I Told You So!

Hey,

While I recuperate from my illness that I wrote about here, I am literally under instruction to "take it easy". Many people who know me know that I am not a person who does that. So I find myself in a bit of a Catch-22. As a result, I find myself looking at a lot of articles and watching a lot of CNN. As of today, I just have four words for all those who doubted me. They are:

I told you So.

A while back, the whole scandal erupted with my former Governor and official Hero, Rod Blagojevich and his Senate Appointee, Roland Burris. At the time, they could not reject Burris' appointment simply because Blago (as I affectionately call him), was allegedly dirty. Now, we all know Blago got thrown out of office and Burris proceeded to step all over his body to get an alley-oop into the Senate. Now, it appears that karma is a b**ch and she's pissed off at Roland Burris.

An article has come out in the Chicago Sun-Times that states that Roland Burris is more than likely going to be investigated for perjury. For those of you not sure of how perjury comes into play, Burris testified to the Illinois House Impeachment Committee in early January that he had no contact with Blagojevich or any of his staff in regards to the Senate appointment. Now, it appears that that may be a false statement. In an affidavit, which is a certified legal document, the Senate appointee admits that he spoke with Blagojevich's brother, Robert, in regards to a possible $10,000 donation to his campaign or campaign support upon his becoming the Senator from Illinois. 

I am laughing my ass off right now, because it feels so great to be right. The wrongs of corruption should be corrected and Burris should be kicked out of office. Being found guilty of perjury alone is a charge serious enough to cost a practicing attorney their legal license to practice law. In theory, a politician can be stripped of their title for such. Look at President Bill Clinton, who was impeached for perjury. We all know what happened there.

So, with Blagojevich saying that even though he was out of office, we would hear more from him about names, times and places, as well as making sure any and all affiliated with any of the crimes he was thrown out of office for, with these affidavit, and now all these balls rolling in a direction to get Burris out of the Senate, as many (myself included) have wanted from the beginning, a man that no one wanted in office initially, except those who didn't really understand the dynamics going on around it, I say finally, Karma is a b**ch.

I just wonder where "Senator for less than six months, perjurer and overall failure to the people of Illinois" will fit on his massive tombstone "monument" to himself in Oak Woods Cemetery on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. 

Thoughts?

*Ashley Robin*

It's So Hard Being Cold

Hey,

So, I'm in Chicago, home of the 30 below temperatures. The weather, as told by Amy Freeze of Fox News, (enter obvious joke here), is going to be so cold that people are advised to stay indoors unless they absolutely must have to venture outside. With that in mind, what do you think my plans are? Yep, you guessed it, to go outside.

So, why am I venturing out into below zero temperatures, to face the "frozen tundra" and potentially risk frostbite on my person? Simple. I have a date with waffles. Specifically, some of my female friends and a plate of waffles. Fried chicken and extra maple syrup is optional. (But still great.) I don't know if I'll actually do the chicken since I have yet to eat meat in 2009, but we will see. One of my goals for 2009 was to lower the amount of meat I ate, if not cut it out altogether.

I guess I value time with my friends more than I do my fingertips, and maybe that's just dumb. Or, I just really love the taste and the smell of chicken and waffles. But I've got gloves, a hat and a good coat, so I guess that's the most important thing. Meanwhile, I hope and pray that those waffles keep me warm. 

Meanwhile, let me just say that I am not happy about Roland Burris becoming my Senator.I even wrote Durbin a letter in response to it, telling him that I refuse to even acknowledge that man as a Senator-elect. Granted, he has BIG shoes to fill, but still...the man is an idiot and just as big an egomaniac as Blago, if not more so. People hate Blago in Illinois, but any man who has a shrine to himself erected in a cemetery before his actual demise....yeah, no comment there. I just hope that the next two years fly by and someone worthy wins the seat in election. If Burris runs for it, I pray that Lisa Madigan (the person who I felt should have been appointed) runs and kicks his ass in the primary.

More blogs are coming, and I'm always looking for inspiration for more. So hit me up!

Thoughts?

*Ashley Robin*

Roland Burris, Senator? Maybe, or Maybe Not.

Hey,

So, I was on my couch, taking a break from writing, and I happened to turn on CNN. Now, I'd read the news that Gov. Blago planned on appointing someone to the Senate seat, but I did not read about who the person was, simply because I wanted to be surprised to find out what idiot had actually accepted the man's phone call, much less agreed to be photographed or seen in public with him.

Enter Former Illinois Atty General Roland Burris, 71.

No one can deny that Mr. Burris has had a long history in Illinois politics, that he has been known for his ability to keep on trucking despite three gubernatorial losses, as well as being the first African-American politician to serve in a state-wide Illinois position. 

However, some who know Burris say that he also speaks of himself in the third person, is career-motivated and serves as spokesman for the Help Roland Burris Make Money and Be Powerful campaign. I had an encounter with Burris when I was a child, and I did not like him. I just had one of those "lights are on but no one is home" moments with him. My mother met him also, independent of my experience, and not only was he condescending, she said he just seemed lemming-ish. Now, we all know lemmings are not leaders. They follow. And Barack Obama as a Senator might have been many things, but lemming-ish was not one of them. 

The drama begins...

It's like a bad made for TV movie. I can just picture it, "Close but Yet So Far: The Roland Burris Story" on Lifetime Movie Network. Rod Blago would be played by Eric Roberts. The press conference alone was a circus. First, Blago says that he's been loving the attention he's been getting, then Burris starts giving shoutouts at the podium, which led to Congressman Bobby Rush (who looked terrible...like he might be sick or something) coming up on the stage and basically telling the media that anyone who did not support Burris as a Senator from Illinois is racist. 

Meanwhile, Harry Reid, leader of the Democratic Caucus said before Blago announced Burris as his pick that whoever Blago picked would not be confirmed by Senate Democrats. Due to the fact that I was bored at home, I looked up cases to see if what Senator Reid was saying is legit. According to US Supreme Court ruling on a case of Powell v. McCormack in 1969, if Illinois Congress approved the appointment of Burris to the US Senate, then Reid and the other Democrats would have to let him take the seat, and then convene a special vote, which would require a 2/3 vote in favor of expelling the new Senator. Honestly, they aren't going to go through all of that, it's too much effort to get a vote together, and there are more important things Given the poor attendance record of most Senators, that might prove more difficult then thought. Also due to Bobby Rush making the case for race, many senators may not even want to vote in such an election, just so they didn't have to even deal with the 'appearance' of being racist. Imagine Jesse Jackson and PUSH marching in front of Senators offices all along Capitol Hill carrying signs saying "Racist Senator works here".

Right on his heels, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has said that as far as he is concerned, Burris will not get through the appointment process. However, as the Secretary of State, he has a duty to basically approve and put the official seal on documents that the Governor issues, as well as carry out directives issued by the Governor. It is simply his job to "check the person out" not make a determination of whether or not they are morally qualified to hold such a position. 

However, since it appears the no one, including Blago's lawyer, wanted him to make this appointment, people will now be on a mission to somehow find a way to either make Burris' life hell, tie him in some way to Blago, or create some kind of loophole allowing them to give Burris the boot. What a terrible way to end his career, because from this fiasco, there is no escape.

Thoughts?

*Ashley Robin*