Roland Burris Wants To Run For Re-Election, But Only To Finish Glorious Term
Earlier this year, a court ruled that Roland Burris could not run in a special election to finish out the final weeks of his term, from the November election until the new Congress meets. The court said that was only for candidates who were also running in the election for a full term in Burris' seat, which is on the same ballot as the special election. But because Roland Burris is insane, he is fighting like hell, appealing to the Supreme Court, to get into this special election to hold onto his seat for a few weeks in which Congress does nothing. Never mind that voters would never actually elect Roland Burris in this contest.
"Voters very well might have different preferences for what is desirable in a person who will fill the remaining 62 days of the current Senate term and the person who will fill the subsequent six-year term," argues Burris in his petition.
Voters very well may want a smart-aleck cartoon penguin to fill those remaining 62 days. Or they may want Blago. But they probably don't want somebody being their senator for both those 62 days and a full term afterwords. TOO SOON. [ Politico ]
So, wait...Illinois is having two separate places on the same ballot for the same Senate seat with the exact same names, because Obama's term was coming to an end anyways, and they couldn't just let Burris serve out the remainder of the term?
So whoever wins will fly to Washington to be sworn in for one term, and then sworn in again when their new term starts in January?
A Senate seat really is a fucking valuable thing. The judge just can't give it away.