# Impeach Roland Burris **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 14, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870 "2009-02-14T21:54:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/41 "2009-02-15T08:02:36Z")
How come, if we all agreed at the time that it was laughable racial blackmail (“Are you white men really gonna keep a black man from joining your exclusive club?”) that got the spineless Senators to change their stance on accepting Burris, they couldn’t appeal to the general populace in refuting that idiotic logic? Are we really that much sharper than the general populace? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/42 "2009-02-15T12:57:37Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > How come, if we all agreed at the time that it was laughable racial blackmail (“Are you white men really gonna keep a black man from joining your exclusive club?”) that got the spineless Senators to change their stance on accepting Burris, they couldn’t appeal to the general populace in refuting that idiotic logic? > > Are we really that much sharper than the general populace? The senators talked to their lawyers, and then thought (deep down in that secret place where they don’t allow anyone else) about their own actual fitness to hold their seat , and caved. Most of them know they are no more or less morally fit than he is, and caving was an acknowledgement of that. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/43 "2009-02-15T13:23:37Z")
Keep in mind that these are people who gave themselves raises on the public dole while excoriating bankers for doing the same. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/44 "2009-02-15T14:39:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Did President-elect Obama have a role to play in the process? Is a characterization of him “caving” meaningful in any way? I recall that Obama called Durbin and Reid to his office and politely asked them to drop their objections and seat Burris to make the whole thing go away. This was after his strongly hinted statements that the Senate shouldn’t seat any Blago appointment. To another poster: I think the GOP had everything to gain here. By putting aside partisan politics and standing up for what was right, they could have scored some major points.. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/45 "2009-02-15T15:59:45Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I think the GOP had everything to gain here. By putting aside partisan politics and standing up for what was right, they could have scored some major points.. Except that, from what we’ve seen so far, that section of their playbook has been ripped out, folded, spindled and mutilated, trampled into decaying yak excrement, doused with anthrax-laced PCBs, and set on fire. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/46 "2009-02-15T16:07:19Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Except that, from what we’ve seen so far, that section of their playbook has been ripped out, folded, spindled and mutilated, trampled into decaying yak excrement, doused with anthrax-laced PCBs, and set on fire. I don’t think so. I think they merely lost that bit of the playbook and don’t care where they mislaid it… ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/47 "2009-02-15T17:07:18Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Keep in mind that these are people who gave themselves raises on the public dole while excoriating bankers for doing the same. There are raises and then there are bankers bonuses. Billion dollar grabs of the stimulus when they are responsible for the mess, does paint them with a much uglier brush. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/48 "2009-02-15T18:51:03Z")
**Impeach Roland Burris** I really can’t think of anything better Congress should be doing with it’s time. Really, I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/49 "2009-02-15T19:04:02Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > **Impeach Roland Burris** > > I really can’t think of anything better Congress should be doing with it’s time. > > Really, I can’t. Wouldn’t expulsion be quicker and easier? ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/50 "2009-02-15T19:07:59Z")
And as a bonus for the Democrats, getting rid of Burris, with Franken still unseated, lowers the total needed for cloture to 59, thus not changing the outcome of filibusters. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/51 "2009-02-15T20:02:23Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Did you just threaten the entire world with death? You’re kidding, right? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/52 "2009-02-15T20:22:38Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I…I…I agree with **Carol Stream**. > > I’m going to die, aren’t I? It’s not you. Even a stupid clock is right twice a day. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/53 "2009-02-15T20:29:43Z")
I’d need to see the questions he was asked under oath and his answers to them. But yes, this isn’t “did you get a blow job from a groupie?” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/54 "2009-02-15T20:32:53Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > It’s not you. Even a stupid clock is right twice a day. But what if it’s DIGITAL, hot shot? Huh? Did you think of that? Did you? WHAT DO YOU DO THEN? And don’t say shoot the hostage, or I’ll shoot myself in the head and thereby destroy the Earth. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/55 "2009-02-15T20:39:15Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > And don’t say shoot the hostage, or I’ll shoot myself in the head and thereby destroy the Earth. Didn’t you disarm that thing yet? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/56 "2009-02-15T20:44:36Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Didn’t you disarm that thing yet? If I knew how to disarm it safely, I’d have already done so. The owner’s manual is in Kryptonese, for Thor’s sake. We’re just lucky I only destroyed one planet while I was setting the damn thing up. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/57 "2009-02-15T20:50:25Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > If I knew how to disarm it safely, I’d have already done so. The owner’s manual is in Kryptonese, for Thor’s sake. We’re just lucky I only destroyed one planet while I was setting the damn thing up. Oh really? Post it, I minored in Krypo-American studies. I even when through a phase where I wore the black jumpsuit with the turquoise tunic. Oh college. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/58 "2009-02-15T20:51:57Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Oh really? Post it, I minored in Krypo-American studies. I even when through a phase where I wore the black jumpsuit with the turquoise tunic. > > Oh college. Nah. I think it’s best left armed. Periodically one of you guys thinks about killing me when I take a joke too long, and it’s good that y’all have a reason to throw down the axe and say, “Damn it!” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/59 "2009-02-16T04:15:46Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I heard this on NPR today and started cracking up in the car. There was a note of hysteria in my laughter. All I could do was shake my head and say "Roland, Roland, Roland… –Chorus of _La chanson de Roland_, attrib. Frederique Durst (est. 1145 A.D.) ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870/60 "2009-02-16T04:27:43Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > –Chorus of _La chanson de Roland_, attrib. Frederique Durst (est. 1145 A.D.) I thought it was part of the song “Rawhide.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impeach-roland-burris/485870.md?page=4)