Roland Burris, meet the dead meat.

Done like a burnt steak. Today's Suntimes has the transcript, and it ain't purty:

". . . If I put on a fund-raiser now . . . it has so many negative connotations that Burris is trying to buy an appointment," Burris told the governor's brother.

". . . And if I do that," he later added, "I guarantee you that, that will get out and people said, oh, Burris is doing a fund-raiser and, and then Rod and I both gonna catch hell."

But Burris didn't want to close the door and take a chance on getting on the governor's bad side.

Instead, as the discussion proceeded, Burris told Robert Blagojevich he would:

1) Be willing to help with a fund-raiser if it was being hosted by some other Blagojevich supporter with whom Burris had worked in the past, in effect, someone to give him cover.

2) Ask his law partner, Timothy Wright, to raise money for the governor.

3) Make a personal donation to the governor's campaign and ask his lobbying partner Fred Lebed to do the same. No amount was mentioned, but Burris later noted that their lobbying/consulting practice was in financial distress.

At one point, Burris made his priorities crystal clear.

". . . God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod. Number two, I also wanna, you know, hope I get a consideration to get that appointment," he said, adding, ". . . and however that goes, ah, it would dictate, ah, you know how the press treats it."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/1593665,CST-NWS-brown27.article

I feel almost kinda bad for Timothy Wright, but he should know who his partners are.

you are so done.

My view is that Burris may well have discussed options which may have fallen outside of the ethics involved. But, I would point out that NONE of Burris' ACTIONS were illegal or improper.

I don't think Congress' 'ethics' committee is of any consequence. It would be strange for them to start doing something consequential now, after letting so many off.

To me, this is a media trial, fueled by folks who just want Burris to fail. I'm not one of them.

Then came his first affidavit. Which was incorrect, misleading and incomplete.
Then came his second affidavit which was intended to correct the first.
Then came his third affidavit which was intended to correct the second.

And all affidavits STILL failed to disclose this stuff we learn now. He not only knew of potential quid pro quo, HE DISCUSSED IT ON TAPE.

Being from Illinois, I'd much rather have real senator in his stead.

. . . but talk.

Good enough to oppose him in an election. Really just opposition politics, though, rather than something which could be successfully challenged in court. It shows some political amateurism on Burris's part in the political scheming, but his actions and statements don't add up to something so egregious to justify the animosity toward him, I believe.

There is no quid pro quo which actually occurred. That's what's important to me.

Do you really believe Burris was the only on dancing around the legalities of appeasing Blago to get the seat? It's laughable how Burris is being held up as the most corrupt thing in Illinois politics. It looks to me that he made good decisions in the end, no matter what was discussed. And, any witch-hunting panel or assembly of politicians in the type of political inquiry that Burris was subjected to deserves the political dancing he did around their questioning. They wanted Blago and they didn't care if they too Burris down. But, it's a joke to assume he was the only or worst one sucking up to Blago for that appointment.

constitutes perjury.

He must feel right at home in his current job.

it's pretty obvious the same folks who wanted blago out want burris out.

deeply involved in Springpatch politics.
Blogo was a disaster. If it wasn't for the rabid right wing of the GOP being in control of the party mechanism, we'd be dealing with a GOP governor.
Blogo damaged the state, the party, and our finances for a long time to come.

If it's someone else's.

. . . who isn't caught up in the pious posturing against run-of-the-mill politics in Illinois that Burris is being used to get to Blago. But, there's really nothing much here except more smoke and wind to cover their weak case against Blago. Talk is cheap. That's mostly what we see from all of these tapes. Talk. Where's the proof of any actual actions which would indicate something more?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/9828576/Roland-Burris-Affidavit-010509#page=2

12. Prior to my December 26, 2008 phone call with Mr. Adams, Jr., there was not any contact between my self or any of my representatives with Governor Blagojevich or any of his representatives regarding my appointment to the United States Senate.


Liar liar, pants on fire.

Does Roland NOT understand the power of the internet?

He'll carve his line in his personal monument, and then toddle off into well-deserved obscurity.

He may not last the month.