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It
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shaking hands on the White House lawn. It's even harder
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Rick!
NEW seasonal fave
Why
do they call it "traveling" if you're standing still?
And can't anyone do something about it? Get moving with
this Seasonal Fave!
About face!
Burris? The Dems are Delighted!
By Rick Horowitz
Subject:
Illinois Update
From: Sen. Reid, Sen. Durbin
To: All Democratic Senators
Dear Colleagues:
We're writing to let you know about an exciting new development for
our Democratic Caucus. On the heels of an extraordinary showing on November
4, which substantially increased our working majority in the Senate,
we now have the opportunity to add still another Democratic member to
our fold.
We're pleased to announce that Roland Burris, the former Illinois state
comptroller and attorney general, will soon be part of our caucus, serving
out the unexpired term of President-Elect Barack Obama. Mr. Burris comes
to the Senate after a long and distinguished career, and has made clear
his eagerness to join us in seeking solutions to the many problems that
now afflict the American people.
We know you'll
do everything possible to extend the warmest of welcomes to Mr. Burris.
We know, too, that your welcome will be reflected in all public and
private comments you and your staffs make in the coming weeks. In that
connection, please refer to the following updated list of talking points,
which may offer you guidance in discussing Mr. Burris's situation with
the media and others.
Note that this list supersedes all previous communications from our
offices on this subject -- in particular, our memos of 12/15, 12/18,
12/21, 12/22, 12/23, 12/26, 12/29, 1/2, 1/5, 1/6, 1/8 and 1/9 -- and
should be treated as the official (and final) position of the caucus.
We thank you for your cooperation, and apologize for any inconvenience.
* In place of
the phrase "We've made it very clear to Gov. Blagojevich that he has
forfeited his right to make this appointment," please substitute "The
people of Illinois certainly deserve to be fully represented in the
Senate."
* In place of
the phrase "Nobody with an ounce of self-respect would ever agree to
take this seat under these conditions," please substitute "Mr. Burris
is not a man who stands on ceremony."
* In place of
the phrase "The circumstances of Mr. Burris's appointment would make
him permanently tainted," please substitute "We look forward to working
with the new junior senator."
* In place of
the phrase "We're prepared to take whatever procedural steps are necessary
to keep this appointment from ever going through," please substitute
"The American people are right to demand swift action on the new president's
agenda."
* In place of
the phrase "There's no way playing the race card is going to work against
us Democrats," please substitute the phrase "We're always mindful of
the need for this body to include people of diverse backgrounds."
* In place of
the phrase "If Gov. Blagojevich thinks he can toy with us like we're
his flunkies, he'd better think again," please substitute "All the paperwork
seems to be in order."
* In place of
the phrase "We know all about photo-ops in the rain," please substitute
"We'll be happy to pay for the dry cleaning."
And lastly:
* In place of
the phrase "Don't you try to back us into a corner!" please substitute
"Where do we sign?"
Posted 1/14/09. To
catch all the latest twists and turns, just click to "Rick's"!
Rick Horowitz
