Burris, The End Of The Affair: Kissy, Kissy

Even farces must come to an end.

So, there was Roland Burris, scorned by Speaker of the US House Harry Reid, sitting by Reid, wreathed in smiles and nodding to the cameras, a picture that spoke a thousand words. Between them was a painting of a stern looking Mark Twain. Hovering over Reid’s tuned head, the corner of the frame piercing his noggin, was a painting of an even sterner looking Andy Jackson, founder of the modern Democrat Party.

The two has reached an accommodation. Burris would be questioned under oath by the Illinois senate concerning any deal he might have made with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. And after he had testified under oath, Reid and the No. 2 Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, would be happy to…

Reid said he had nothing against Burris “as an individual.” But there were these storm clouds racing around Burris’ head and, well… you know…

Judicial Watch said it was going to sue the senate if it did not accept Burris as a member because the US Constitution required the senate to do so.

The Black Caucaus was stamping its collective feet, and growing impatient. Reid’s enemies on the right were comparing him to George Wallace, the redneck segregationist who stood in a school doorway rather than allow some inoffensive African American girls and boys to intrude on a white-only school.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, a caucus member, said "This is a situation where we have a senator who has now missed out on his first day. It's only fair that he be sworn in immediately. This is a no-brainer."

Illinois state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, the chairwoman of Blago’s impeachment committee's said that people must "have a screw loose" to think Blagojevich offered improper deals after being arrested. Blago may be corrupt, but he’s not dumb.

Senate Rules Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein weighed in: "The question is really one, in my view, of law. Does the governor have the power, under law, to make the appointment? And the answer is yes. Is the governor discredited? The answer is yes. Does that affect his appointment power? The answer is no, until certain things happen. Feinstein, earlier not consulted concerning President-elect Barack Obama’s appointment of Leon Panetta as the CIA Dirctor, pointed out that the failure to seat Burris "has ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America.” Apparently Reid believes that the rules of the US Senate club supercede those rights and obligations cited in the US Constitution.

And then Burris, a twinkle in his eye, said he should be able to join the Senate "very shortly."

No modern playwright could do justice to this farce. We should have to reincarnate Lucian (2nd century Roman playwright) to cover it, well… better than CNN.

Casey Chadwick’s Uneasy Life after Death

Casey and her mother Wendy "I just started grief counseling. I'm always sad. I'm sad and in pain and I miss her." Wendy Hartling Hartling is the mother of Casey Chadwick, murdered in 2015 by Jean Jacques , an illegal Haitian immigrant. Jacques was convicted of the murder of Chadwick in a New London Superior Court jury trial and sentenced by Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed to a 60 year term in prison. Since Jacques is 44 years of age, the sentence was, in effect, a life sentence. Connecticut Commentary coverage of the Chadwick murder may be found here , and here and here . Jacques could not have been sentenced to death because Connecticut’s Democrat dominated General Assembly, under pressure from the state Supreme Court, had abolished Connecticut’s death penalty law in 2012 . The slaughter of Chadwick was particularly brutal. Her body had been found by a friend who, opening a door to a closet, discovered Chadwick stuffed in a dark corner drenched in blo...

Understanding North Korea Through Dramaturgy

The U.S. military is sending the Vinson Strike Group, including the carrier and two guided-missile destroyers, to operate in the Western Pacific Ocean in response to Pyongyang’s recent missile tests. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, asked about the strike force, issued a terse statement: “The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.” Is this a post-Syrian bombing mission? Will the US take out North Korea’s missile launching sites, possibly with the unspoken concurrence of China? Never let a bombing go to waste. There are some in the United States who think any such incident should be used to rid North Korea of that runty little totalitarian cock-of-the-walk who keeps his countrymen starved, in fear and at his knees. Since we only have one chance, they say, go for the clean sweep -- no more Kims. Connecticut Commentary is reprinting an earlier piece about the Kims here. Best read with a glass of port.

The Blumenthal Burisma Connection

Steve Hilton , a Fox News commentator who over the weekend had connected some Burisma corruption dots, had this to say about Connecticut U.S. Senator Dick Blumenthal’s association with the tangled knot of corruption in Ukraine: “We cross-referenced the Senate co-sponsors of Ed Markey's Ukraine gas bill with the list of Democrats whom Burisma lobbyist, David Leiter, routinely gave money to and found another one -- one of the most sanctimonious of them all, actually -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal."

Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

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