Dick Durbin Calls for Roland Burris to Quit, But I'm Not Holding My Breath
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Dick Durbin said today that Roland Burris should resign, and he's right, of course.
But he also admitted that he can't force Burris out. The fact is that virtually the only person who can force Roland Burris out is Roland Burris. And I for one am not holding my breath.
The problem Durbin and his Democratic colleagues face regarding Barack Obama's replacement is that he is in fact no Barack Obama. If anything, Roland Burris is the anti-Obama. (A thought pops into my head: What will Obama do if, while making his way to the podium in the House chamber this evening, he is confronted by his successor?)
Barack Obama has had a well-documented, meteoric rise, from obscure state senator to the White House in under five years. Burris's rise to national prominence has been slow and lurching, stretching across 30 years. He was the first African-American elected statewide in Illinois, but grew into something of an also-ran, unsuccessfully running for governor a couple of times before finally backing into the office as one of the few people willing to return wacky Gov. Rod Blagojevich's phone calls.
Barack Obama understands better than many politicians the power and importance of words. Words matter, Obama famously argued during the Democratic primary campaign. And when his short presidency has hit rough patches in its first few weeks, Obama has relied on his own eloquence to boost his agenda. Roland Burris appears to view words as disposable; he has in his brief time on the national stage used whichever ones most conveniently helped him achieve his goal of becoming a U.S. senator, his tale of contacts with Governor Blagojevich and his staff evolving since he came into office.
Ironically Burris's most recent defense was "You all know Roland Burris." Here is what I have concluded about Roland Burris, in his brief time in the national spotlight: He is all about Roland Burris. And that self-focus is the most important way in which he is the anti-Obama.
And it also makes one doubt that he is going to give up his spot in the Senate any time soon.
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Tags: corruption | Roland Burris
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Reader Comments
What are you crazy?
And Barack Obama isn't all about himself? Or are you just another tout for Obamamania?
The fact is there isn't two cents worth of difference between these two or any two Chicago politicians. They are equally corrupt, Obama's handlers have just done a better job of supressing the evidence.
I had never voted for a Republican Presidential candidate in my life before this election. A scant four years ago, people were excited about a possible McCain party switch if you will recall. He's more of a mainstream Democrat than anyone the Democrats have run in years. Obama is a socialist, if not a communtist. The change you all voted for is coming fast, even if it isn't the change you hoped for.
It is well past time for people like you to stop licking his boots and assess the real impact his socialist programs are going to have on the long term prosperity of the middle class.
When tyranny comes, the elitist media snobs who worked so hard to usher it in are usually among the first sent to Gulag.
Roland Burris
Burris is exactly like Obama .... LIAR, CHEAT, and a DO NOTHING! Both are all about SELF! and love to cry RACIST when they don't get their way. Obama just happens to be a better PERFORMER. Looking forward to both of them being carted off in handcuffs!!
Congratulations
Robert,
So courageous of you to kick a man while he's down.
Pile on Robert, pile on.
Please, hold your breath and spare us your diatribe
Mark Young
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