Rush: Blocking Burris Like Blocking Desegregation

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) on Wednesday again warned senators seeking to block the Senate appointment of Roland Burris, saying that such a move would be like blocking black children from attending desegregated schools.

Rush, on CBS’s “Early Show,” dismissed suggestions that Burris shouldn’t be seated because he was appointed by disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).

“Well, let me just say this: You know, the recent history of our nation has shown us that, sometimes, there can be individuals and there can be situations where school — where you have officials standing in the doorway of schoolchildren,” Rush said. “You know, I’m talking about almost — almost back in 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas. I’m talking about George Wallace, Bill Connors. And I’m sure that the U.S. Senate don’t want to see themselves placed in the same position.”

Blagojevich on Tuesday announced Burris, an African-American and former Illinois state attorney general, as his selection for the seat, which was vacated by President-elect Obama. At the governor’s news conference, Rush told Blagojevich’s critics not to “lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer.” But Senate Democrats said they’ll refuse to seat Burris because he was chosen by Blagojevich, who faces charges that he tried to sell the Senate appointment for personal and political benefits.

Rush responded Wednesday by saying that Blagojevich’s opponents “need to take a chill pill” and that Illinois needs two U.S. senators to help Obama pass a stimulus package. “And the people of the state of Illinois should not be deprived of a representative in the U.S. Senate to be on the table to help decide where that money should go,” Rush said.

He added that the “real political tragedy” and “moral issue” is that there are no black senators.

“There are two Asians, three Latinos, 11 women, but no African-Americans,” he said. “And I just must applaud the people in the state of Illinois, because in the last 150 years, we have sent two of the three African-Americans to the Senate, and no one’s been there for 150 years. Now, something is really, really wrong with that.”