Just when you think Illinois is no longer the laughingstock of the nation, along comes Sen. Roland Burris, D-Perjury, for a second round leading the state into becoming late night comic fodder. We're no longer the Land of Lincoln. We're the Land of Laughers.
Yikes, we really know how to pick 'em, don't we? But then we didn't pick Sen. Burris.
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D-Indicted, did after the Democratic-controlled Illinois Legislature failed to call a special election to fill the seat once held by President Obama. And the U.S. Senate leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-No Backbone, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Egg on His Face, folded and allowed Burris to be seated in the Congress' upper chamber.
Reid and Durbin were right the first time: Blago's appointment was tainted. Now we know for sure because Burris said he was asked to raise campaign bucks for the impeached governor before Blago named the former Illinois attorney general and comptroller to the Senate.
The only one with any scruples at all in this mess, as The Hound has pointed out previously, is Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. White refused, even under extreme pressure from Chicago's black community, to certify the state's junior senator into the Senate. If Burris had any dignity, he would resign and Gov. Pat Quinn could appoint White to the seat.
And where is Sen. Durbin, the Senate's whip, when this newest twist in the Burris Follies unwinds? He's on a Mediterranean holiday, touring Greece, Cyprus and Turkey with state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who happens to be Greek-American. Apparently, phones don't operate in Europe because Durbin so far has been unable to be contacted by the state's eager reporters. Unless he's hiding in a bunker figuring out damage control for the statewide ticket next year.
With Presidents' Day on Monday The Hound thought of what President Washington said long before Illinois was admitted to the Union in 1818: "Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience." Which pol in this state has that little spark?
Don’t be so quick to applaud White. White is a solid Obama supporter, and was using the only tool he had to try to hold the appointment long enough for Blago to be impeached, and for Quinn to appoint Jarrett or another Obama-approved Democrat. Later of course, a judge ruled that Burris didn’t actually need the State Seal for the appointment, but it was just a couple of days delay. Reid and Durkin had no grounds to keep Burris from taking the seat. Even an accusation of perjury couldn't be used, as this current Dem-controlled Congress has never acted against a member of its own party even when the member is on trial. Even GOP Ex-Senator Stevens stayed in his seat while he was on trial. If he had not been defeated for re-election, he would've faced expulsion, but even that would be tricky, since he did have the right to appeal his sentence, just like other defendants.