Burris has said far too much in the past to be trusted.
Say I'm Roland Burris. Here's what I'm thinking:
I've painted myself into a corner by accepting the nomination from Blagojevich. The people of Illinois used to think of me as a straight-laced, dedicatd public servant. The national press didn't used to think of me at all and now everybody is making fun of my tasteful tombstone. The other Senators think I'm a joke. Because I don't have the money to pay all the legal costs of defending myself against a high profile ethics investigation, I capitulated to pressure from the Senate leadership and agreed not to run in 2010. Now I'm in a pickle. Because I know that nobody can be a Senator like I can be a Senator and God wants me to be in the Senate for a long, long time. I'm a dolt, but I've been in politics for a long time and I can read polls. People want the public option, especially people in Illinois. So, if I can do something that makes a splash, something daring (after all, what do I have to lose) that shows I am a true man of the people, then I can make the argument that the people of Illinois asked me to run. The people of Illinois want me as their Senator. The people of Illinois love me. THEY REALLY, REALLY LOVE ME. What choice do I have but to change my mind and launch my campaign?
P.S. I'll never be glad for the Burris appointment. Any of the Democrats on the list would have been superior AND they would have been in a good position to be elected in 2010. If Burris gets in the race, it might be no big deal. But it also might weaken the eventual Democratic candidate so Illinois gets another Peter Fitzgerald. Ugh.
Don't care about his motives. Do like the current result. Can't see Jesse Jackson, Jr. standing up to this administration in favor of public option. Can you?
Burris has said far too much in the past to be trusted.
September 17, 2009 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Say I'm Roland Burris. Here's what I'm thinking:
I've painted myself into a corner by accepting the nomination from Blagojevich. The people of Illinois used to think of me as a straight-laced, dedicatd public servant. The national press didn't used to think of me at all and now everybody is making fun of my tasteful tombstone. The other Senators think I'm a joke. Because I don't have the money to pay all the legal costs of defending myself against a high profile ethics investigation, I capitulated to pressure from the Senate leadership and agreed not to run in 2010. Now I'm in a pickle. Because I know that nobody can be a Senator like I can be a Senator and God wants me to be in the Senate for a long, long time. I'm a dolt, but I've been in politics for a long time and I can read polls. People want the public option, especially people in Illinois. So, if I can do something that makes a splash, something daring (after all, what do I have to lose) that shows I am a true man of the people, then I can make the argument that the people of Illinois asked me to run. The people of Illinois want me as their Senator. The people of Illinois love me. THEY REALLY, REALLY LOVE ME. What choice do I have but to change my mind and launch my campaign?
September 17, 2009 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
P.S. I'll never be glad for the Burris appointment. Any of the Democrats on the list would have been superior AND they would have been in a good position to be elected in 2010. If Burris gets in the race, it might be no big deal. But it also might weaken the eventual Democratic candidate so Illinois gets another Peter Fitzgerald. Ugh.
September 17, 2009 3:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't care about his motives. Do like the current result. Can't see Jesse Jackson, Jr. standing up to this administration in favor of public option. Can you?
September 17, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink