by Frank James
Sen. Roland Burris gave his first Senate floor speech Monday and, fittingly, it was on behalf of the nomination of Eric Holder to be the nation's first African American attorney general.
Burris drew from his own life story, telling how when as a 16 year old he and other black youths integrated a previously whites-only swimming pool in the 1950s in Centralia, Ill., the black lawyerhis father had hired to represent them failed to appear.
His father said the cause of civil rights would only progress when they could turn to "responsive and responsible" black lawyers and Burris said father's words returned to him when he heard that President Barack Obama nominated Holder to head the Justice Department.
Burris, who largely read his speech, essentially said Holder would return the Justice Department from the dark days of the Bush Administration.
Then he ended by saying the desk he sits at was once Robert Kennedy's, who served as President John F. Kennedy's attorney general. As RFK blew on the flames of justice making them burn brighter, Burris said, he expected Holder to do the same. It was a memorable bit of imagery to end with.









Comments
Had high expectation for Sen Burris, thought he could do better than that.
Anyway its a head over Sen.Durbin.
Posted by: Inky | February 2, 2009 7:30 PM
This is utterly amazing the good old boy network is in full swing. Is there anyone in Congress with any scruples? You can be sure the nitwits in Congress will also confirm Daschle. If anyone believes his excuse of making a mistake I'll sell you the Capitol building. It seems as though at least everyone that has business there can be bought. Its disgraceful.
Posted by: Paul | February 2, 2009 7:41 PM
START THE WAR CRIMES TRIALS!!!
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http://media.photobucket.com/image/war%20criminals/scott71free/5721f006.jpg
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Posted by: Hubert | February 2, 2009 8:30 PM
What's wrong with Daschle? As long as we get campaign finance reform--we won't see things like this. Until then, they have to feed the media beast to be elected...
Posted by: still head and shoulders above the repugs | February 2, 2009 9:00 PM
Excuse me, Paul; what again is the problem with Sen. Burris speaking in favor of confirming the new Attorney General? Did you have a point or did you just feel like whining?
Posted by: Flo | February 2, 2009 9:48 PM
Burris is a disgraced appointment to the Senate by a crook. He has no respect among many of the So. Il voters except Centralia, and very little their. He is delusional to pretend otherwise. His office is staffed and operated by senior members of Harry "the war is lost" Reid, and he operates as his puppet. He should resign for the good of Il. He can than chisel "senator" (small caps!) on his mausoleum and fade into obscurity, remembered historically as a man who placed himself above the principle of integrity.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | February 2, 2009 10:31 PM
Paulo + Dyslin × Yoders - Common Sense ✛ Allardice − ☮, ♡ ✚ understanding = Bubba Porter.
Posted by: The Outer | February 3, 2009 12:11 AM
Burris is a disgraced appointment to the Senate by a crook. He has no respect among many of the So. Il voters except Centralia, and very little their. He is delusional to pretend otherwise. His office is staffed and operated by senior members of Harry "the war is lost" Reid, and he operates as his puppet. He should resign for the good of Il.
Posted by: Bubba Porter | February 2, 2009 10:31 PM
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Flubba Porter,
Do you have any facts to back up your bloviating with or is this just another example of screaming from the sidelines by GOPer's like yourself who have just had their butts kicked in two straight elections?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6maZIitEqY
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Posted by: mr happy | February 3, 2009 12:48 AM
Marc Rich and the F.L.A. terrorist pardons.
Two tax dodgers.
Change you can believe in?
riiiiight!
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | February 3, 2009 1:23 AM
One Iconic, One Shameful Moment in Black History
Content:
Iconic Moments in American Politics
There are certain, rare iconic moments that occur in the world of American politics, not nearly as many as some would have us believe, but they do happen.
“Moments” and “occasions” are daily events. Therefore, this article will focus only on those Americans who had a profound influence on the course of American history. Rather than looking at what they accomplished, which is for the most part common knowledge, it will focus rather on what the latest iconic moment means.
In the last half-century, one would have to designate as iconic such moments as, in chronological order, the election and assassination of our nation’s first Roman Catholic president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the subsequent rise to power and assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
and Ronald Reagan’s election as our 39th Chief Executive who was elected in 1980.
People are obviously free to dispute that choice of the three most iconic occasions of the last fifty years but my picks do lead up to the most significant event, to date, of the twenty-first century, namely the election, not of Barack Hussein Obama as president, but of the election of Michael Steele as head of the Republican National Committee.
(The shameful moment occurred on Monday.)
Any contention that a new RNC chairman is in any way equivalent to Kennedy’s election and assassination or to MLK’s murder or to Reagan’s successful efforts to reverse what President Carter did to our military, our economy, and our sense of value as a people, misses the point.
Michael Steele represents perhaps the last, best hope to prove ...
(Read the rest of this article and details on Black shame at http://genelalor.com/.)
Posted by: Gene Lalor | February 3, 2009 3:01 AM
Ref
Agree in part-
Burris is much better selection than the Obama-Rahm-Bago short list.
Very disappointed with his raving regarding Holder.
Posted by: Inky | February 3, 2009 6:49 AM
Bubba: Burris would never give up the seat. He is so self important like the guy who put him in place, Blago. Besides, he's probably already had the appointment chiseled onto his monument to himself.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | February 3, 2009 6:53 AM
I'm sure this was Holder's proudest moment.
Posted by: MJ | February 3, 2009 7:18 AM
Burris is a US Senator, and the other 49 states aren't too concerned right now with his standing in Centralia. He's been in Washington for 2 weeks and you already have him in the good ol boy network. He needs to earn his way into it.
Posted by: Flo | February 3, 2009 7:45 AM
I had a small fundraiser for Burris at my home in 1990 in his AG campaign. I'm really glad he got seated in the Senate and hope he runs again.
There is an interesting point about Centralia, in the southern part of Illinois, vs. central Illinois, particularly Sangamon, Macon, Piatt counties.
There is a demographic line somewhat south of those counties which some claim is the real demarcation line between north and south.
Kevin Phillips is one who I believe has written about this line.
Anyhow, north of that line, in at least post 1945 years, public facilities like schools and public parks and pools were integrated. Pre Brown v. Board and pre Civil Rights Act.
So I found the story about the Centralia pool case not consistent with the Central Illinois I remember.
But I lived north of that line, in indisputably Lincoln territory.
Posted by: ornery | February 3, 2009 11:03 PM
My god, can Burris talk about anything besides himself?
Thanks once again Illinois for saddling the country with this opportunist. This man has no shame.
Posted by: greg | February 4, 2009 7:52 PM
PLS Mr. Burris do the right thing RESIGN RESIGN RESIGN, WE WISH YOU WOULD RESIGN!!
Posted by: combine carl | February 12, 2009 9:58 AM