A Burris Under the Dem Saddle.

Democrats call themselves the inclusive Party, yet, they want to deny Illinois Senator-Appointee Roland Burris his seat because they don’t like the governor who appointed him. The French expression is: “Thankfully, being ridiculous isn’t fatal.”

Burris has done nothing wrong—Yet, the Democrat-controlled Congress has said his appointment is ‘tainted’ simply because Governor Rod Blagojevitch appeared ready to auction off President-Elect Barack Obama’s old Senate seat on eBay. This is an unusual attitude from a Congress that protects Connecticut Senator and Democrat Chris Dodd , who got his ‘sweetheart’ mortgage from Countrywide and Democrat House Representative Charlie Rangel , Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee (the Committee responsible for writing tax laws). Rangel failed to pay the taxes on rental income year-after-year that was earned from his Dominican Republic estate. His excuse: “Well, I don’t speak Spanish” and “Anyway, I left it up to my wife”. Yikes, statements like those makes Burris look like a saint. Prediction: The Senate will seat Burris while making all sorts of excuses, and backpedaling faster than Balbina’s Belgium Ambassador brother. Second prediction: Illinois will impeach Blagovevitch , if not for criminal behavior, then for sheer arrogance, stupidity, and a hairstyle only television evangelists are allowed to wear.

DELAYED FTA. The resignation of Bill Richardson —The New Mexico governor from his just-appointed post as Secretary of Commerce will set back even further the Obama timetable to initiate Panama-US free trade talks and come to an agreement this year. The Democrats are bedeviled by their trade-isolationist Blue Democrats and the loss of Richardson, one of the few Hispanics named to the Cabinet, considerably weakens the clout of Latin America free trade proponents. Additionally, Washington doesn’t want to hand the PRD a ‘gift’ that can be used in the upcoming Presidential elections.

An interesting perspective on the Richardson resignation is that the Governor did not inform Obama staffers of the FBI’s investigation of his activities in a ‘pay-to-play’, scheme, and neither did Obama’s team check into the allegations when they vetted Richardson’s background.

Astounding? Yes. One question strikes at Richardson’s truthfulness, the other, shows the Obama vetting process is less than competent. Why so? The Albuquerque Journal has been running the FBI story on Page 1 since last summer.

A REAL HEART STOPPER. Truth is so much stranger than fiction. In researching material for my latest Lemon-Aid Used Car Guide, I found several unusual safety-related complaints registered at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints/results.cfm. Take a note: That web site is a little-known, but wonderful place to find out about secret auto warranties and safety defects affecting vehicles built during the past two decades. The following complaint was posted by several Avalon owners:

“The owner's manual of my 2007 Toyota Avalon warns that persons with implanted pacemakers or defibrillator should not go near the antennae on the smart key system.

“My 91-year-old dad has an implanted defibrillator. is there any way to get in, start the car, and disable the smart key so he can then approach the car and get in? what is the radio frequency and effective radiated power of the system so i can pass the information along to his cardiologist?

“What is the liability if I have the car parked on a public street and someone with an implanted defibrillator or pacemaker should happen to walk past the car without knowing the danger?

“Also, the owner's manual warns about getting the smart key too close to electromagnetic devices such as credit cards and cell phones, cordless phone rechargers, fluorescent lights, etc. How can my wife carry the smart key in her purse with credit cards and cell phone?

“Do I have to rearrange my life to avoid problems with the smart key? Also, the owner's manual warns the smart key might not work near broadcast operations. several times a week, I have to go to a cable television head end where there are 13 earth stations (satellite receive dishes) and innumerable transmit antennae on a 357-foot tower; in short, much more radio wave activity than would be present at a normal broadcast operation. I haven't taken the car there yet for fear of what might happen. Will I have to have it towed some distance away before the smart key technology will work?”

Next week: Chinese Cuisine Catastrophe.