Centrist Pundits

Today’s birdshot Wednesday posts are apparently coming in the form of multiple short entries, instead of one longer one.

Poor poor Senator Burris.  He’s on some of the Blago wiretap tapes and what he said doesn’t sound good.  Its not neccessarily incriminating, it just sounds bad – methodical, calculating, knowing that things could appear pay for play.

But Burris was being a dick to reporters, belligerant and unpleasant (I kinda get the feeling that’s his baseline personality.)  He lacks all the sheer gigantic brass balls charisma of Blagojevich, who is probably the most corrupt politician in America currently but still makes you want to watch.  Burris you just kinda want to go away.

I guess in America its better to be interesting than right.  Well, it is probably best to be both.  Blagojevich is just the first.  Burris is neither, and the voters will never forgive him it.

JC Society, State Politics Blagojevich, Burris

If my cohort and I have any regrets, its that we hadn’t set up this site before and during the Blagojevich scandal, because there was some real writing fodder there.  I was and remain absolutely convinced that Blagojevich was guilty of actual crimes in addition to ethical violations.  But for better or for worse, the case just keeps on going.  Blagojevich may be out of office, but his legacy lives on.

Did Burris do anything wrong?  In the end, I think yes, he did.  He didn’t seem to at first.  He didn’t raise any money for the now-former Governor.  I’m not sure there was anything wrong with the appointment.  But its pretty clear that he either outright lied or committed a lie of omission during his discussions with either the Illinois legislature, the Senate leadership, or both.

Of course, its easy for me to think poorly of Burris, I admit.  I’ve had some issues with him from the start.  Really, what kind of person accepts an appointment from Blagojevich when he was under such a cloud?  Only someone who is very interested  in forwarding his own power.

And its not like we don’t have other proofs of Burris’s need to be special.  The man has been fairly arrogant about his appointment from the start, including saying God wants him to be Senator.  He has a memorial already built to himself (where he’ll apparently be buried) listing all his accomplishments, including his Senatorial appointment before it was even finalized.

In the end, Burris lied to people because he knew the whole truth was less likely to allow him to become Senator.  Whether it was an outright lie or a lie of omission may be what keeps him out of a perjury charge, but its still pretty clear something stinks about his testimony, and therefore, something stinks about Burris.  I’m not sure if anything can be done to remove a sitting Senator, and don’t think for a moment that Burris has any intention of resigning, but I’m pretty sure he no longer has any hope of retaining his seat.

I doubt at this point he could even keep his position in the primary.

JC Congress Blagojevich, Burris, senators