Thursday, February 19, 2009

EXTRA: Roland Burris has no shame

That is the reason he won’t resign anytime soon.

But I guess the Chicago Sun-Times saw all the attention other newspapers got in calling for the “r” word and just felt the need to go along (http://nwi.com/articles/2009/02/19/ap-state-il/d96emap01.txt), even though they previously published the admission that they don’t expect Roland to go along with their editorial request.

AS FOR THOSE people who have dreams of the Senate kicking Burris out of their ranks, I’m skeptical. The requirements involved in doing such a thing (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ethics19-2009feb19,0,7680491.story) are so complex and case-specific that I doubt Roland has done anything bad enough to qualify.

Being egotistical and bordering on buffoonish may be bad, but it only means that Burris fits in with the bulk of his Senate colleagues.

Somehow, I think a “censure” some time this summer is Burris’ likely fate – along with having to accept the reality that he won’t be able to credibly run for re-election in the 2010 elections.

Of course, even without the recent activity, Burris would have had to face that fact sometime this year. Somebody in the form of state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias or state Comptroller Dan Hynes (if not state Attorney General Lisa Madigan herself) would have made Roland realize that 2010 is the time to retire for good.

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