Under the gaze of a cutout of President Barack Obama, whom he replaced by appointment to the U.S. Senate, Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), speaks at a Peoria County Democrats Presidents' Day Dinner at the Itoo Hall last night. (Photo by Fred Zwicky / Journal Star via AP)
by Rick Pearson, John Chase and Ray Long
(Our colleagues at Clout Street have important news about Sen. Roland Burris, news with career-altering implications for a senator appointed to office by a former governor accused of trying to sell the seat:)
The senator "has acknowledged he sought to raise campaign funds for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the request of the governor's brother at the same time he was making a pitch to be appointed to the Senate seat previously held by President Barack Obama.
"Burris' latest comments in Peoria Monday night were the first time he has publicly said he was actively trying to raise money for Blagojevich. Previously Burris has left the impression that he always balked at the issue of raising money for the governor because of his interest in the Senate appointment.
"In comments to reporters after appearing at a Democratic dinner, the senator several times contradicted his latest under-oath affidavit that he quietly filed with the Illinois House impeachment panel earlier this month. That affidavit was itself an attempt to clean up his live, sworn testimony to the panel Jan. 8, when he omitted his contacts with several Blagojevich insiders.
"Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Monday night joined a growing chorus of Democratic officials who want a deeper investigation of Burris' comments. But she did not go as far as some, including Republicans, who have said specifically they want Burris investigated for possible perjury.''
"This is a particularly frustrating revelation," Madigan said of Burris' recent disclosure that he had contact with five Blagojevich insiders. "I encourage the Sangamon County state's attorney to take a closer look at this in the interest of truth, integrity and transparency."
Comments
(insert Bruce's apology to The Swamp staff here)
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | February 17, 2009 1:15 PM
Roland Burris must go!
I think that Mel Reynolds should be appointed to the seat. Mel has a complete pardon from President Clinton for his various crimes and is now on the govenment payroll as a stooge for Jessie Jackson Jr.
He would fit in well with the current crop of senators.
Posted by: Bushwacker | February 17, 2009 1:40 PM
Hey - where are all of the people who said Burris should just be seated - despite the taint? I believe one of those individuals was President Obama? Hello? Bueller? Seems we should start thanking Danny Davis for having the integrity for refusing the seat. And we should ask Rep. Davis if Blagojevich's people tried to hustle him like they did Burris.
Posted by: Bemused | February 17, 2009 1:45 PM
No way will the Democrats boot Burris as it will disrupt the Democrat black core vote..
plus he is a solid rubber stamp for Obama's agenda.
Posted by: Inky | February 17, 2009 1:47 PM
The Swamp had 31 articles on some senator from Idaho playing footsie in a men's room, but so far only 3 articles on the perjury of Illinois's own senator (guess which one is the Republican).
The partisan Swamp journalists should apologize to their readers. And the likes of "bubba" should apologize for attacking readers like myself who keep pressing the Swamp to report the truth.
Posted by: Bruce | February 17, 2009 1:51 PM
Please get this human garbage out of the senate, posthaste. Lisa Madigan, Harry Reid, ANYONE with authority over our tainted senate seat needs to get Burris out yesterday.
The partisan democrats here in the swamp (and in Chicago) will no doubt defend this as "lying, not perjury," but either way this latest round of lies will be the real last line on Burris' political epitaph (whether it makes his tombstone or not). It's WAY beyond time that the people of Illinois were given a special election to choose their own senator.
Posted by: Jeff | February 17, 2009 3:05 PM
Left and rights of passage
Black and whites of youth
Who can face the knowledge
That the truth is not the truth?
Obsolete
Absolute
Posted by: gravel kucinich paul nader | February 17, 2009 3:14 PM
I won't be satisfied until you actually count the number of words in each story and give us the dollar amount contributed to each political party by every source cited. Also, cherry pick a few polls about the so-called liberal media and reference an article by the UK Guardian. When you're done with that, please describe, in painful detail, this "truth" you mention.
Now get to work.
Posted by: Bubba ✔ | February 17, 2009 3:15 PM
Bruce,
why should Frank James and Mark Silva write about Burris when stories about him have been on the front page for the past several days? Or do those stories not count?
Posted by: BC | February 17, 2009 6:46 PM
I said from the start that he was a pay for play crook who played the race card. The man has no integrity, honor, or truthfulness. I only hope we toss him out and have a special election. Fat chance, since the Dems. are in charge!
Posted by: Bubba Porter | February 17, 2009 7:06 PM
Roland maybe you can put on your "future grave" site (http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1208/Roland_Burriss_Monument_to_Me.html) "just another African-American loser from Chicago"
Posted by: gken | February 17, 2009 7:11 PM
Hang 'em high, you good, old constitutionalists !! Ride those bill of rights, out on a rail !! Illinois, the odious Land of Lynchings !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, America | February 17, 2009 10:57 PM
Thank Bobby Rush for Burris being accepted by the dems. He stood in front of the nation and said the unacceptance issue of Burris to the senate was due to what else?? RACIAL discrimination!! The the black caucus got involved, also crying racial discrimination! The dems' original statement was they would not accept ANYONE chosen by Blagojevich to the senate, he went ahead & chose Burris and Burris accepted with little thought to the state of Illinois; all Burris wanted was to be the senator AT ANY COST! Face it, Burris would lie, cheat, and steal to add the word "senator" to his memorial! Greed and self-ego have not limits!
Posted by: NinaK | February 18, 2009 1:15 AM
Even MSN is making it hard to find this story. You have to dig until you find it. Call for a special election to replace a tainted senator in Illinois.
Posted by: JIm Schwartz | February 18, 2009 4:20 PM