Why Roland Burris Must Go

The embarrassment and shame that grows from the corruption that haunts the state of Illinois continues. Those who were hopeful that the ouster of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich would be the end of Illinois' political drama are surely disappointed by the revelations contained in the audio tape between Senator Roland Burris and Rob Blagojevich, brother and political fund-raiser for the former governor.

We are all fatigued by the corrupt politicians that continue to come out of Illinois. We have the ignominious distinction of having more federal agents investigating corruption than any other state. Senator Burris is especially disappointing. His recorded conversations with Rob Blagojevich leave no doubt that he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he did it anyway - for his own ambitions.

Senator Burris only had to tell the truth to the House Special Investigative Committee, of which I was a member, to be seated in the U.S. Senate. That was the only prerequisite placed on him by Senator Harry Reid. Senator Burris' explanation of the recorded conversations was that he was not being truthful with Rob and was just placating him because he was interested in being appointed to the Senate seat. That is exactly how he treated the Special Investigative Committee. It is clear that he was seated under false pretenses, and the only reason he offered an affidavit following his testimony to the Special Investigative Committee is because the Federal authorities played the tapes for him.

There are only two honorable alternatives: Senator Burris can step down or the U.S. Senate can unseat him. Unfortunately, Senator Burris' gargantuan ego will never allow him to resign. Disappointingly, I lack confidence in the U.S. Senate to follow through, as it has not unseated a member since 1865. But this situation is so different that the Senate may be forced to break that pattern. The one requirement of his appointment was that he had to be honest, and he did not fulfill that requirement. Simply by lying, Senator Burris has forfeited his right to the Senate seat. He is not what anyone can consider a profile in courage. He is a weasely opportunist and the epitome of what is wrong with Illinois politics.

In February, I called for Senator Burris to step down because I believed then it was clear he had not fulfilled the requirement to be seated. At that time, I filed a House Resolution (HR 112) to formally reprimand Senator Burris for the contradictions made in his statements while testifying under oath. The Resolution also urges the U.S. Senate to expel him. These recent revelations further illustrate the necessity for the U.S. Senate to move forward and remove him from office. The Illinois General Assembly needed an indictment to be spurred to action to impeach our former governor. We need to restore the citizens' faith in our government. I urge the U.S. Senate to be more responsive and do the right thing now.

Comments

[Roelof]

If the GOP wants to regain power, Illinois is fertile ground. Just dump the social conservatism. Dump it. Focus on fiscal conservatism and smaller government and I'll vote for you. I'm already planning to vote Republican anyway to get rid of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, and sweethearts, I'm a gay man. Dump those evangelicals, and I'll vote for your Republican candidates for any and every office in Illinois. Come GOP, do it.

[UKOH]

Barack Obama nailed it when he stated that there are two types of politicians, those who have a genuine desire to serve the public good and those who see politics as an easy way to feather their own nest.

Blago and Burris are clearly of the second type. I also heard the Chris Mathews interview on MSNBC. Burris' attempts to wriggle out of the situation with lies - which Chris exposed immediately - was disgusting in the extreme.

My children know that they can do almost anything and be forgiven as long as they are honest and reflective about it. Lies and deceit loose my respect immediately. The problem is, once you know somebody has lied, they are a liar and all that remains is the extent of their lying. As I cannot know this, I treat EVERYTHING a person identified as a liar says as being a lie - as one of my children found to their cost when, having been caught lying, I refused to believe anything they said afterwards.

We need to hold our politicians - irrespective of Party or ideology - to the same standards.

[widollar]

Sadly, it looks like Obama's team will continue to allow the embarrassment of Roland Burris to continue. Big mistake Team Obama!

[shespeaks]

The majority of us screamed "don't seat him" and they did anyway. Harry Reid has been spineless and committed to doing the easy thing, rather than the right thing. The only prerequisite is that you lie to him. Once again, Democrats have been bullied and duped. It's shameful.

[cdclark]

If the media is to be believed, Burris has done many behind-the­-scenes/sh­ady things to further his political aspirations. Plus, the guy is just plain oily looking! From my perspective, he just isn't believable.

[LCLA]

It's amazing to me that Roland Burris was promptly seated in the Senate, while Sen. Al Franken's seat representing Minnesota in the Senate looks to be vacant for at least eight months! It is so hard to feel anything but cynical about these situations.

[hippynanainblingland]

Yeah, I've been wondering about just this thing. I also wonder: If (admittedly a BIG if) Burris gets unseated, will he be entitled to collect the pension given to all Senators? Also, WHEN Franken finally gets seated, will he be entitled to collect his Senator's salary retroactively, seeing as he did win the election but hasn't been seated due to Coleman's (and the GOP's) shenanigans?

[msblkwidow]

I wouldn't want him to be my attorney. I CANT BELIEVE HIS INTERVIEW. He sounded worse than a kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar. I mean...I shrieked after hearing his explanations during the Chris Mathews interview. Let him have his few months of glory. He'd better not try to run again. I'll walk from Missouri to Illinois to fight that man's candidacy. He's no role model for young political leaders.

[cutesky]

Burris is a chip of the ole' Blogo.

[MR NICE]

What reforms are you backing in Illinois to make sure this does not happen again? Granted Burris should not have taken the job and appears to only honest in his own mind. I don't see a rush of the Illinois House Representatives or the Senate supporting the Governors plan to put a stop to pay to play politics in Illinois by passing tough ethic reform laws. Where are you on this issue Representative Franks?

[mamala4]

Chris Kennedy, we need you to put hyour hat in the ring...Just walk away Roland...

[den1953]

The guy is only gonna finish the term he was put there to do big friggin deal!

[LeftWingX10]

Curious! let Rush Limbaugh make the same statement, there would be NO END to the calls of:
RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! RACISM! got that NYT, roll over now, the end is near! Hurrah!

[foius]

Sen. Burris was only doing the political correct thing in Illinois, do whatever it takes to get yourself elected or appointed.

[LHibbard]

The Illinois Legislature, of which Mr. Franks is a member, talks a good game of reform. But after riding Rod Blagojevich out on a rail, the only legislation they have enacted was ensuring that Blago won't profit from his alleged crimes (remember, he hasn't been convicted yet). And the current governor, Pat Quinn, who installed a committee to design and enact campaign finance reform (that got Blago and his predecessor George Ryan in trouble in the first place), has been silent about reform lately. I guess he's getting more comfortable with being an insider after many years on the outside looking in.

The people of Illinois may want reform. But instead of pushing their elected officials to do it, they seem more interested in "pushing the bums out" and trusting the newbies to do the right thing. That hasn't worked.

Any doctor will tell you that curing a disease does not mean treating the symptoms alone. And this is how Illinois has been going about reform. Until they learn that going after the disease does not mean getting rid of the symptoms alone, there will be more Ryans and more Blagos in their future.

To Mr. Franks, Governor Quinn and the rest of the state legislature: Cure the disease - not the symptoms - and the people of Illinois will believe you mean business. Mr. Burris will be dealt with in due course.

[x76]

Other than "We don't like him," what exactly has he done to be disallowed from Ye Olde Band of Thieves? Too black? Not corrupt enough? Because from where I'm sitting, the whole of Congress with the exceptions of Dr. Paul from Texas and Dr. Coburn from Oklahoma have uniformly ignored the duties which they purported swore to uphold.

They allowed an evil President to usurp his powers of office to illegally invade and occupy a country which did nothing to us. Congress was unable to reign in his slightest whim. If that doesn't paint MISERABLE FAILURE in hundred-foot tall letters, I don't know what would.

Corruption in Illinois, you say? Shocking! Is Illinois any more corrupt than Washington DC is?

[goldenrulejoe]

Agree 100% ,the whole congress takes money to vote against the will of the american people-goggle john boehner tobacco money- and you will get some idea as to what goes on in your congress and I have yet to see this on the msm. boehner admits to taking and passing out checks from the tobbaco lobbyist on the floor of congress. ROLAND BURRIS IS THE LEAST OF OUR PROBLEMS FOOLS! we have democratic members taking money right now to vote against healthcare for all americans and to end this dreadful iraq war.

[Epiphany2b]

I must take issue with "the whole congress takes money . . . " and speak in defense of senators Leahy and Sanders of Vermont. You might not agree with their politics, but there has never been any indication of corruption.

People often complain of the votes of their Congressman saying (s)he does not vote as the people who sent them there want them to when in reality their district is made up of people of divergent views. Someone is going to be disappointed 100% of the time. This is not proof of corruption. But where it exists . . . why hasn't it been proven and action taken, as has been done in the past? I think, for one thing, lobbying should be outlawed completely.