Pressure increased on newly-appointed Senator Roland Burris (D-IL) to resign today as more revelations surfaced and his own story changed once again. He should heed the calls and get out. The Senator is an embarrassment to the state and a disgrace to the office.
You can read the latest on this in his hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune. You can read another Tribune story on Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's blunt call for Burris to resign here.
At first Senate Democrats vowed they would not seat anyone appointed by soon-to-be-impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich. But Burris received outspoken support from African-American politicians. And he said he'd had no contact except one call from the Blagojevich camp. He said there was no mention of money because "he didn't have any."
Now it seems there were many calls between Burris and the Blagojevich camp. Several of these were to Ron Blagojevich, the former governor's brother. Burris then admitted he did try to raise some funds for the falling governor, but had not been successful. There have been calls in the Illinois Legislature to charge Burris with perjury.
Governor Pat Quinn, who succeeded Blagojevich after his impeachment and removal, was direct after these revelations. "I would call on my good friend, Sen. Roland Burris, to put the interests of the people of the Land of Lincoln first and foremost, ahead of his own, and step aside and resign from his office." He called Burris' acceptance of the appointment a "giant mistake." Burris' chief of staff Darrell Thompson has abruptly left the senator's service.
More ominous news came from Robert Gibbs, President Obama's Press Secretary. Saying the appointment was approved based on statements and testimony to the impeachment committee, Gibbs mentioned, "It has been reported extensively some of the stories seem at variance with what's happened and that the president is supportive of an investigation that would get some full story out." He advised, "I think it might be important for Sen. Burris to take some time this weekend to either correct what has been said and certainly think of what lays in his future." If that sounds like a threat I believe that is because it is so intended.
Given the thrust of his campaign and the delicate complexity of the issues ahead of him Obama needs honesty and openness in his old Senate seat. No taint can be tolerated. There is little doubt that the days of Roland Burris in the U.S. Senate are now numbered. His ambition for the position led him to compromise his ethics to get it. That will now cost him what he so prized, as it should. The only question is whether he will spare himself and Obama added embarrassment or whether he will go down in a blaze of scandal. One can only hope for the former, though given the record of his recent judgment the latter unfortunately remains a real possibility.
2 comments:
This is practically playing out like the ancient cautionary political tales of the Roman Empire or a heroic Greek tragedy. Burris' hubris has lead to his undoing. Let us hope he doesn't see this performance to it's final act.
Well said, Jeanette. He will now have lost not only the Senate seat he so coveted but his formerly good reputation as well. "Those whom the gods would destroy they first drive mad."
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