Burris School of Politics is back in session...

Remember that back in January, West Chesterfield hosted a session for the Roland Burris School of Politics. It was something that caught my interest but sadly work got in the way although knowing about it in advance should've been the signal to request some days off. In any event for those of you like myself who missed out there are other sessions being schedule.

There's a recent article talking about Burris who until 2010 was a US Senator who succeeded President Obama in his US Senate seat - Burris has also been an Illinois state Comptroller and Attorney General - his School of Politics and his political career. The article courtesy of DNA Info:

He's been a trailblazer in Illinois politics. His tombstone, already in place and awaiting his arrival, even has "trailblazer" carved into it.

So, there should be plenty of interesting things for him to teach at his new Burris School of Politics, which he said is needed in the black community.

"There is a lack of knowledge in the black community about how local, state and federal governments were created and how they operate," said Burris, 75, a Chatham resident. "I tried staying retired, but I couldn't see myself sitting home all day doing nothing."

The one-week course, which launched in October, runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays at the Stewart Business Center, 400 W. 76th St.

The next scheduled class, which costs $50, runs from June 18-20, and reconvenes in September.

It's also cool that he's willing to do house calls especially if there are groups of 10 or more. Probably a valuable too for any neighborhood organization such as the West Chesterfield Community Assocation.

While I want to remain respectful of Burris legacy and this education service he seeks to provide for the community, the controversy over the US Senate seat that he was appointed to by one former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was addressed in this article. Blagojevich was eventually impeached and later sent to federal prison for attempting to sell the very Senate seat that Burris sat in for a little over a year. Also speaking of the tombstone, it received an honorable mention over at our local NBC affiliate's Ward Room blog.

How many of you would be willing to check out this course that former US Sen. Burris is offering?

REMINDER: Roland Burris School of Politics on January 8, 9, 10

We posted about this last month. There's still space available.

• To Register Call: 312.364.9292 Ext. 22
• Class Dates: January 8, 9, and 10 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
• Class Times: 5:00pm to 8:00pm
• Tuition Fee: $50
• Class Location: West Chesterfield Community Association
• Cultural Center: 9351 S. Michigan, Chicago, IL
  (Park along East and West on 94th Street) 

Refer to flyer below!

Burris School of Politics

Roland Burris School of Politics on January 8, 9, 10

Former US Sen. Roland Burris

Seeking more info a flyer is posted below!

West Chesterfield invites you to the "Burris School of Politics" All community residents and leaders are welcome.

BURRIS SCHOOL OF POLITICS

The Burris School of Politics is designed as a combination of political education and experience based training for leadership.

The aim of the Burris School of Politics is to enable people through a condensed education and training program.

The school provides theoretical knowledge and development of practical skills in understanding of political cultures, management and communication.

The school is for everyone:

• Republican, Democratic or Independent
• Newly Appointed Officials
• Individuals Seeking Office
• High School and College Students
• All interested in upcoming elections and how government works

Limited Space REGISTER TODAY! Limited Space

• To Register Call: 312.364.9292 Ext. 22
• Class Dates: January 8, 9, and 10 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
• Class Times: 5:00pm to 8:00pm
• Tuition Fee: $50
• Class Location: West Chesterfield Community Association
• Cultural Center: 9351 S. Michigan, Chicago, IL
  (Park along East and West on 94th Street)

Tour of Chatham Homes - Chicago Architecture Foundation

Just got word from

Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corp's

Facebook page of  a tour of Chatham by the Chicago Architecture Foundation THIS Friday (tomorrow). 

 

See the graphic on the right for the details on this tour.

Reservations ARE required. Contact Krisann Rehbein at krehbein@architecture.org or call her at 312-922-3432 x 272.

 

If you go on the tour, please send us links to your photos and any comments you'd like to make about .

Change Ahead for Once-Powerful Ward Groups - Chicago News Cooperative

Change Ahead for Once-Powerful Ward Groups - Chicago News Cooperative

Freshman Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) said he will run for committeeman in his ward in March. Freddrenna Lyle, the council incumbent that Sawyer unseated, still leads the Democratic organization in the South Side ward.

Sawyer’s father, former mayor and alderman Eugene Sawyer, once served as the ward’s committeeman and commanded an organization whose members included Roland Burris. Sawyer said he wants to build up his ward’s Democratic organization, which he believes has withered since his late father’s era.

“It’s important for someone to build a strong ward organization,” Sawyer said. “I came from a strong ward organization.”

The ward organizations can provide programs for the neighborhood, he said.

I'm curious as to what types of programs he hopes to provide to the community as 6th Ward Democratic Committeeman. The article notes that being a committeeman isn't what it used to be back in the heyday of the dreaded Chicago Machine.

In farewell, Burris laments lack of blacks in Senate

UPDATE 11:09 AM - Below is a video from ABC7 of Sen. Burris' remarks to the US Senate. You can also read this Sun-Times article on Burri's remarks Via CapFax morning shorts.

Chicago Breaking News:

As his controversial tenure nears its end, Sen. Roland Burris gave a farewell address Thursday lamenting there will be no blacks at all in the next Senate.

"This is simply unacceptable," he said. "We can and we will and we must - do better."

He also noted that only six blacks have served in the Senate in the body's 221-year history.

Senator, we've had three blacks who sought US Senate seats around the nation that I know of in this past election cycle. One was a joke (Alvin Greene from SC), the other in our state (Cheryle Jackson) didn't make it out of the primary, and the last one lost (US Rep. Kendrick Meek - Florida) on Nov. 2nd.

To be sure, I wrote here on this blog and other venues that I really didn't agree with Burris' appointment to the US Senate. Especially since it was Rod Blagojevich who appointed him not long after his arrest on attempting to "auction" the US Senate seat that was held by our current President. As we found out later, if the Senator had actually attempted to run to hold his seat he would've had some problems.

Even my Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. found that out later. He aspired to succeed President Obama and it came out that he planned to raise money for Blagojevich in order to be considered. As a result of that scandal while Congressman Jackson may still continue to be a US Congressman in the foreseeable future, he may not advance beyond the 2nd Congressional District.

Also if I may focus on Illinois for a minute, I remember Ald. Lyle lamented herself the fact that the odds of a Black US Senator went down around the time of Blago's arrest. This year Illinois had the opportunity to send a Black woman to the US Senate and as I've stated she didn't make it out of the primary.

Hopefully in the future, there will be a Black person who can win a primary and be able to conduct a winning campaign for a US Senate seat or any other office such as Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Comptroller or Attorney General (there were Black candidates for Treasurer and Comptroller this past election as well). In addition to their hard work the backing of those who seek to place a Black in a top office as those.

Let's also hope we can call any other aspiring candidate for higher office a neighbor of this 6th Ward.

BTW, I would like to offer a hat-tip to ChathamNOW for this article although I do hope they refrain from copying and pasting news articles without proper attribution.

U.S. Senator Roland W. Burris to hold Small Business Panel Discussion and Expo on Friday, September 10

U.S. Senator Roland W. Burris to hold Small Business Panel Discussion and Expo on Friday, September 10

U.S. Senator Roland W. Burris will host a Small Business Panel Discussion and Expo, “Revitalizing and Refreshing Illinois’ Small Business Community” on Friday, September 10 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Chicago State University.

This event is an opportunity for small businesses to meet with distinguished leaders in business and government from communities across the state of Illinois to discuss federal assistance programs, as opportunities for small businesses to obtain loans through the federal government. The event will feature a panel discussion with remarks from Senator Burris and Eric Dobyne, Chicago Regional Director of the Minority Business Development Agency moderating the event; representatives from Banks; and representatives from Boeing, Hewlett Packard and General Dynamics. An expo will be held for the duration of the event, featuring booths from various federal agencies including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Labor, and Energy, as well as the Small Business Administration including the Office of the Small Business Development Center located at Chicago State University.

This forum is free of charge. Discounted parking is available.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 - 9 AM – 2 PM
Senator Burris Small Business Forum: “Revitalizing and Refreshing Illinois’ Small Business Community”

Chicago State University
New Academic Library Auditorium (4th Floor)
9501 South King Drive
Chicago, IL 60628


For more information, please call Frank McClatchey or Jazmine Hasty at (312) 886-3506 or Dr. Erma Brooks-Williams at 773-995-3806.

Sen. Burris on Washington Journal this morning

He appeared sometime after 8AM this morning on C-Span's live call-in show. This clip unfortunately is only a minute and a half long, but he spent half an hour taking questions from callers. He basically talked about his support for a public option in the current health care reform debate. He has also promised to not vote on legislation that doesn't contain a public option.

VIDEO: Sen. Burris flees a FOX News reporter

The Senator didn't want to talk to that reporter about why he supported ACORN. If you watch Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly or even Sean Hannity they have been talking a lot about ACORN and their activities.

Via Instapundit!

Burris, Jackson land on watchdog's corruption list

Crain's:

Their quest for the vacant U.S. Senate seat of President Barack Obama has landed Sen. Roland Burris and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on a watchdog group’s annual list of the “15 most corrupt members of Congress.”

“It’s all about the Blagojevich matter,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

The group named the Illinois Democrats to its “most corrupt” list for the first time, based on disclosures stemming from the wiretap investigation and arrest of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich last year for his alleged attempts to sell the Senate seat.

All about Blago!!!

Senate race 2010

Via CapFax, it appears despite his announcement in July, Sen. Burris may still want to run to retain his US Senate seat. From ABC News:

Illinois Sen. Roland Burris announced last month that he would not run to retain his Senate seat next year, but in his first television interview since making that decision, Burris told ABC News he could change his mind.

"You never say never," Burris told ABC News in a "Subway Series" interview for the ABC News program "Top Line." The "Subway Series," which debuts on Monday, features interviews with senators and other political leaders on board the Capitol Hill subway.

"What I'm still hearing," Burris said, is "people from all over the country and they are saying, 'Don't give up that seat.'"

If he does he may have a black opponent in the race in addition to State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulis or possible Chris Kennedy courtesy of Crain's:

She's in the race.

Cheryle Jackson, the president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, will e-mail supporters later today announcing that she will indeed run for President Barack Obama's old seat in the U.S. Senate.

A formal announcement with the usual press release and statewide fly-around will follow next month.

The action -- which had been expected but not certain -- puts Ms. Jackson, 44, in a Democratic primary race with Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, with the winner likely to oppose North Shore GOP Congressman Mark Kirk in the November 2010 general election.

OK, it's great to see competition strong for the race to gain the seat formerly held by Barack Obama and Carol Moseley Braun. Sen. Braun was the first black woman elected to the US Senate. It's great to see there is a woman in the running who could follow her as the 2nd Black woman in the race.

Whether or not Burris is in the race, him and Ms. Jackson may have the issue of both having some ties to Ousted governor Rod Blagojevich. Perhaps Burris has stronger ties than Jackson, but Jackson also served as an insider in the Blagojevich administration.

Whatever happens, the race is going to be interesting, especially if there is a strong black candidate who can actually be elected to Obama/Braun's old seat.

Will Roland Burris become a Republican?

Illinois Review:

Given the shabby nature the Democratic Party’s treatment of U.S. Senator Roland Burris because he dared buck the elite Democrats by not quitting when they demanded, they quickly abandoned him politically. It’s reported he’s has a meager $20K in his political war chest, a paltry amount in a state rich with Democrat powerhouses. Roland should return the favor, and abandon the Democrats by switching to the Republican Party.

Interesting!

Illinois Sen. Burris Won't Run in 2010

AP Video:

Embattled Illinois Sen. Roland Burris says he's loved serving in Washington but won't run for a full term next year because of the high cost of raising money for a campaign.

The CapFax covered this announcement earlier today!

Roland Burris won't run for Senate seat in 2010

I found this tidbit in the comments at the CapFax blog, regarding Joe Birkett backtracking from his announcement to go for the state Attorney General office. That in light of Lisa Madigan seeking to be re-elected after being touted for either Governor or US Senator.

Sneed has learned U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has decided NOT to seek election to the seat he fought the government to keep.

Sen. Burris is planning to announce his decision Friday by issuing a statement to the press. But he’s reportedly not planning to field any questions from the press.

The decision by Burris was based on his inability to raise campaign funds; campaign disclosures with the Federal Election Commission are expected to be filed next week...and he has reportedly only raised approximately $20,000

A source tells Sneed that Burris, who was appointed to Barack Obama’s senate seat by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been very concerned about his legacy.

“After 20 years in government service, Burris didn’t want the last four months in office to be that legacy,” said a source.

I copied this story in it's entirety and as for the whole legacy thing. Not sure if it's too late to salvage that or not, but for his legacy this might be for the best for the old "trailblazer". Burris was the first black elected to statewide office in Illinois having been a state Comptroller, Attorney General, and has run for US Senate, Governor, and Mayor of Chicago in the past.

BTW, I can't let this post slide without this bit from earlier today!

Burris campaign aide Delmarie Cobb said Madigan’s decision, along with money are part of “a long line of factors” determining if Burris would seek election.

“As you know, there have been many marquee names thrown out for this seat and so far they have all fizzled,” Cobb said. “With [Burris] as the incumbent, it seems the Democratic Party would do well to rally around the person who has the seat and keep the seat rather than mine for a candidate.”

If Burris isn't going to retain this seat then this theory won't be proven.

The Sun-Times story by Michael Sneed was just posted at the CapFax. You can post your thoughts there if you'd like.

Cheryle Jackson to form Senate exploratory panel

Greg Hinz:

Chicago Urban League chief Cheryle Jackson is forming a U.S. Senate exploratory committee -- the last formal step before actually announcing her candidacy.

In a phone interview, Ms. Jackson said paperwork for the exploratory panel will be filed later this week and she intends to declare her race for President Barack Obama's old Senate race "within a couple of months."

"I'm moving forward," said Ms. Jackson, 44, who served as press secretary to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich before becoming president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Chicago almost three years ago.

Entering a race that may contain Sen. Burris, David Kennedy (owner of the Merchandise Mart and scion of the Kennedy Family son of RFK), Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias,  or even Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

BTW, another piece of news from this piece:

Ms. Jackson's group will host the convention of the national Urban League at the end of the month -- the first time it has done so in 30 years, she said.

Burris didn't disclose Inland options: report

AP:

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris didn't disclose on a Senate financial statement that he has options to buy 8,000 shares of stock in Inland Real Estate Corp., according to a report.

Burris spokesman Jim O'Connor told the Chicago Tribune that the senator plans to amend his financial statement to reflect the unexercised options in Oak Brook-based Inland, a retail real estate investment trust.

Burris was on Inland's board from 1996 until January. He got $63,000 in director fees and dividends last year.

Here's some more detail from the Tribune:

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) failed to reveal in a Senate financial disclosure statement that he has options to buy 8,000 shares of stock in a real estate investment company where he was a board member, according to public records.

The statement, recently made public, indicated Burris and his wife held $900,000 to $1.8 million in assets, but failed to note their options to buy stock in Oak Brook-based Inland Real Estate Corp.
...
Burris can buy the stock at prices ranging from $9 a share to about $20 a share, according to Inland's federal securities filings. The senator is unlikely to exercise those options any time soon -- Inland stock closed at $6.72 on Wednesday, below Burris' $9 option.
...
He got $63,000 in director fees and dividends from Inland last year.

Now they're just looking for stuff to use against him!

Black Press of America Convening in Minneapolis This Week

I just found this thru the news feeds at the CapFax this morning:

Boxing promoter and Black publisher Don King, actor/comedian Bill Cosby, members of the Congressional Black Caucus and top Black publishers from around the nation are among the big names to highlight the 2009 National Convention of the National Newspaper Publishers Association in Minnesota this week.
...
Also, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.); Keith Ellison (D-Minn.); and Donna Christensen (D-V.I.) are among those confirmed to lead a Saturday morning health workshop. U. S. Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), the only Black member of the U. S. Senate, in the throws of a re-election campaign, is also expected to address the publishers.

Well they're under the assumption that he may run for re-election next year. There is not an announcement as of yet, however, I could just assume there is some coyness here.

Roland Burris more or less gets back his good name

I don't normally read the left-wing website, Daily Kos, but I link to this post regaring the news about Sen. Burris' not facing any charges from the Sangamon County State's Attorney. However, I want to highlight a poll that is being held over there to determine how people may perceive this controversy around Burris. Go over there and vote your feelings on the Senator.

Cobb: No campaign decision for Burris yet

Read the brief round-up on the CapFax. Talking briefly about the non-announcement of Sen. Burris' re-election bid!

Burris to announce candidacy for US Senate tonight!

Read the brief round-up at the Capitol Fax!

UPDATE 5:50 PM Or maybe not from the same CapFax link!

OK, I shoulda known it was all too good to be true. I’m getting that the CBS2 story linked above is not accurate and there’s no announcement coming.