore, you were the king of the one liners, in my feeble mind.
Oh, I get it: Punchy!
Silver Owl
Blago fucked himself royally. Then found out he didn't like it much and decides to be a petulant asshole to sooth his messed up ego he's going to "stick it to someone".
Don't know about you, I'm tired of messed up, ill raised assholes with over inflated egos and a false sense of entitlement shitting all over the house expecting everyone to clean up after them.
America definitely raised a whole lot of fucked up adults. The generations coming up do not have anything on the asshole adults we have now.
david heron
Not sure where the thought that the senate has a choice of who to seat in the senate comes from. The rules say it is the Governor who makes the appointment, so unless we want to have different rules that are unknown until needed, as we have for the last eight years, we need to go with what we got on the books. I am not happy with the Governors actions, but the U.S. Senate has little choice in who to seat. Unless it an issue of nationality they don't have much to say.
You must be passionate!
I'm just sick of this pattern of acquiesence when in the minority, such that Dems may one day become the majority. Then, acquiesce (sp?) as the majority, so fearful of becoming the minority again. Always looking over one's shoulder, fearing some toothless, worthless, racist fucks bitching incessantly about what the public has finally realized is complete bullshit from them.
Shorter: Dems need to grow the fuck up.
We have a system of justice, and there are rules that govern how things happen in this country, even in Illinois.
Um, have you not been paying attention the last 15 years? We have two sets of rules, one for the rich and powerful and one for the rest of us.
The rules for the rich and powerful can be summed up thusly: fuck it, there are no consequences to any of your actions. See: Clinton, Bill re lying under oath in grand jury testimony (something that would have sent the rest of us to jail without passing go or collecting $200); George W Bush re lying to start an unnecessary war and then fucking up the execution completely (no impeachment, no censure, no resounding defeat when seeking re-election); the financial "sector"; the "Big 3"; and Joe Liberman.
The rules for the rest of us can be summed up thusly: you're fucked. See: bankruptcy law; drug laws; tax laws; any attempt to litigate a mortgage fraud case (I am a plaintiff's attorney on a few of these cases and am basically getting a middle finger from banks).
I'm fairly libertarian in my leanings and don't really much trust those in power to begin with, so my perception may be a bit skewed. But really, some days I think we're closer to an oligarchy than we are a republic.
jenniebee
Nate Silver offers some helpful information:
The notion that the Democrats can refuse to seat Roland Burris out of hand is, at best, constitutionally dodgy. This is because of the Supreme Court's 1967 Powell v McCormack decision, in which it ruled that the Congress's power to judge the qualifications of its members is expressly limited to the conditions mentioned in the Constitution (e.g. age, residency, and U.S. Citizenship). If the Congress wants to deny membership for any other reason, it has another power, which is expulsion. Although the power of expulsion is much broader than the power of exclusion, it comes with a higher price tag: two-thirds of the Senate must vote to expel one of its members rather than a simple majority.
Given this, Reid and the Democrats have essentially three strategies they could pursue if and when Burris's name comes before the Senate Chamber:
1) Attempt to exclude Burris by majority vote, almost certainly inviting a court challenge.
2) Attempt to expel Burris after seating him.
3) Bluff at either of the above, but with the ultimate expectation that Burris will be seated.
The Moar You Know
The generations coming up do not have anything on the asshole adults we have now.
@Silver Owl: I think when my cohort (the Gen Xers) get their hands on the levers of power, we all may be longing for the good old days when quality folk like Sarah Palin were running for office.
CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMVIII
Oh, a Constitutional expert, huh? Apparently not. Check out Article 1, Section 5:
Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.
Do you get it now?
The notion that the Democrats can refuse to seat Roland Burris out of hand is, at best, constitutionally dodgy.
That may be true, but, it does present the question of whether an amendment should be introduced regarding possibly corrupt people being appointed to seats.
It sounds like Reid is ready to lay his career on the line for this (a wholly uncomforting idea, since he is almost always a weak opposition leader)… still, it does find a hole in the Constitution document that may need to be remedied, and that, to me, seems like a good thing.
cynickal
Personally, if I were playing cards with Reid, I'd double down with every hand and bluff him out of his shorts with a broken straight.
The guy folds faster than an accordion at a polka fest.
@CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMVIII:
The section you cite concerns elections and since there is a specific constitution call for only Governors to appoint, makes for a shaky stretch to the qualifications standard, which applies to the selected and doesn't apply to Blago who hasn't been convicted of anything yet anyway.
Blagojevich will have his day in court, but for now he is legally the governor, he is legally carrying out his duties, and unless and until the Democrats grab the stones to get rid of him
Impeachment takes time, and impeaching a Governor charged with making brazen back room deals takes even more time in Illinois. The ones doing the impeaching down in Springfield have a great deal of back room deals to do themselves. Successors need to be determined, allegiances needs to be bought, etc.
The mind boggling audacity of Blago's misdeeds are of Bush-like proportions. The patronage system in Illinois is simply not designed to turn on this dime.
And for what it's worth, Burris, being a rather benign fellow but a creature of Illinois politics nonetheless, deserves no pity. Anybody dumb enough to accept an appointment from a Governor in this much hot water doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt, much less a Senate seat.
Stuck, does it? It cites elections, returns and qualifications "of its own members". If Burris is appointed, doesn't that make him a member? I'm not saying it's a cut and dried issue, but, I think it introduces a situation that needs to be considered. Appointees have to have qualifications too, don't they?
Duke of Earl
@Reverend Dennis:
I concur, this is a lose-lose proposition.
Appointees have to have qualifications too, don't they?
Well yea, but that applies to Burris only, not the appointer. He was once the IL Attorney General and has been in gov a long time. I don't think Reid can assign his disdain for a still sitting and unconvicted gov with his powers still intact, to Burris. And the constitution is most powerful when it states specifically where a power is to be. And it does so with govs to appoint senators without an advise and consent clause for anyone else. Reid could try it, but I don't think he will. He made a threat he likely can't carry out, But then again you could be right.
What, then, are Caroline Kennedy's qualifications?
Have the Illionois Democrats appoint a commission to look into this and all other names, suggest suitable candidates, give Blogojevich his cathartic tongue-lashing while providing cover for his eventual choice, and the whole thing will have outside vetting with inside choosing. Everyone wins if the charade has a strongly-worded anti-Blogojevich summary report, a Senator is chosen (by the committee, of course,) and it will provide plenty of time to impeach the Governor while still letting him act as what he is: Governor.
The risk: Illinois Democrats have to put up with some bad press until the impeachment starts, the impeachment–which already seems like a political stunt to quash criticism, which is because that's exactly what it is–becomes even more of a fait accompli, and the Democratic Senators will have to find a way to accept the blatantly obvious plan as a valid one.
It will work if the appointee of Blogojevich is willing to step down after impeachment, even if it's only for a day or two until appointed by the successor.
whatsleft
$$$ SATSQ
I agree with your earlier point, John, that Blagojevich is just doing the only thing he can do (other than falling on his sword), which is to just continue to proclaim his innocence and keep on governerin'.
You have to keep in mind that this is just the latest episode in a drama that's been unfolding for at least two years now. The arrest was just the frosting on the cake of an administration whose hallmark was a sort of chaotic misrule and self-deception that's completely stalled desperately needed progress in this state.
We didn't suddenly wake up a week or so ago and find Blago, otherwise a competent administrator, mysteriously arrested. Instead what we found was a wreak of a government with him at its head, involved in yet another mess of his own making — this time with potential jail time at the end of it.
Reason enough to impeach and to limit the damage of any of his actions until he's safely packed away and no longer in a position to do us harm.
The Moar You Know,
It will be a minimum of two generations before the conservatives can even attempt to cleanse the stench and rot from their own ranks. lol
The whole marketing scheme of blowing smoke up everyone's ass is pretty much worn out. While some gen xers and their elders may think fantasies of fucking the next gop candidate is great for a boner and popping a load while on the couch, the rest aren't so eager for crap fairy tales nor screwed up personal issues about sex.
Let's get this clear, for all of Harry Reid's blustering, I don't know if they have the law on their side. The closest Supreme Court precedent is Adam Clayton Powell's case, and the House lost that one.
As for Jesse White (Secretary of State of Illinois) bullshitting that he won't certify it, let's just say he's old and Black folk aren't going to tolerate that BS from him. They won't be forgiving.
LMAO at Bobby Rush. Absolutely hilarious.
I guess I take a different view of this because this is local to me. But, politics in Chicago hasn't been this entertaining since the days of Council Wars.
I am absolutely OK with this. I look at this through a local lens. Roland Burris is totally fine as a candidate. Black folk in Chicago want to put a Black person in the Senate. We see absolutely nothing wrong with Burris being the choice. Can he win in a Democratic Primary in 2010 – who knows. But, by 2010, Blago will probably be in an orange jumpsuit, and taken down several other folks with him. Burris will have the incumbency and his own voting record. At the very least, even if he doesn't run for election, you would have given another Black candidate, the chance to begin from the starting line just like anyone else. This is about local politics, and we wish the President-Elect the best, but we have to take care of local Black folks. And, like I said, I wanna see Harry Reid take this to court.
Black folk are ' suspect' of the entire Blago takedown. Doesn't sound right to us. Plus, if you've lived under King Richard Daley II, who has had pretty much EVERYONE around him arrested, indicted and convicted – it will take a lot to convince Black folks that Blago is the worst person, or even the worst Illinois crook. Blago's only been around 7 years, and he's been fighting with all the folks that have made Black folks' lives miserable in Illinois for a long time before we heard his name. He probably is stupid. Crooked – yep. But, consider the crookdom that we've seen up close and personal, Blago just isn't this scary bogeyman national media wants to make him out to be.
I forgot to add that another impetus for this is the LOSS of Emil Jones as the President of the Illinois Senate. Jones has been very good to the Black community, fighting for it, cause we know how we are NOT served by Massa Michael Madigan, Speaker of the Illinois House. That adds another level to this political drama.
Funniest comment I read all day:
Blago done pulled a shank out from underneath his perfectly coiffed hair and cut all them mofos and there's not a damn thing any of them can do about it except put a Hello Kitty band-aid on the situation and call it a day
You should submit something to Jon Swifts' Best Blog Posts of 2008.
i applaud blago for sticking it right in their faces. he's still the governor and nothing – even the supreme court – will be able to block this appointment. add to that the racial component and, it will be defintely entertaining.
joe from Lowell
I second the host on Harry Reid.
The man's testicles suck up into his abdominal cavity whenever a Republican looks at him funny, but he'll squash an inconvenient Democrat in a heartbeat.
In case anyone missed it, I dutifully submit a transcript of Congressman Rush's oration.
Not that anyone cares, but I just fell off the wagon. I think I made it almost five weeks without watching Hardball, but there it was at midnight, on rerun, and the seductive mistess sucked me back in again.
I feel dumber for watching it, and I know it is no good for me, but I just can't help myself.
It happens to many of us John. Sigh. Congratulations on the recognition.
@John Cole:
Funhouse Proverb #46 — If you ain't a little bit dumb, you can't know what's going on.
You should have seen "the decider" yesterday. Matthews did a pretty good job of shitting on Bush for almost the whole hour. Don't get me wrong, all he did was give a factually based account of the Bush years but there was little to no spin and it was brutal in different parts.
Thats the only thing about Hardball, you have to pick your spots but you never know whether it will be a good night or a turd sandwhich.
But if you want to feel better I suggest this clip from "Morning Joe". Straight PWNAGE from Mika's dad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPY7O2eP-Fk
Brian J
The update addition from the comments makes a very good point, similar to what Chuck Todd was saying tonight. Basically, the guy Blagojevich picked was, according to Todd's sources, the one guy who could be picked and not be seen as tarnished. It was, in short, a big fuck you from the governor to the Obama people, because it put them in a bind: either they accept the appointment and align themselves with a corrupt governor, or they go against a perfectly acceptable if poorly-motivated choice for Obama's seat.
Todd also made the point that anything Harry Reid does is going to involve trying to kick this down the road for at least a few weeks, when Blagojevich hopefully isn't going to be governor anymore. I'm really hoping that's what happens, since it will make everyone's life a lot easier.
not a Blago supporter
ok John, I understand where you're coming from, but what if Blagojevich had appointed, say, for example, his wife to the Senate seat? I don't think you'd be saying the same thing (i.e., he's the governor, he has the legal right to appoint whoever he likes, etc.).
The bottom line is that the guy is tainted. Burris himself is not tainted, but the Governor is, and therefore the PICK is tainted. I don't blame people for resisting this, even though Burris might well be a great pick for the seat.
The Morning Joe clip was *extremely* good. I think it was one of those moments of clarity that Joe should have shut up and listened, and the show would have written itself. Instead, he had to be an assclown, and try to get his talking points in. How long before Joe starts calling critics anti-semetic.
I still won't watch the show, though.
Mr Furious
I haven't heard ANYTHING CLOSE to a smoking gun regarding this allegation of his selling Obama's Senate seat
People are acting like this guy was busted like Jimmy Serrano with a cash-filled suitcase exchange. I'm not seeing it. I've heard and read nothing beyond what I imagine to be the sort of horsetrading that probably happens all the time in these situations—ie: "I appoint you, you campaign for me, scratch each other's back, fundraise, etc."
Fine, if you're Obama, or the party, position and appearances matter: distance yourself from the guy, throw him under the bus, even ask for him to "step aside if he's guilty." I'm all for zero tolerance and purging corrupt people from office regardless of party. By all appearances, Blago deserves to be alone on his self-constructed island, but at a certain point it boils down to this: he's innocent until proven guilty and deserves a chance to defend himself. And frankly, if he thinks he did nothing wrong, he should tell Obama and everyone else to "Fuck off. I'm Governor, and I'm not going anywhere."
And if that's his position, I have no problem with him fulfilling his Constitutionally-required duty and appointing someone to Obama's seat. Viewed in a vacuum, Roland Burris appears to be a perfectly good selection. Taking into account Blago's situation, Burris appears to be the perfect appointment, and the Governor probably deserves credit for selecting him.
Though the point upthread about Burris refusing the seat is very well taken.
John clearly hasn't been a Democrat long enough…
First time poster here. This is about as fun as politics can get. And I must admit that I have a grudging admiration for Gov. Helmet Hair and his bit FU to the entire democratic party today.
So the real question is whether Dirty Harry is just huffing and puffing as usual, or if he really is going to lay down the gaunlet. If he does, what irony; he finally finds a spine and tries to keep an obviously qualified appointee (make that an obviously qualified black appointee filling the seat of the only black senator, who happens to be movin' on up to the East side) from being seated.
I do agree with those who think the stall game is in. Best case would be for Reid to call for an "investigation" into the appointment, wait for Gov. Helmet Hair to be impeached, and then let Quinn appoint Burris for the two year term. That would conincide with the "investigation" concluding that there is nothing to see here, and everyone should just move along.
Damn. I should be the Senate Majority Leader.
KCinDC
It was, in short, a big fuck you from the governor to the Obama people, because it put them in a bind: either they accept the appointment and align themselves with a corrupt governor, or they go against a perfectly acceptable if poorly-motivated choice for Obama's seat.
That may be, but by the same logic Burris is joining in the fuck-you, and has already aligned himself with the corrupt governor. It doesn't seem like the ideal way to end one's political career.
Stop doing something and talk! Um, no, wait….
Conservatively Liberal
I heard that ol' Harry got a brain scan and the doc noticed that his hypothalamus was abnormally small. When the doc told Harry about the problem Harry just laughed and said 'Another doc thought the same thing years ago but further tests revealed that he had found my testicles.'
Studly Pantload
@Comrade Stuck:
Funhouse Proverb #46 —- If you ain't a little bit dumb, you can't know what's going on.
Totally agree. Here in Seattle, I remember several years back when a Riz Rollins, freshly-former columnist of the local hipster, cooler-than-thou alt weekly, The Stranger (the outspoken and too-often insufferable Dan Savage, current editorial director) participated in a public discussion attended heavily by Stranger staff. During his time up, not only did Riz — a gay man, like Savage, for what-it's-worth context — roundly scold his former colleagues for their self-referential isolationism, but went on to remind us that if we, the audience, felt too cool to watch, say, Will & Grace, then we couldn't know what was filling the heads of our neighbors, leaving us desperately out of the loop when trying to raise our own voices.
Not only is it helpful to "read these idiots so you don't have to," sometimes you gotta read/listen to the idiots a lot of the rest of us do, cuz if ya can't keep yer finger on the pulse of the body public, yer just preachin' to the choir in yer head.
D-Chance.
San Francisco: "There goes the neighborhood."
Edmund Dantes
allow a lawful and appropriate process of succession to take place.
I'm sorry, but this line is wrong. I'm also disappointed Obama trouted it out too. There is nothing unlawful, illegal or inappropriate (legally) to this nomination. It might piss off Harry and Obama, but he's well within his rights to do this.
It might look bad. It might put them in an inconvenient place, but I have yet to see someone point to the part, statute, or code that says this couldn't be done.
@Edmund Dantes:
The phrase comes after "resign" so I think it should be read as "governor, resign, lawful succession". Blago's successor, not Obamas.
I agree with Obama on this one, in part. Blago can't function as a governor. He should step down.
Go to trial, certainly, and he can pick the Senator, but he should step down. He can't run that state (work with the statehouse, petition DC, allocate funds) after what's transpired, and that's his job.
He's a selfish creep. It isn't all about him. His JOB is to run that state effectively. If he can't do it, and I don't think he can, he should step down.
Oh go fuck off (in a nice way). We JUST HAD A FUCKING ELECTION. Our side won—by a shitload. Our side won—by a shitload. Why the fuck does the Weak Saucers always get the fucking vapors worrying about what a dead party of old southern crackers say about the party that's got about a big a majority as possible nowadays.
Piss off (in a neutral way). If you can't tell the difference (and judging by the crappy analysis coming out of your little holiday trip to IL, you can't) between constantly freaking out at what the GOP might do and simply avoiding handing them–and, more to the point, the MSM from which the average voters not fucking off on blogs all day get their half-assed perceptions–the gigantic Christmas present of appearing to sit still for Rod Blagojevich, then I ain't the one having the fucking vapors. Burris will be seated. There's a show we have to watch first.
RoBurr on Today dis morn. Articulate as hell. Typical savvy Illy polly who knows eggacktly what to say. good luck gettin rid of this guy. He aint going willingly. And as a for. AttyGen, he most certainly knows the law.
between constantly freaking out at what the GOP might do and simply avoiding handing them
What's the diff, exactly? Typical Dem you are: worry about the national media! No, worry about the Republicans! No, the media! Republicans! Voters too stupid to know the truth! Clearly, look at the 2008 election results!
2 years later: how much work actually got accomplished? None, really? But who cares! Now the Republicans dont hate us as much and the media only says mean things about us twice a day, rather than thrice. Victory!
You're the Herm Edwards of politics.
You're flailing now, Punchy. You called this one wrong and rather than back away gracefully, you start making up a history of my supposed thought patterns not supported by my (admittedly few on this particular blog, but that weakens your argument, not supports it) posts. My criticisms of your comments are based on your actual posts. Yours of me are based on…hysterical hallucination.
Dood, we're all wrong sometimes. It's no crime to admit it.
You're flailing now, Punchy. You called this one wrong and rather than back away gracefully, you start making up a history of my supposed thought patterns
Wrong about what? Are you, or are you not, very concerned about what mean Republicans and Sunday talk-show hosts will chirp about a Burris pick? If yes, then I'm most assuredly not wrong. If not, then you're a very shitty writer.
Chutzpah: n. Supreme self confidence; nerve, gall. See "Blagojevich, Ron" and "Maddow, Bernard."
Though actually I'm with you, John Cole, re the IL senate appointment. And having lived for eight years in Chicagoland think Roland Burris is OK/on the level.
Time to move on…
Good girl, Punch! Dig those feet in! Dig 'em deeper! Keep screeching!
And having lived for eight years in Chicagoland think Roland Burris is OK/on the level.
He is; he's fine, and everyone in Illinois knows it. And he'll be seated after the necessary theatrics take place for the benefit of everyone outside lllinois.
shortstop seems concerned.
Bob In Pacifica
All I know is my oxy connection in Wasilla is out of circulation.
I'd like to be proven wrong on this, but, couldn't this be said about any of the 50 governors in office now. Yeah, some more than others, but, I'd bet that what we're seeing in IL, is business as usual across the country and across party lines. And if there were enough manpower to investigate the 100 senators with regard to quid pro quo, what would we find? Rule of Law? We wish.
As Silver Owl noted above, most political players** are not mature and rational public servants rather, they are self-serving princes and kings. You know, assholes.
And with regard to the US Senate, this is a cesspool of rich, self-serving elite club members. At least the political scoundrel Huey Long was able to build the infrastructure of Louisiana, thereby benefiting his constituents, while amassing his wealth and power. Nowadays, the constituents (us voters) are given lip service and the money in play goes to a small circle of cronies.
I think the selection of Burris is politically brilliant and if you saw the press conference, IL Rep. Rush made an elegant case for his appointment. I think the Obama camp should shut the fuck up about this process and let IL and the US Senate deal with the brouhaha. The transition team needs all the energy it can spare to go towards national problems.
**"most people" can be substituted here
@Face:
Our creeps are as ballsy as their creeps?
Stupid + stubborn + a monumental ego but he has CHUTZPAH!
Who does he work for? How does any of this tough-guy posturing benefit the people who pay him?
Only insofar as my CPR certification has lapsed and I can see the pulsing vein in Punchy's forehead from here. Honestly, I've spent so much time smacking down true Democratic vapors that it bewilders me that some chick with whom I've never engaged would take one calmly rendered comment and extrapolate a history of overreaction from it.
There really is a difference between being politically smart–this one is a no brainer if you stop to think about it for two seconds–and worrying needlessly and constantly about what the other team thinks. It's not hard to see that screaming "But they're only following the law!" isn't going to do the trick with non-political junkies who are watching a gobsmackingly corrupt governor appoint someone to a seat he just tried to fucking sell. This one requires some highly visible pushback just to get it through the heads of people outside of Illinois (who are constantly assuming that everyone in our broken system is the best of buds and happily conspiring together) that the Senate Dems aren't lying down for Blago. It doesn't mean I think the voters are stupid (although I'm amused at the idea that the 2008 election results mean that everyone has suddenly become highly informed). It means that Reid, the Democratic caucus and Obama are taking the opportunity to distance themselves from Blago in no uncertain terms.
some chick
Wow. That's a reveal!
Why? Would "some guy" be a "reveal"? I have no Y chromosome myself, so it's hard for me to see why one might be insulting and the other not. Is Punchy not a woman and it's fightin' words to have thought he was?
I'm begging to agree with shorty. we should be very concerned how voters in Idaho and Mississippi and Texas and Okie take this Blago apptmnt. Otherwise Dems might lose those states, and we might then ONCE AGAIN get just hammered in national elections. Just like this past November.
Hell, we should find out what car Blago drives and deny that maker a bailout. Don't want that Blago taint!
@shortstop: There was nothing in my four-word comment that stated, or implied, "insulting" or "fightin' words".
IT WAS A JOKE.
Um, Face, you're bolstering my case here by making ludicrous quantum leaps. Just sayin'. Do carry on.
I'm with you, JC. This is a lot of ridiculous posturing that's going to look stupid when they have to seat Burris next week.
Either that or they're headed for a Supreme Court case which will make them look even stupider when they lose in a few months.
Circus Maximus – Powell v. McCormack said that the only qualifications which congress may consider as the basis to exclude are the ones mentioned in the constitution – age, residency in the state, length of residency in the US. "Suspicion of corruption on the basis of being appointed by a governor who is suspected to be corrupt" is not such a qualification, so the courts would presumably find that Burris had been unlawfully excluded.
They can expel him if they like, but that would require a 2/3 vote, and on what grounds would he be expelled?
Does anyone really want to go down that route?
Okely dokely, Laura.
I'm gettin' nowhere here. Perhaps some who know me will happen by and vouch for my non-vaporous status as a stiffly spined Dem. If not, oh, well; I'm doomed to the myth of having secretly believed that if we publicly tell Blago to fuck himself in a little sound-and-light show, we're cowering in our beds and giving way on every single issue that ever presents itself.
@Reverend Dennis: "Qualifications" in this case is really limited to age, citizenship, and residency within the state the person represents. Any US citizen over the age of 30 currently residing in New York State is technically qualified to be the senator from New York. Same for residing in Illinois/representing Illinois.
The Senate absolutely does not have the power to exclude someone on the grounds that their selection was ill-advised.
@passerby:
I think he can appoint the Senator.
Governors are managers, in a way members of Congress are not. What's it like when Blago goes to the Illinois Statehouse? Think a lot gets done? They're RUNNING from him. How about 4 (or so) weeks from now, when he needs his federal stipend for extended unemployment benefits? Governors are looking (now!) at borrowing the money from the feds. They're hashing out terms. How's that going to go for Blago?
What an ego.
The argument isn't about qualifications. It's the election (the appointment), which the Senate also judges, that is in question. Now the objection that the election was defective because the governor was trying to sell the seat may be invalid (or it may be that an appointment doesn't count as an election, even though senators weren't elected until the 20th century), but the Powell case is irrelevant, since in that case no one was challenging the election.
@KCinDC:
Blago is still the governor, so he can appoint the Senator, collect a paycheck, and hold press conferences.
He should resign, because he can't do the rest of his job, and unless I miss my guess, Illinois is going to want to be at the table in the next two months, and he's a freaking pariah.
As far as I'm concerned, he just threw every citizen of that state under the bus, in service to his own huge ego. When the governors start wrangling for position re: the new administration, with some very PRESSING problems, Illinois is at a distinct disadvantage.
It's a "screw you" to the people that elected him.
How about 4 (or so) weeks from now, when he needs his federal stipend for extended unemployment benefits? Governors are looking (now!) at borrowing the money from the feds. They're hashing out terms. How's that going to go for Blago?
Yeah, this reminds me of LA's Gov. Blanco after Katrina struck. While I don't consider her an egotistical asshole, she was mired in LA political machinery which hampered her (already inept) ability to lobby the fed for the people of her state. And both Sens. Vitter and Landrieu didn't fair much better as both are assholic political party hacks.
I'm surprised he didn't pick Tammy Duckworth. I know nothing about Illinois politics, but wouldn't she be even more untainted and above reproach than Burris? It would have been pretty hard for the Senate to refuse to seat an Iraq veteran who has had both her legs blown off.
I'm not deluded about politicians. I just think at some point we should stop cheering for blowhard egotistical assholes, who have…CHUTZPAH!
After 8 years…it doesn't work out too well for the sucker-citizen, does it?
It would have been pretty hard for the Senate to refuse to seat an Iraq veteran who has had both her legs blown off.
Saxby Chambliss would have no difficulty voting her down.
@kay:
In total, 100% agreement.
Well, technically it's been going on for decades (perhaps much longer than that) but I know what you mean.
I'm gettin' nowhere here.
Spend less time mocking and more time explaining your point and more people will take you seriously.
Exactly right. Otherwise, if the precedent is set that the Senate can simply refuse to sit someone on idealogical or "tainted" grounds, it throws the whole concept of democracy out the window. This is why I believe the Senate and Reid are walking on eggshells, and I dont think they know it yet.
Would this be the same scrupulous, high-minded Senate that ushered out convicted felon Ted Stevens with a standing ovation?
It was about Bush. The "eight years". There was this theme with liberals and Bush. Half the time, they were railing against his abuses. The rest of the time, they sounded secretly admiring, because he was….DECISIVE and a MAVERICK, and HE WON. Oh, hell. Won what? For whom? Who benefited?
It's like that with Rove, too. Do we disagree with Rove's tactics or do we just want a liberal Rove-like individual? We…can't decide.
(or it may be that an appointment doesn't count as an election, even though senators weren't elected until the 20th century),
This is incorrect. Senators were not elected by popular vote until the 20th century. But they were elected – by the state legislature.
True enough, John, but by the same token a replacement senator is elected — by the governor.
Spend less time mocking and more time explaining your point
I started to get all het up about the seeming double standard of this comment. Then I realized that getting accused of excessive mockery on this blog takes some doing. So okay, I take your point.
@Dracula:
Exactly right. Otherwise, if the precedent is set that the Senate can simply refuse to sit someone on idealogical or "tainted" grounds, it throws the whole concept of democracy out the window.
This is correct. One of the prime duties for a Senator is to represent their state. That's likely why the Founders expressly gave the power to appoint a replacement to that states Governor. Letting someone elsewhere, say in DC, pick , would not ensure the State Representation concern visa vi Federalism.
low-tech cyclist
Also not sure why you don't realize that a lot of what you call posturing is fairly astute maneuvering for the purpose of cutting off at the knees the inevitable Republican and MSM charges of the Senate Dem caucus's acquiescence to a totally bent governor.
I think that's bullshit. Claiming you're going to do something that you don't in fact have the power to do, just makes you look ineffectual. (Truth in advertising, I guess.) Whinging about something you can't do anything about, ditto.
Manning up, saying you don't like it, but the Supreme Court said here's the law, and we're stuck with that, end of story, at least turns your inaction into not beating your head against a wall, which is as good as it's gonna look, so you might as well go with it.
saying you don't like it, but the Supreme Court said here's the law
That's fine, but since the Supreme Court hasn't yet said that I don't see the relevance to this situation. This case has nothing to do with Powell.
Ed Drone
People who say Burris will have a taint on him may be accurate, but it would have been exactly the same, possibly even worse, if the indictment had come after the appointment. And if Burris can't function, very few could in his place. I think the Senate should seat Burris, but immediately start an investigation to make sure that nothing untoward happened to diminish his appointment.
That way, we don't have to wait for Blago to be impeached, tried, convicted, and removed from office. The result is continuity of representation for Illinois in the US Senate, and at least a caretaker office-holder in that seat whose politics are Democratic, the same as the majority of the voters of Illinois.
The talking points are:
(a) It's the law — the appointment is legal and can't be undone;
(b) We'll investigate whomever is seated anyway, and;
(c) We need to attend to more important things for this country, and a full Senate helps us do that. [We should also seat Franken for the same reason (assuming he's certified by the elections board), and allow for removal if court suits call for that, down the road.]
We have to get about doing the people's business, so cut this BS and let's get moving!
Oh bullshit, John, you were right the first time. Innocent until proven guilty. Mofo Blago hasn't been convicted of shit yet, even kiddie rapists get to vote until they're sent up, so he can appoint whoever he wants, especially a guy who has never been accused of anything. People of Illinois deserve two senators, and until they unseat the appointee or Blago gets what's probably coming to him, nobody got killed.
Drives me fucking nuts, that THIS is the ONE issue our bleeding idiot leader of the senate decides is worthy of a floor fight. FISA? Oh no, that's meaningless! Jesus, fucking, Christ.
http://www.propublica.org/…
If the facts as outlined in the enclosed article are correct, then Burris should not be allowed anywhere near the US Senate. Prosecuting a capital punishment case when there is substantial evidence that the accused is innocent should disqualify him from participation in government at any level.
BlagoGate III: Disgraced Illinois Governor Appoints Former Illinois Attorney General And Gubernatorial Candidate Roland Burris To President-Elect Obama's Vacant Senate Seat | THE GUN TOTING LIBERAL™ says:
[…] Cole of Balloon Juice […]
Roland Burris Is Getting Screwed « Beware The Man says:
[…] just that the shit Roland had to put up with was widespread on the left side of the 'sphere (even among good contrarians, like John Cole), and you know […]


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Julia Vos
Julia Vos Bio
2018 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase
(Performances at Boots and Hearts Music Festival and opener for Jade Eagleson)
2018 Icebreaker Hockey Cabaret Hosted by Mark Messier
(Performances opening for Gord Bamford)
2016-2019 Toronto Blue Jays Anthem Singer
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2016 Calgary Stampede Nashville North Star Winner
(Performances at Nashville North and opener for Madeline Merlo)
Country music artist Julia Vos is a small town girl with big ambitions. Now living part time in Edmonton and Toronto, she is entertaining and writing to take on Canada's country music industry by storm. Julia's music develops from a passion for sharing and raw personal experience. She was a Boots & Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase finalist for 2018, and was named Nashville North Star 2016 winner at the Calgary Stampede. Soon after she released her single 'Whispers' and has been featured on country radio stations Canada-wide. This led to her performing at the 2016 CCMA's in London for the Royalty Records showcase, and other opportunities. She has previously performed at the CFR half time show, Calgary Stampede events, and has opened for artists such as Gord Bamford, George Canyon, Adam Gregory, Beverly Mahood, and many more. Her early beginnings all started and are thanks to her parents and siblings playing together as a family band in the small town of Mulhurst Bay, AB. This gave her a great appreciation for classic country music and love for performing. Julia continues to work hard and cannot wait to share more music world wide. You can find her single "Whispers" on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, and all music streaming services.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Interior of the Doopsgezinde Kerk, Hindeloopen.
The Waterlander congregation is said to have numbered 1,000 members in 1653. In this year a new meetinghouse was built, being then the largest one in Friesland. Soon after, a division in the congregation took place, the smaller group being a Waterlander congregation, numbering nearly 200 members, around 1700, and meeting in the Kleine Huys; the other group, more conservative and calling itself Flemish, meeting in the Groote Huys, numbering about 600 members at that time. Through the intercession of the Friesche Doopsgezinde Sociëteit (Mennonite Conference of Friesland) the groups united ca. 1740, but in 1749 a new schism occurred, which lasted until 1810. In this year a part of the Kleine Huys joined the Groote Huys congregation, while other members of the Kleine Huys turned to the Reformed Church. In the meantime the membership had greatly decreased as a result of the decline in trade and population. The membership of the two congregations combined was about 780 in 1700; decreased to about 200 in 1796 and to only 57 in 1838. Since then the membership remained small—43 in 1861, 48 in 1900, 70 in 1929, 57 in 1954.
In 1808-1817 and 1834-1873 the pastor of Hindeloopen also served Molkwerum; in 1870-1949 its pastor served also at Koudum; since 1942 the congregations of Hindeloopen and Staveren have had the same pastor, mostly living in Staveren.
In the first half of the twentieth century Hindeloopen was served by the following pastors: F. J. de Holl 1900-1903, G. A. Hulshoff 1904-1910, A. de Jong 1910-1914, R. Swart 1916-1919, B. P. de Vries 1920-1923, H. Bussemaker 1926, A. L. Broer 1926-1929, Miss J. H. van der Slooten 1932-1939, Miss S. E. Treffers (of Staveren) 1942-1946, L. Laurense (of Staveren) 1949-1953, vacant after 1953. Activities are a Sunday school for children since 1917, a ladies' circle since 1927.
The last service in Hindeloopen was held on 30 December 2003. Services continued at Workum.
Doopsgezinde Bijdragen (1861): 122, 136; (1870): 34-37; (1874): 87; (1903): 91.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: II, 317.
Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: I, Nos. 961, 1162, 1180; II, Nos. 1926-41.
Broer, A. L. and Nanne van der Zijpp. "Hindeloopen (Friesland, Netherlands)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 21 Apr 2019. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hindeloopen_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=125471.
Broer, A. L. and Nanne van der Zijpp. (1956). Hindeloopen (Friesland, Netherlands). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 April 2019, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hindeloopen_(Friesland,_Netherlands)&oldid=125471.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, pp. 744-745. All rights reserved.
This page was last modified on 27 September 2014, at 18:35.


The following discussion list is slightly modified from that of Dublin Core. I have added a column "Identifier". All mails to the discussion list should be sent to"crm-sig", with subject = Re:<"Identifier">, nothing else. E.g: "subject: Re:BIRTHPLACE" (or click on the respective identifier). This will cause a natural order in the mail list archive. We shall try to maintain the summaries of background, proposal and outcome on this page up-to-date. The latest stage of discussion and individual contributions will all be kept on the mailing list archive. The purpose of this discussion list is not only to reach agreement, but also to acquire an understanding of problems associated with comprehension and application of the CRM and its associated documentation. The input gathered here will be a base to improve all parts of the documentation of the CRM.
Issues are added to the list.
The issues are assigned to working groups that will make decisions about them.
People comment on the proposals and sometimes it turns out that the wording of a proposal is unclear and needs fixing before there is a common understanding of what the proposal means.
We discuss the pros and cons of the various proposals relating to a given issue. If we succeed on the mailing list then that's fine, if not, it becomes a meeting subject.
Disagreements are resolved through other means.


Wei, Jian, He, Jianhua, Chen, Kai, Zhou, Yi and Tang, Zuoyin (2017). Collaborative filtering and deep learning based recommendation system for cold start items. Expert Systems with Applications, 69 , pp. 29-39.
Recommender system is a specific type of intelligent systems, which exploits historical user ratings on items and/or auxiliary information to make recommendations on items to the users. It plays a critical role in a wide range of online shopping, e-commercial services and social networking applications. Collaborative filtering (CF) is the most popular approaches used for recommender systems, but it suffers from complete cold start (CCS) problem where no rating record are available and incomplete cold start (ICS) problem where only a small number of rating records are available for some new items or users in the system. In this paper, we propose two recommendation models to solve the CCS and ICS problems for new items, which are based on a framework of tightly coupled CF approach and deep learning neural network. A specific deep neural network SADE is used to extract the content features of the items. The state of the art CF model, timeSVD++, which models and utilizes temporal dynamics of user preferences and item features, is modified to take the content features into prediction of ratings for cold start items. Extensive experiments on a large Netflix rating dataset of movies are performed, which show that our proposed recommendation models largely outperform the baseline models for rating prediction of cold start items. The two proposed recommendation models are also evaluated and compared on ICS items, and a flexible scheme of model retraining and switching is proposed to deal with the transition of items from cold start to non-cold start status. The experiment results on Netflix movie recommendation show the tight coupling of CF approach and deep learning neural network is feasible and very effective for cold start item recommendation. The design is general and can be applied to many other recommender systems for online shopping and social networking applications. The solution of cold start item problem can largely improve user experience and trust of recommender systems, and effectively promote cold start items.


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Now, the Justice League must help their ally reclaim his kingdom before Orm declares Cartoon Network on "The Enemy Below": "When Superman convinces. 3 Dec When Superman convinces Aquaman, the king of Atlantis, to come to the surface world to negotiate a peace treaty on behalf of his people. 24 Feb Watch Justice League S1 Ep6 - The Enemy Below full episodes, watch Justice League S1 Ep6. 5 Feb Hey everybody! Jump in the submarine with Dennis and Gerrit as they dive into another episode of Binge in Moderation where the guys discuss.


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text:
Could COVID-caused economic cratering trim 1 ppm from atmospheric CO2?
March 24, 2020 By Charles Komanoff
Calculations by the Carbon Tax Center suggest that the worldwide economic contraction from steps being taken to slow the spread of deadly COVID-19 could halve this year's rise in the atmosphere's carbon dioxide concentration.
The last time average atmospheric CO2 rose less than 1 ppm was 1993. Could 2020 do likewise? (Graph is from "Our World in Data" website mentioned and linked to below.)
This finding is largely illustrative and encased in caveats. First, the average CO2 level wouldn't actually fall; rather the business-as-usual annual rise of around two ppm would be trimmed to just one. And for that to happen, the slowdowns in travel, industrial production, goods movement and commercial activity, and the accompanying reductions in use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions, would have to be steep and prolonged, as our calculations show below.
The most critical caveat, of course, is the widespread deaths and massive dislocations bound up with these events. Megadeaths and cataclysmic job losses are not anyone's preferred path for slowing climate change. Nevertheless, the calculations provided here may be instructive.
U.S. Reductions
Federal bean-counters divide U.S. energy use into four categories: Industrial, Transportation, Commercial, Residential. We assume that the first three contract by 50 percent as factory production tumbles, aviation evaporates, commuting recedes, recreational travel dissipates, and offices, stores and performance spaces remain empty. (April 2 addendum: U.S. gasoline demand for the week ending March 27, before the economy fully shut down in all 50 states, was 27 percent less than in the same year-earlier week, according to Energy Information Administration data.) We assume that residential energy use, which currently is around a fifth of the total, rises by 10 percent due to enforced home-stays.
These assumptions add up to a 37 percent shrinkage in U.S. energy use measured in Btu's. The fall in carbon emissions might be a bit greater since carbon-free energy sources — nuclear power, wind turbines and solar panels — would keep humming while dirtier coal and petroleum bore the brunt of the cutbacks. We'll watch to see how other modelers handle the complex calculations.
See table below for bar details.
U.S. carbon emissions now (2017) account for only 15 percent of the world's total. To baseline the rest of the world's CO2 we turn to the superb data compilations and visualizations assembled under the aegis of "Our World in Data." Analysts Hannah Roser and Max Ritchie divide the globe into nine regions, plus International Transport (largely long-distance shipping and aviation).
We assigned various percentage reductions to each region as shown in the graph at right, starting with our U.S. figure of 37% derived above. Other reductions range from highs of 40% (International Transport) and 30% (European Union) to lows of 10% (Africa) and 15% (most of Asia; also Latin America). The worldwide average — again, this is speculative calculating — is 21%.
We again stress that these are guesses and are skewed to the high side; as dire as things are, it still seems unlikely that fossil-fuel burning and consequent carbon emissions will fall this steeply. Moreover, deep contractions probably won't be sustained for a full year.
Translating CO2 emissions to CO2 levels
The numbers are largely illustrative and we've pushed them hard. Summing the reductions shown in the graph, they imply that 2020 emissions conceivably could fall short of the 2017 baseline or "default" value by 7 to 8 billion metric tons (gigatonnes).
Tabular version of bar graph above.
The redoubtable "Skeptical Science" brief, Comparing CO2 emissions to CO2 levels, tells us that each 7.8 gigatonnes of emitted carbon dioxide adds 1 part per million to atmospheric concentrations of CO2. Equivalently, reducing emissions by 7-8 gigatonnes — whether absolutely or relative to a baseline trajectory — averts a 1 ppm rise in atmospheric CO2.
Keep in mind that this would constitute a permanent drop. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 would be 1 part per million less than otherwise not only at the end of 2020 but at the end of 2021, 2022 and every year going forward. The boon to climate and humanity, though slight (considering that the world has overshot the postulated 350 ppm maximum safe level by more than 50 ppm), would be indelible.
We hope in future posts to explore how much of the current reduction in CO2 might be negated by economic "bounceback" (short answer: not much); and, more importantly, how the economic and social upheavals from the coronavirus crisis might open up political pathways leading to decisive, longer-term action to bring down carbon emissions without widespread suffering.
Addendum, April 11: See our new post today, CO2 emissions will shrink this year. How much?, for a discussion of parallel but different projections of worldwide 2020 CO2 contractions from Carbon Brief.
Filed Under: International
Drew Keeling says
This is a timely and important analysis. The many trillions of dollars question posed at the conclusion remains open, however: How and how much "the coronavirus crisis might open up political pathways leading to decisive, longer-term action to bring down carbon emissions without widespread suffering."
In its recent piece ('The epidemic provides a chance to do good by the climate; chances are, though, that it will not be taken"), Economist magazine is rather pessimistic, calling the "long-term outlook" still "grim" (first quoting a Belgian researcher, then extrapolating further):
" 'The climate needs a sustained drop in greenhouse-gas emissions, not a year off'.' Unfortunately, not only is that unlikely to happen, but the response to the crisis could easily make things worse."
Partly this is a question of the post-epidemic "bounceback, " which Economist deems "entirely a matter of politics." More important may be whether leading democracies prove capable of seriously heeding some key lessons from this preventable pandemic. In the context of climate change, arguably the most crucial "take home" realization could and should be that, if they focus forthrightly on what is most profoundly at stake long term, governments are still quite capable of swift, radical, and significant tangible changes to public policy.
Jan Freed says
I believe there is an error in the above. Not all the CO2 emitted remains in the atmosphere. So 8 gT of CO2 not emitted does not mean 1 ppm not emitted. Although 1ppm weighs 8 gT, if we do not emit 8gT perhaps only 4gT remains in the air (or 1/2 ppm) after the other half was absorbed by land and sea. C0rrect me if I am wrong.
I should have said…. "perhaps only 4gT would have remained in the air" oops.
Jim Lazar says
This is an important analysis, and we hope that some of the contraction we are now seeing becomes permanent.
The one area that gives me the greatest hope is coal plant closure. Natural gas prices, at least in the USA, are so low that almost no coal plant in the country has positive economics. If they are closed, and the staff furloughed, many will never reopen.
Another area with some promise is that people staying home more will give them an incentive to invest in efficiency measures at home, and these will persist long after a vaccine is developed in a year or two.
Finally, hospitals are buying lots of new equipment for ICU deployment. If that equipment is newer, it may well be more efficient than existing equipment, and it will become the primary equipment, relegating older, less-efficient equipment to backup service.
However, I fear that all of this will be overwhelmed by fear of transit in the future. If we can convince people to walk and bicycle, that's promising. But I think the more likely scenario will involve de-urbanization and longer solo commutes.
Grisly silver lining: Pollution kills 4 million / year. There is less pollution so some lives are to be saved.
O que o coronavírus ensina sobre o colapso climático – Tandi Notícias says:
[…] na atmosfera – é esse oferecido que dita as mudanças climáticas, segundo cálculos de Charles Komanoff, coautor deste item e diretor do Carbon Tax […]
O QUE O CORONAVÍRUS ENSINA SOBRE O COLAPSO CLIMÁTICO – VISÃO PLURAL says:
[…] dióxido de carbono na atmosfera – é esse dado que dita as mudanças climáticas, segundo cálculos de Charles Komanoff, coautor deste artigo e diretor do Carbon Tax […]
Aumento menor da concentração de CO2 volta ao que foi em 1993 - ClimaInfo says:
[…] As quarentenas, paradas de produção e redução de viagens reduziram as emissões globais significativamente. Assim, ao invés de um aumento da concentração de CO2 na atmosfera de 2 ppm projetado para este ano, é possível que esta aumente menos de 1 ppm, o que não acontece desde 1993. Vale ver as matérias de Charles Komanoff no The Intercept Brasil junto com Christopher Ketcham e a só dele publicada no Carbon Tax. […]
O que o coronavírus ensina sobre o colapso climático - Bem Blogado says:
[…] de dióxido de carbono na atmosfera – é esse dado que dita as mudanças climáticas, segundo cálculos de Charles Komanoff, coautor deste artigo e diretor do Carbon Tax […]
On The Brighter Side: Global Quarantine Proves Climate Change - UCSD Guardian says:
[…] irrefutable proof. For example, climate researchers predict that the coronavirus epidemic will halve CO2 emissions in 2020. When the world begins to see how beneficial cutting CO2 emissions will be for the […]
Is the coronavirus helping or hurting climate change? | THE POLITICAL JOE says:
[…] There's clearly been some major short-term improvements. A study last month suggested that this year's overall carbon dioxide concentration could end up being cut in half by […]


text:
WelcomeA Hymn to JesusA Link to the Pages on this WebsiteA Link to all the Pages on My other WebsiteA Peaceful PathA Shadow of TimeChristian Race of LifeGate of EternityPeak of the FurnaceRevelation Tribulation Audio Bible Sermon ListRevelation Tribulation Everlasting Gospel MessageTwo Trillion GalaxiesVideosVideos EarthquakesVideos VolcanoesWebsite IndexZion Baptist Church of Northwest ArkansasThomas Marshal McElmurryInterfaith Religious Worship & the Antichrist & the Abomination of Desolation & the End of the World
www.BibleSermons123.com
A Hymn to Jesus
A Link to the Pages on this Website
A Link to all the Pages on My other Website
A Peaceful Path
A Shadow of Time
Christian Race of Life
Gate of Eternity
Peak of the Furnace
Revelation Tribulation Audio Bible Sermon List
Revelation Tribulation Everlasting Gospel Message
Two Trillion Galaxies
Videos Earthquakes
Videos Volcanoes
Zion Baptist Church of Northwest Arkansas
Thomas Marshal McElmurry
Interfaith Religious Worship & the Antichrist & the Abomination of Desolation & the End of the World
Welcome Gate of Eternity
The vast majority of humanity seems to have the concept of this Earth Life as the only state of existence they will ever have and even to the point as if there is nothing else in the scope of Eternity. As you can read on the following paragraph, this Earth substance is really only about 5% of reality!!!
In other words, there is a Gate of Eternity and at the moment of Death, every human being will pass through that Gate...
Therefore, I think you and myself should try to focus more on things that have true lasting value and worth!!!
Dark matter is a hypothetical kind of matter that cannot be seen with telescopes but accounts for most of the matter in the universe. The existence and properties of dark matter are inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, on radiation, and on the large-scale structure of the universe. Dark matter has not been detected directly, making it one of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics. Dark matter neither emits nor absorbs light or any other electromagnetic radiation at any significant level. According to the Planck mission team, and based on the standard model of cosmology, the total mass–energy of the known universe contains 4.9% ordinary (baryonic) matter, 26.8% dark matter and 68.3% dark energy. Thus, dark matter is estimated to constitute 84.5% of the total matter in the universe, while dark energy plus dark matter constitute 95.1% of the total mass–energy content of the universe.
The following photo is in the public domain because it was created by NASA and ESA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a ghostly ring of dark matter that formed long ago during a titanic collision between two massive galaxy clusters. The ring's discovery is among the strongest evidence yet that dark matter exists. Astronomers have long suspected the existence of the invisible substance as the source of additional gravity that holds together galaxy clusters. Such clusters would fly apart if they relied only on the gravity from their visible stars. Although astronomers don't know what dark matter is made of, they hypothesize that it is a type of elementary particle that pervades the universe. This Hubble composite image shows the ring of dark matter in the galaxy cluster CL 0024+17. The ring-like structure is evident in the blue map of the cluster's dark matter distribution. The map was derived from Hubble observations of how the gravity of the cluster Cl 0024+17 distorts the light of more distant galaxies, an optical illusion called gravitational lensing. Although astronomers cannot see dark matter, they can infer its existence by mapping the distorted shapes of the background galaxies. The map is superimposed on a Hubble Advanced Camera for Surveys image of the cluster taken in November 2004.
NASA, ESA, M.J. Jee and H. Ford (Johns Hopkins University) -
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/17/image/a/ (direct link)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gravitational_lensing#/media/File:CL0024%2B17.jpg
Dark matter is invisible. Based on the effect of gravitational lensing, a ring of dark matter has been inferred in this image of a galaxy cluster (CL0024+17) and has been represented in blue.
A massive cluster of yellowish galaxies, seemingly caught in a red and blue spider web of eerily distorted background galaxies, makes for a spellbinding picture from the new Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. To make this unprecedented image of the cosmos, Hubble peered straight through the center of one of the most massive galaxy clusters known, called Abell 1689. The gravity of the cluster's trillion stars — plus dark matter — acts as a 2-million-light-year-wide lens in space. This gravitational lens bends and magnifies the light of the galaxies located far behind it. Some of the faintest objects in the picture are probably over 13 billion light-years away (redshift value 6).
This file is in the public domain because it was created by NASA and ESA.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gravitationell-lins-4.jpg
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2003/01/image/a
NASA, N. Benitez (JHU), T. Broadhurst (Racah Institute of Physics/The Hebrew University), H. Ford (JHU), M. Clampin (STScI),G. Hartig (STScI), G. Illingworth (UCO/Lick Observatory), the ACS Science Team and ESA
I believe these Photos are in the Public Domain, since they were created by:
NASA and ESA.
The following photos are from:
https://frontierfields.org/
http://hubblesite.org/
The majority of people of the world think this Earth Life is the only state of Life they will ever exist in. Unfortunately, the masses of humanity are extremely ignorant of the reality of the state of the Universe and the potential Life beyond this Earth Life does exist.
Most of humanity spend their Earth Life on a basis as if there is nothing more to Life than the Life in the Earth Flesh body and they live from day to day, sunrise to sunset, on a weekly basis, then on monthly basis, then on the changing of the seasons, then the years, then all of a sudden their live fades away, perhaps early or a late live span, with the loss of any true Spiritual Life awareness.
There is more to Your Life than this Earth Life...
If you would like to Learn about the Photos, simply go this Link and it will give you Details about the individual Photo.
Here is the copyright notice for the photos. They are in the Public Domain, so I've simply put them here for a illustration of helping you, the viewer to understand in a visual manner, there is more to your potential existence that your day to day life upon this Earth.
There is a very vast Universe out there and it only composes about 5% of Reality. The other 95% is made up of a different kind of substance of which would be the Spiritual Existence beyond what I call the "Gate of Eternity"...
http://hubblesite.org/about_us/copyright.php
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