You wonder if maybe the GOP paid Blagojevich to name Burris to the Senate seat, thus ensuring at least one massive Democratic failure and ongoing embarrassment:
Yesterday was not a good day for Roland Burris.
First, he admitted that, contradicting the impression he had left over the weekend, he had tried to raise money for Rod Blagojevich after a conversation with the then-governor’s brother. (That acknowledgement came on the heels of an affidavit Burris filed earlier this month which itself contradicted his sworn testimony to the legislature about conversations with Blagojevich’s circle.)
Then, we learned that two investigations have been launched into the new senator’s shifting explanations. One is described by the Chicago Tribune as “a perjury review,” being conducted by John Schmidt, the local prosecutor in Springfield, and a Republican. Schmidt said he was acting on a request from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
It seems almost certain that the man committed perjury, and will be prosecuted for it. A reasonable person might think that he’d prefer to handle that out of the public light. But as we saw with his appointment battle, the man is almost entire incapable of self awareness or shame. We’re going to be stuck with him for a while, I fear, and it’s going to be ugly.
James Young
I initially credited Dingy Harry for doing the right thing on this. Unfortunately, the desire for a filibuster-proof majority got the better of him. Illinois Dems would have been smart to make sure that no one took the seat from Hot Rod (waiting until after conviction, for his successor), but I suspect that dangling such a thing might have been too much for anyone, even those few principled Dems left.
MB
Credited him for trying to block the appointment? Please. That was a ridiculous move that he couldn’t back up. There’s a clear flaw in the system, and Burris rode right through it. (Much like how Republicans learned to operate in the gap between what is permitted, and what is expected . . .)
James Young
Spare me your pretensions to constitutional rectitude, Mark. When you inveigh against the welfare state, Social Security, and giving a vote in the House to D.C>, THEN you can make some kind of claim to caring about constitutional limitations.
MB
Heh. Just as soon as you stop pretending to live in 1788. Actually, I really don’t give a shit what you do. It’s entertainment, in any event.
Rod Blagojevich
Wait, I could take money from Republicans in exchange for the appointment they wanted, too? Why the fuck didn’t anyone say so?! That was a huge fucking sweet deal I missed out on!