On top of White House appointees' owing back taxes (Geithner, Daschle and Killefer), appointees withdrawing because of a state grand jury investigation (Richardson) and because of an ideological change of heart (Gregg), now Democrats have that pathological egotist, freshman U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, adding to the image of a political party in hopes of being taken seriously.
Barack Obama has been in office less than a month. Yet, his presidency and the Democratic Party are headed toward a record of embarrassments and blunders.
Now this guy Burris. Worried he may have been mentioned or heard on FBI wiretaps of ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (a Democrat), Sen. Burris (Democrat) has submitted an affidavit amending previous sworn testimony in the Illinois impeachment and ouster of Blagojevich. He abandons earlier denials and says, yes, he spoke three times to the disgraced governor's brother about fundraising prior to being tagged by Blagojevich to succeed Obama in the U.S. Senate.
From this distance, Burris seems to have lied in January testimony to Illinois lawmakers. And lied to the public as well as to the U.S. Senate when he pleaded to be sworn and seated.
Burris is a blight on the Senate. If he's not indicted for perjury and forced to resign, then Democratic senators who initially were wisely reluctant to accept him should be at the head of the line finding ways to rid the public of this disgrace.
In those days when Burris' name first surfaced, reporters provided this tasty peek at the man's neurotic ambitions. Burris has built a granite mausoleum in a Chicago cemetery emblazed with the words "Trail Blazer" and chiseled tributes to himself—Illinois' first African-American attorney general, Illinois' first African-American comptroller and the first African-American exchange student from Southern Illinois University to German's Hamburg University.
He's left room to add service in the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Burris is utterly irreconcilable with the "change" President Obama championed in his campaign and that Democrats have embraced as a blood oath. Burris will continue to be suspect while a criminal indictment is sought against ex-Gov. Blagojevich and while Illinois lawmakers review Burris' sworn testimony for evidence of perjury. Whether Burris was caught on FBI wiretaps or what he said hasn't been divulged.
The president would be foolish to excuse Burris on grounds of forget-and-forgive compassion.
The usually indulgent and skittish U.S. Senate now has a chance to toughen its stance on ethics involving members who lie, especially one whose fishy smelling Senate appointment came from an impeached and corrupt governor.
