Yesterday we learned a little bit more about the man that could and/or will become the next Senator from Illinois. Roland Burris made a big ruckus in Washington on Tuesday when the Secretary of the Senate refused to seat him. Yet he was confident, supposedly because the lord had Blagojevich seat him, that he'd prevail in the end. Well, it might not have been a heavenly presence that got him into the Club of 100.
From The Huffington Post:
Appearing before an Illinois House impeachment committee, Burris acknowledged that he had reached out to a close friend and former chief of staff to embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich to discuss the Senate seat. That appears to contradict Burris' statement in a sworn affidavit that he had no contact with any of the governor's "representatives." The former chief of staff, Alonzo Monk, is named as "Lobbyist 1" in the criminal complaint, and ran Blagojevich's most recent reelection campaign.
Grilled by members of the Illinois House, Burris said he brought the idea of filling Obama's Senate seat to "Lon" Monk -- whose cell phone was tapped by federal agents investigating Blagojevich's pay-to-play scheme.
Moreover, Burris testified that the meeting with Monk was to drum up state business from the lobbyist -- the image of back channel dealing that Burris has sought to avoid during his Senate roll-out.
Not exactly the stuff that gets you past the pearly gates, is it? Mr. Burris though, I suspect, cares only about the big doors that lead to the Senate floor. If he were staying in Illinois, it would seem that he'd get nothing from the legislature that raked him through his own coals yesterday. Majority Leader Harry Reid however, can't seem to tie his own shoes, so herding the Democratic caucus or dealing with an ethically and legally tainted Governor is out of the question. Of course, if the Feds can nail him for being part of a pay to play scheme, things could change. His answer to whether he was is quite telling.
Towards the end, a representative put the whole inquiry in the bluntest terms possible: asking Burris whether he had promised Blagojevich anything in return for the Senate seat.
"I can before this committee state that there was nothing legal, personal, or political exchanged for my appointment to this seat," Burris replied.
Do you think he left out the word "financial" on purpose?
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