Burris simply destroying his political career

You know this column from Rockford-Register Star is something that I have had in mind for a while since the big news broke about Sen. Burris and the phone tap with him an Robert Blagojevich (he's the brother of Ousted governor). This is something I haven't yet seen in my regular sources. In fact people are still calling for Burris to resign his seat although he has no desire to do that. Why should he? He was willing to take an appointment from such an untrustworthy and dishonest then Governor.

I’m tired, dog-tired. I took care of six dogs in one house for six days. I’m all hounded out. It’s somewhat like how I feel about our junior senator, Roland Burris. I’m dog-tired of hearing from him. It’s not just the taped conversation where Burris is offering a fundraiser for now disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

It’s how Burris conducted himself that makes me sad and tired. Roland Burris is his own worst enemy. He, by himself, is slowly destroying an admirable political career. I’m reminded of a doddering old man scratching and clawing his way back to political relevancy. Burris wanted the U.S. Senate seat too much.

It seems, at least in the court of public opinion, the people of Illinois no longer have the same favorable view of Burris that they once had. For Burris to risk his legacy for a Senate seat showed a lack of character. Do I want Burris to resign? Not really, he has less than a third of his Senate term before Illinois decides on a new senator or, of course, possibly keeps the current one. Burris will do an adequate job in the Senate, nothing special. He will follow the Democratic leadership.

I can understand Burris not heeding calls to resign. It seems the Senate chase was all about him, not the state of Illinois. But what about us; what about the people of Illinois? Don’t we deserve better? Why do we continue to put too many flawed individuals in positions of authority over us? Why do we keep playing the sucker in a state peppered with political corruption and incompetence? Why don’t we demand better? Better ideas, better attitudes and better people are needed in our state government right now.

An admirable political career? Hmmm he was the first black elected to statewide office in the late 1970s. He also have had unsuccessful runs for either the US Senate, IL Governor, and Mayor of Chicago. Since he took this appointment from Ousted governor well things aren't looking so bright. If he was ever considered honest, that's been disproven, especially going by his actions. Especially going by a recorded conversation by wiretap.

Burris will probably still have his supporters. I suppose that's good, but unfortunately for Burris in his one last chance for glory, he may well have hurt himself. Chances are if he ran again, he may lose worse than he did in his last attempt for IL's governorship. In that last contest he faced off against then Congressman Ousted governor.

Burris and his advisor

I was on the CapFax blog this morning and I was the second to comment on the round-up about Roland Burris' fundraiser that was held over the weekend.

See my question revolved around the comments made by Ms. Delmarie Cobb, Burris' media advisor, around the time of this fundraiser that was held at N'Digo Communications on the near west side. You might get the idea that she doesn't care for Obama. That was my question this morning. What is her point and what is the beef?

Well I'm not sure if this was an answer or not but it was immediately behind my comment although I posted at about 7:10 this morning and this response was timed at 7:22 AM. A simple one word answer:

Rush

As in US Rep. Bobby Rush the man who clamored using some racial language suggesting any attempt by the US Senate to refuse to seat Burris is either a lynching or an attempt to keep the Senate segregated or at least a good ole boys club. Perhaps Rush stood up for Burris at that press conference just two days before the New Year because Burris was a part of his generation and someone had to speak up for him. Or perhaps Rush was truly blinded by the fact that there needed to be a black in the US Senate.

Well let's get back to the present day.

Burris is embattled, but he shows no sign of wanting to give up his Senate seat. This is probably the highest position he's going to have before he finally calls it a career although unfortunately he did it in such a flawed way (regardless of the fact that it was legal) that this may tarnish his political reputation. What I mean by flawed was him taking an appointment from a man who was arrested for putting such an appointment up for sale tarnishing the integrity of an esteemed body as the US Senate.

You know if he's seeking to retain that seat and he often notes that he's trying to get know his job as a US Senator even if he's not exactly wanted for obvious reasons. He's stretching out his decision as to whether or not he'll ever run again. Although if he was willing to take this seat despite the political problems it will pose he'd try to keep the seat in an election even if it's more than certain that he'll not only lose but hurt the person he'd lost a primary against.

Let me ask you this. If you held a fundraiser and in addition to poll numbers being low would only 50 people showing up be a bad sign if you were a prospective US Senate candidate? Of course let's note this fundraiser was about his legal fees as he fights investigations against him for his contradictory statements in front of a state impeachment panel as it was a campaign fundraiser.

Let's get back to Ms. Cobb.

If this is about Bobby Rush, what is her connection with him and why is she in the Burris fight? Also is she upset that Obama back when he was really a young buck, dared to run against Rush in 2000? Obama was one of those people who didn't wait his turn. You can point to Jesse Jackson Jr. as another one of those types. Still is this what it's aboput a continuation of some past fight that she and perhaps Rush has never gotten over?

Well during the campaign there was an article that I blogged about regarding how Chicago shaped Obama. It seemed that our President wasn't getting much in the form of acceptance from Chicago's black political establishment. Perhaps it was that no one knew who he was or that he had this funny foreign name that no one understood. Perhaps he was very educated and some pols didn't know how to deal with it. Just as likely as him being an outsider, that he may not have wanted to play the game they did. Perhaps the game you saw on display as Rush stood up for Burris at that press conference two days before New Years.

Who knows, but the main question I have is that if Cobb has a beef with Obama where does it come from? If Rush is the reason then how does Rush figure into this?

Well as we figure this out we still have to figure out whether or not Burris will run again? If not Burris then who might be the ideal candidate for US Senate? How might the race shake out whether Burris is in it or not?

Fact is 2010 is only around the corner, who knows what'll happen!

See also!
The Burris situation
The Roland Burris front

The Roland Burris front

It seems that the news on the Burris front has been largely quiet on Friday. Things may have finally quieted down on whether or not he perjured himself in front of Illinois' House impeachment committee. In addition to as a result of amending his affidavits whether or not he should resign his Senate seat.

Personally while I agreed with any attempts to keep Burris out of the Senate early last month, I'd say since they backed down eventually I'd say we should let him go on and serve in the US Senate for the next year. I'm not sure that he would run for re-election next year especially since he accepted an appointment for our corrupt ex-Governor. Of course that's not to say that there aren't forces that want him to run next year.

I told you that I was amused that a post I found on a local blog found it's way as a major item over at the CapFax on Thursday. That post was heavily edited perhaps not long after it was shown there and there are two posts that I know of that have derived their posts from that heavily racialized post on that local blog, Chatham/Avalon Park Community Council.

I want to point out two of those posts this afternoon. First Archpundit springboards off of the comments made at the CapFax and discusses the blog in question. This statement caught my eye:

The stupid part of this is the notion that the only African American official who could win in 2010 is Burris.  Illinois has one of the best statewide records on electing African Americans.  He’s not the best nor the brightest right now.  I have some sense that those who could make a good run at the US Senate aren’t on Cobb’s shortlist however because they don’t pay fealty to the politics of those like Bobby Rush who while quite African American, is a corporate whore on many policies including telecommunications.

Yeah, that is the first thing I'm concerned about. It seems there are those who thinks Burris can survive this stigma that he is the Senator from Blagojevich. The fact that he was willing to accept this appointment is probably going to prove itself a problem and it doesn't matter who might want to line up in support of him.

Another blogger who took note of these comments bored now at Political Tracks:

That Roland Burris' public face is someone who is best known for her opposition of the president, someone eager to sow controversy, shows a lack of political judgment that will neither serve him -- or Illinois -- well. Delmarie Cobb may be eager to throw Barack Obama under the bus, but I haven't found a black voter who is willing to do so. By accepting this appointment from such a fatally flawed figure had already put Burris' political skills and judgment in doubt. Surrounding himself with people who clearly oppose this president only cements it. Roland Burris is too naive to be our senator.

Roland Burris needs to decide if he is standing with our new president or fighting against him. Delmarie Cobb's email suggests to me that she is using Burris as a means for tearing down Barack Obama. We have no indication that Burris is willing to stand with the president or his agenda, but we do have indicators that he and his campaign are eager to sacrifice Barack Obama for their own benefit. It seems to me that those very "black elected officials" who "stayed quiet and got on board" for Barack Obama are now basking in his limelight. Roland Burris faces an uphill battle to divide them from the president but it appears Delmarie Cobb is eager for the challenge. I'd say 'good luck with that,' but I don't really wish her luck. I -- and many others -- worked too hard to get Obama elected president to sacrifice him for Roland Burris. I'd much rather have a good man in the White House. I strongly suspect I'm not alone in that sentiment...

I forgot to mention, the blog post in question was a republished e-mails from a constituent of Freddrenna Lyle, 6th Ward Alderman. The Alderman herself seems to have sent that e-mail that Ms. Delmarie Cobb had sent to the Alderman. The e-mail that was copy-and-pasted on the CapFax was by Ms. Cobb herself.

It was noted by both bored now and Archpundit that she was the subject of some disparaging remarks from former state Senate President Emil Jones because she just simply wasn't on board for Obama and continued to support Hillary Clinton last year. In fact check out this post made about that story over at The Bench from last year.

I still find it unfortunate how racialized this story has become. The expectation is that we should support this appointment because Burris represented the only chance for blacks to have a black US Senator. The problem here and well it doesn't need to bear repeating this that the black candidate for US Senate accepted an appointment from a very fatally flawed figure as our former corrupt Governor  was.

It seems Burris is suffering the same treatment that he probably should have dished to the former Governor when he the Senate appointment was offered. He should have shunned it, even if this was to have been his last hurrah! He didn't  and he accepted the appointment and now he suffered the consequences of not getting a even a remote acknowledgement from the President at the state of the union address in addition to having to walk alone to the House chamber that night without nary a work from his Senate colleagues. Although he does support DC voting rights.

Let me just state, I'm not under the idea that Burris should resign. I'm not sure that he should until it's proven that he did anything wrong. I'm not sure that he did and perjury is said to be difficult to prove. The only thing that was suspicious is the fact that he had to even amend his affidavits. It's also bad that he accepted a hot-potato appointment but the damage is less criminal than it was political.

One more quote worth adding today:

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris said he tried to raise funds for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich but was not successful, therefore innocent. If I unsuccessfully robbed a bank, am I innocent?

If it's true that this had anything to do with his appointment then I would say that it wouldn't make him innocent. Especially if the intent was to buy a Senate seat. Still it has to be proven and I look forward to the findings. It's a mess!

BTW read this weekend's Burris Headlines posts over at The Sixth Ward.
March 1, 2009
February 28, 2009

The Burris situation

I was really amused to find this post from a neighborhood blog featured on the CapFax blog today. It's about a strategy to help Roland Burris as he is currently embattled due to who appointed him. I should have you know I may not have discussed the context, but I had the link on The Sixth Ward a couple of days before he used it.

He basically took excerpts from a letter and basically supported his idea that there is a plan afoot to draw the dreaded race card. To me the only reason the race card is used to shut people up, because you know, there are people out there who don't want to be called racist. Even if on a particular situation you might be right about a particular issue or situation.

That being said, there are a lot of people interested in helping Burris keep his seat. Chicago's Aldemanic Black Caucus are certainly behind him:

At a City Hall news conference, the aldermen warned that there would be a price to pay for Quinn, U.S. Senator Richard Durbin, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Treausurer Alexi Giannoulias, and others who have climbed aboard the anti-Burris bandwagon. The price is black support.

“To just muck up somebody's 30-plus year record of loyalty to the Democratic Party — for all of them to turn turn on him — we say it's time for this to stop. And if it does not, we shall remember this at the next election,” said Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), chairman of the Black Caucus.

Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th), city chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, said the “anti-Blagojevich hatred” has unfairly been transferred onto Burris.

“I would just suggest to those people who seek to run in the wards of the city of Chicago where there are people of color living that they should tone it down because some of us are taking notes. They will run at their peril,” Lyle said.
...

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.
For the aldermen, the story was over the top.

“You all are attacking people's children. That is crossing the line,” said Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th).

Oh yeah I forgot to mention this scandal threatens to also take down Burris son. He had the misfortune of running afoul of the IRS. Not only that he's got his job thru the preceding corrupt ex-governor's administration. It's getting to become a big mess.

Bobby Rush isn't backing down on his support for Roland Burris just yet:

"I think Sen. Burris should not resign," Rush said. "He did not do anything inappropriate, he did not do anything arrestable, he did not do anything indictable."

Though this story is old news there isn't yet a united front on this yet.

A faction of black ministers plans to ask for Burris' resignation following revelations that the senator tried to raise money for the disgraced governor who appointed him, one of the ministers told The Associated Press on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because a meeting with Burris had not yet been scheduled.

Clergy Speaks Interdenominational, an umbrella group that includes hundreds of Chicago's black churches, will meet Friday to discuss its support for Burris, spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said. For now, the group still supports him and its leaders are unaware of discussions about asking him to resign, she said.

Ok, to be honest this seems a bit short sighted here. Black political leaders are latching onto Burris almost as if there is no one else on the horizon who could even run for a Senate seat. Especially if it happens to be the seat that was warmed by both Carol Moseley Braun and President Barack Obama. What about Jesse Jackson Jr? He was gunning for that seat hard!

I'm thinking some people out there should have taken a deep breath on this issue (especially Bobby Rush) and found someone to groom to take this Senate seat. Burris unfortunately is himself flawed and only because of who appointed him. If it wasn't for the corrupt ex-governor of Illinois, I'm sure no one would have a problem. My Alderman called it correctly, but the questions asked aren't entirely bad questions to ask. It may very well come out that there was no quid pro quo and that Burris may have left some things out of his affidavit but that he didn't committ perjury.

As for going after Burris' son well I don't think that's out of line. There should be questions especially if he is the son of a known political figure and he got his job thru those connections. The question here might be how he got the position and it certainly doesn't help if a tax lien was slapped on him in the process.

Fact is that this could get ugly. The racial component is about to come out. That would be unfortunate because who knows if this could make it difficult for another black to get elected to the US Senate. Instead of finding someone who could possible take that seat, they're coalescing behind someone who probably shouldn't have accepted that seat due to the situation at hand.

It's very unfortunate and a big mess!

Burris is in trouble!

Over the past weekend news broke that Sen. Roland Burris had refiled affidavits discussing any possible contacts he may have had with former Governor Rod Blagojevich. The questions are about who did Burris contact with respect to an appointment to the then vacated US Senate seat of President Barack Obama in addition to any questions of a "quid pro quo". It turns out that Burris at some point did attempt to fundraise for the Governor, although it might have been much earlier than his Dec. 9th arrest by federal authorities.

It also turns out that he's been in contact with the Governor's brother, Robert Blagojevich. It seems Blago's brother is knee deep in these schemes, and I think that's unfortunate.

Let's also not forget why this is news. Burris' appointment around New Year's by then IL Gov. Blagojevich was controversial. Especially since Blago was arrested for putting Obama's vacant Senate seat for sale in addition to a myriad of other charges. The fact that Blago would appoint a person to the US Senate knowing full well that it would be a problem is certainly a testament as to why he was removed from his position last month.

Since the past weekend we have hear a myriad of politicians, columnists, and editorials refer to Burris' appointment as another piece of the Blago legacy. Wait...what's a Blago legacy?

Anyway the fact that Blago appointed Burris to this seat knowing full well that no one wanted him to appoint anyone after he was accused of putting that seat up for sale. Then using some very hardball tactics that resulted in Burris getting seated and then over a month later there are questions about how Burris got this seat. This all counts as the Blagojevich legacy. Pay to play, hardball politics, dishonestly, and I'm sure there are other descriptive words to describe this story.

Anyway this video is an AP report about local ministers thinking about backing away from Burris. They are considering asking him to resign. You can read a write-up here.

Anyway check out Rich Miller's comment in his round-up of Burris stories...

Hopefully, this is the beginning of a different way of doing business for some African-American pastors who seem all too willing to loudly support seriously flawed political allies. They got played badly by Rod Blagojevich for years, and their support for him after his arrest was embarassing.

One can only hope. If this is what the most important of black leaders can do and use their following to support flawed characters, then should they even be involved in politics. Especially if they know full well that where they point their flock, they follow.

It almost makes one wonder where the race-baiting that resulted after Blago appointed Burris. Especially with the comments of Rep. Bobby Rush who on that day sought to draw parrallels between the US Senate leadership attempting to block Burris from taking his seat to any segregationist southern governor keeping a black student from attending classes at a southern state university.

You know this whole story was flawed. Rush really made this about race, it was important to him to have a black sit in the US Senate. Unfortunately the problem was with the person who was making that call, Rod Blagojevich. I heard the call to separate the appointer from the appointee except that's the problem we have now! And that also could mean that blacks won't have any senators in the US Senate, until the next one gets elected whenever that'll be.

Race rears it's ugly head!

It looks like Burris might get his Senate seat and will effectively get one more notch onto his tomb. His tomb is already to go for him and his wife and already highlights the many achievements of his lifetime. Affixed on it is the seal of the State of Illinois.

Looking at his tomb some could conclude that this man has one of the biggest egos that can be found in anyone. Some might even point to the fact that his children are both named for him. Son and daughter as evidence of his big ego.

That's not why his appointment to the US Senate is troubling. It's more troubling that he was appointed by Rod Blagojevich, because the Governor was already arrested for selling the Senate seat that he's attempting to appoint Burris. What makes this issue worse is that the issue of race is being thrown in there.

At Burris press conference, Bobby Rush came in to discuss his support of Roland Burris' appointment to the Senate. Yesterday Jesse Jackson Jr. made a statement in support of Burri's appointment. Rush and Jackson themselves members of the US House or Representatives want to note that it's very important to have a black person in the US Senate. Keeping Burris out in spite of this cloud would be tantamount to a George Wallace keeping black students out of a state university in Alabama.

That would be unfortunate! I would dare say shortsighted that they would choose an appointment by a corrupt Governor to sound the alarm about a lack of minority (or black) representation in an august body as the US Senate. While I can agree there should be more blacks in the Senate, my answer would be to say I don't want it this way. Not a controversial appointment with the liberal use of this race card in order to have my way. It's almost like seeking crumbs at the table as opposed to earning a huge chunk of the pie.

I read a column by the Sun-Times' Mark Brown that suggested that Burris' attempts to get himself seated in the US Senate in spite of this cloud over who appointed him might make it difficult for another black to be elected to the US Senate. Indeed if Burris chose to run in 2010, and current indications are that he would because Brown says Burris' ego is that huge, that it would be very difficult for another black to make a run for the Senate in the next decade. This makes this whole struggle even more shortsighted. Almost like the old guard attempting to get one last hurrah.

Anyway today Blagojevich will get his senate appointment. He will get his publicity and he can turn around and say that he got a black man appointed to the Senate after a brief fight. Of course he'll neglect the fact that's he's very unpopular and the ethical cloud hanging over his own head. While he did say that Burris shouldn't be affected by the charges against the Governor, it's possible that the charges against the Governor will have nothing to do why the Governor made this appointment anyway.

All I can further say is that the door was left open. Instead of addressing the issue of this cloud, they left it hanging. And the Governor sort of broke his promise (well if I recall correctly his lawyer declared that he won't make an appointment although another lawyer said he didn't know if the Governor would make an appointment) and we're in a unfortunate situation now!

BTW, I still remember an appearance he made on Bruce Dumont's Beyond the Beltway radio show where he basically justified Saddam Hussein's gassing of the Kurds by declaring that the Kurds were NOT his people. DuMont seemed to have had some disgust to that statement mouthing, "And that makes it OK." In other words, I don't have much faith in Burris' ability to debate issues regarding foreign affairs.

Related
Cartoon via State Journal Register
The Burris Circus and the Politics of Race - ABCNews
Burris Gains The Support Of Feinstein, Some Black Caucus Members - AllHeadlineNews
Blagojevich race card lands softly in Senate fight - AP
Daley: Burris has 'cloud over him' - Clout St.
Capitol Fax round up on Burris' admittance to the US Senate