The Circus that is Roland Burris

I am by no means pleased that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) appointed Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate last week. Blago needed to resign last month and he is putting his party in a very difficult position. That said, regardless of the political implications and appearance of the appointment, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) needs to remember that the law trumps the desires of the caucus. Impotent and a joke he may be, but Rod Blagojevich is still the governor of Illinois, and under Illinois law he gets to appoint qualified persons to fill unexpired terms in the U.S. Senate. Roland Burris is clearly missing a few screws, but he has done nothing illegal or improper. His appointment to the Senate is valid, regardless of whether or not Jesse White, the secretary of state in Illinois and a black Democrat, will sign off on it. The Senate has no choice but to seat Roland Burris, and Reid would be wise to avoid a further spectacle, not to mention the accusations of racism, and allow Mr. Burris to enter the chamber to which he was lawfully appointed.