Good news for Dems: Burris is done

By Michael J.W. Stickings

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that corrupt and possibly illegitimate Illinois Senator 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 [today] 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.

The relief I feel is matched only by my loathing for Burris himself, the Blago appointee who is a personification of a mockery of the democratic system of government. (Put that on your atrocious mausoleum, "Senator.")

Good riddance.

(For our previous Burris coverage, see here.)

Poor Burris

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I think it's hilarious that Roland Burris, the illegitimate senator from Illinois (and massive egotist), raised only $845 between January and March of this year -- and that he has "$111,032 in debts from defending himself in ongoing ethics and perjury probes and travel."

Maybe he needs to find a corporate naming sponsor for his mausoleum.

Or maybe, and more likely, he'll just sell whatever is left of his soul to some cash-happy lobbyists, trading access, or whatever they want, for enough money to make a killing.

Roland Burris and his massive ego

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Readers of this blog will know that I'm no fan of Roland Burris, the lying, corrupt senator from Illinois. But what continues to amaze me, though I suppose I should no longer be amazed, is his egotism, his incredibly, ludicrously inflated sense of self, and self-importance.

Burris has already launched a 2010 election website, yet another indication that he isn't about to pass into history quietly and without a fight. Democrats may not want him in the Senate, and certainly do not want him to run, but, well, he's running, and it'll be up to the Democrats in Illinois to knock him off. My best to them.

What is amusing about his website is that it is, at present, largely empty. Click on "Accomplishments" -- nothing. On "Endorsements" -- nothing. On "Issues" or "Legislation" -- nothing and nothing. Those pages will be filled, and soon, but for now they contrast starkly with his "Biography," which, as you'd expect from a man with a disturbing death monument to himself, his future tomb, whereupon he declares himself a "Trail Blazer," as if he belongs with MLK in the pantheon, obscenely bloated.

What's worse, though -- or, rather, what is most indicative of the man and his massive ego -- are the names of his two children, a son and a daughter. Can you guess?

Sure you can. Think massive, massive ego.

That's right:

Roland Burris II and Rolanda Burris. Yes, Roland and Rolanda.

Hilarious. And deeply, deeply disturbing.

(h/t: The Plank)

Burris & Son: Partners in corruption, with a load of Blago thrown in for good measure

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Oh, Roland, you and Blago made quite the pair, didn't you? But, I must ask, was there ever any room for all of your monomaniacal ambitions and tendencies? I mean, each one of you is bad enough alone. But the two of you together? Awesome.

The Chicago Sun-Times has the latest:

The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a federal tax deadbeat who landed a $75,000-a-year state job under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich five months ago, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Blagojevich's administration hired Roland W. Burris II as a senior counsel for the state's housing authority Sept. 10 -- about six weeks after the Internal Revenue Service slapped a $34,163 tax lien on Burris II and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure suit on his South Side house.

Why does it not surprise me that you named your son after you? And why does it not surprise me that there are yet more indications of corruption surrounding your appointment, by Blago, to the Senate?

Are we really to believe that everything was on the up-and-up here?

Yeah, sure. Do you really think we're that stupid?

(For all our Burris coverage, see here. Warning: It's scandalicious.)

Illinois governor wants Burris to resign

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Rod Blagojevich's replacement, Gov. Patrick Quinn, today called on Sen. Roland Burris, to resign. Burris should "act as quickly as possible for the best interests of Illinois," Quinn said. "This should not be a matter that takes weeks."

It seems unlikely that Burris will resign, at least not without a protracted fight to keep the job to which Blagojevic appointed him. Indeed, as TNR's Jason Zengerle points out, "the real story... is that Quinn is asking the legislature to set a special election within 115 days -- which would spell an end to Burris's temporary appointment," meaning that Burris might soon have to decide whether to seek the people's support to remain in office. But would he even be the Democratic nominee? That also seems unlikely. Would he run as an independent? Perhaps, but he'd surely lose.

Is there any way he could actually win a special election? Surely not.

Then again, this is Illinois we're talking about. Anything is possible.

For all our Burris coverage, including on this latest Blago-related scandal (with Burris lying repeatedly about his connections to the former governor prior to his appointment), see here.

Roland Burris must resign

By Michael J.W. Stickings

With investigations underway in Illinois, an ethics probe launched in the Senate, and more and more evidence that he's a lying, corrupt scoundrel, it is indeed time for Roland Burris to resign.

The Washington Post

From the moment that Mr. Burris was selected, he strove to portray himself as a blameless public servant. The sad pictures of Mr. Burris being cast out into the rain by the Democratic leadership of the Senate, which initially refused to seat him, turned public opinion in his favor. Mr. Burris got his seat. But this latest revelation makes a mockery of his professions of no quid pro quo. It is a violation of the public trust. The people of Illinois have suffered enough. Mr. Burris should resign.

Chicago Tribune

The hole just gets deeper and deeper, and Burris keeps digging. He has no credibility.

*****

There's only one honorable action for Burris: resign.

Find more reaction at Memeorandum, including from HuffPo's Sam Stein, Political Animals's Steve Benen, and MyDD's Todd Beeton.

Roland Burris, liar

By Michael J.W. Stickings

First he said he had no contact with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office, then he said he did (but denied fundraising), and now, the corruption oozing ever faster, he has admitted that he engaged in fundraising for Blagojevich "at the request of the governor's brother at the same time he was making a pitch to be appointed" by the governor to Illinois's vacant Senate seat (Obama's old seat), according to the Chicago Tribune.

Roland Burris. I didn't like him then, I don't like him now, and I certainly don't trust him to tell the truth.

**********

UPDATE: His own party is distancing itself from him, and the state attorney's office in Springfield is looking into it:

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan announced today he has turned over to the Sangamon County state's attorney in Springfield a series of documents relating to U.S. Sen. Roland Burris' testimony before a special panel that recommended the impeachment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

*****

The speaker's move comes on the heels of comments by his daughter, Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan who Monday night said the local prosecutor in Springfield should look more closely into Burris' testimony and other affidavits filed under oath.

Looks like it may soon be time for a prosecution.

Senator Burris

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I still think Senate Democrats should have said no to Burris. He wasn't elected. Surely there should be room to block questionable appointees (by soon-to-be impeached governors looking to stick it to anyone and everyone). Could there not have been a special election?

Still, now that it's almost over -- that is, now that Burris is set to be sworn in -- I suppose I'm with Bowers:

Hard to imagine that there will be any objections from Republicans. If anything, they will salivate over Burris as a potential 2010 opponent, due to his connections with Blagojevich. They are right to do so, making it necessary to defeat Burris in the Senate primary next year, should he decide to run.

Still, in the meantime, it is best that Burris be seated. For one thing, it is a perfectly legal appointment. Second, it is a distraction, and there is much real governing that we need to focus on instead. Third, it is best not to start a precedent of rejecting Senate appointees for political reasons. That is a can of worms that Republicans would be certain to use in the future, once their numbers in the Senate increase.

This is the right outcome. Seat Burris, but let's work to make sure someone else in the Democratic nominee for Illinois Senate in 2010.

The right outcome? Maybe, maybe not. Hopefully Burris won't be in the Senate for long.

**********

And maybe Hamsher is right: "[T]here was absolutely no winning end game for the Democratic leadership on this from the get. Embarrassing as the whole thing was, if they'd stuck with their original plan to keep Burris out of the Senate and accepted a second appointment from Pat Quinn after Blago left office it could have been worse. It very likely would have triggered not only a constitutional crisis but a media freak show the likes of which we haven't seen since the Clinton impeachment."

Though that might be overstating it. The Democratic leadership could have framed its opposition to Burris in terms of refusing to kowtow to corruption (given the whole sordid mess surrounding Blago and the selling of Obama's vacated Senate seat) and in terms of democratic legitimacy. Instead, they barely put up a fight.

Blago impeached, Burris exposed

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Blago, in case you missed it. And what a worthy fellow he is.

**********

And let me repeat: There's no way the Senate should seat Roland Burris -- even if Obama wants him seated. It looked like it was inevitable, what with Reid et al. ingloriously caving in, but now it has emerged that Burris did, contrary to his own initial testimony, "[reach] out to a close friend and former chief of staff to [Blagojevich] to discuss the Senate seat. That appears to contradict Burris' statement in a sworn affidavit that he had no contact with any of the governor's 'representatives.'"

Burris, of course, is defending himself, claiming that the "close friend," Lon Monk, was no longer one of Blago's representatives, but Burris clearly knew that what he told Monk would get through to Blago. As he told Monk, "[i]f you're close to the governor, you know, let him know I'm certainly interested in the seat."

Corruption runs rampant. So does the lying.

And now the whole Burris affair goes back to Reid. I have no confidence in him whatsoever -- but maybe, with Blago now impeached, and with Burris caught lying, just maybe he'll reconsider. (But I doubt it. I suspect we're stuck with Sen. Burris.)

Proud to be a Democrat

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Oh... so... proud.

Roland Burris and Harry Reid. Together at last.

(Reid, by the way, wants to remain Senate majority leader until at least 2015. Obama may have been behind the push to seat Burris, but the whole sordid episode has made Reid look bad. Not at bad as Blago, to be sure, but Reid clearly isn't what the Dems need in a leader. His recent support for Ted Stevens doesn't help. In case you missed it, check out Jane Hamsher's great post from yesterday on Reid's various fumbles on Blago-Burris.)

(Photo: The Plank.)

Top Ten Cloves: Ways Harry Reid and Democrats can keep Roland Burris from taking Senate seat

By J. Thomas Duffy

News Item: If The Senate Democrats Accept Lieberman, Why Not Burris?

10. Since he'll be in Washington, have Rick Warren bring along his "Cone of Silence" and issue that to Burris, as his office

9. Have a debate, between Burris and Caroline Kennedy, winner take all

8. Taking a cue from Obama, Harry Reid can say they are going to text Burris the info on getting into the Senate

7. Tell Burris that, if he comes to the Senate, he'll be the first one Michele Bachmann will have investigated

6. All they have to do is say that Chuck Norris is thinking about taking the seat and the controversy is all over

5. Ring the Congress with the Arizona Minutemen

4. Get Todd Kobus, who tackled Patriots linebacker Junior Seau, to line up Burris as he goes to enter the Senate

3. Shame him - Get Zbigniew Brzezinski to say to Burris, and Blagojevich, "You have a such stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on it's almost embarrassing to listen to you."

2. They can throw their shoes at him, until he gets the hint

1. Inform Burris that they lost the Senate seat in the Bernie Madoff Scandal


Bonus Burris-Blagojevich Hijinks

Deb Cupples: Blagojevic Shoots U.S. Senate the Bird

Attytood: Between Barack and a hard place: Blago picks a senator

Think Progress: Former U.S. Atty: Blagojevich appointment shows he’s ‘crazy like a fox,’ playing to future black jurors

Nate Silver: Reid Has Few Ways to Block Burris Appointment




(Cross Posted at The Garlic)