LANGUAGE ALERT- post contains troublesome words


Burris has said he had been campaigning politicos for the open Senate seat all over the state, working every contact he had, in the time leading up to this. It's my impression that Blago sent the money-conversation his way well after Burris had been doing that for ages.

I suppose he might have thought that by asking for that seat he might get something smaller, but I think it's that he was playing the race card-- "If you lookin' for a good Black man to take Obama's seat, take me, not that pesky Jackson fella. Don't forget that this n***** knows how to play nice." (It's an Oreo fight.)

To Burris, the perfectly usual process WOULD have been to help Blago with fundraising-- to be asked to do it would have been Blago saying, "I hear you, Roland, and let's see if you're serious." This is not the same as buying a seat. Buying a seat IS a no-no and no smart pol wants to get caught doing THAT. But helping one another raise campaign funds is very much a normative part of political activity.

Blago has made it retroactively bad to do it in ANY form, in everyone's eyes, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it, and he did it the wrong way (Blago). To expect Burris to tar himself with the Blago-brush is to assume he could have known that Blagoboy was going to catch his own dick in the door.... but he couldn't have known that till the Blago story hit the front page and stayed there.

SO-- There is a logical line of reasoning that means that Burris didn't "confess" when first asked because he didn't have a consciousness, yet, that he had done anything that could be perceived as wrong. NOW I am sure he wishes he had spoken up sooner, but his first reaction was as I described earlier-- about not being able to lynch him quite yet on the basis of what he'd said and done to that point.

But also, NOW the spotlight has lulled him into not seeing a lawyoo before blabbing on camera. If he can get OFF the camera soon enough, tho, he'll stay.

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If Illinois politics is not your homebrew, try listening to those of us who were raised on it, and not arguing pilpul with us over the details. I don't care if you agree, but you may learn a few interesting things from us that might give you a different heads-up NEXT time. :~)

And please, don't ask for my credentials. I'd have to get into the Brach thing, and I don't have time! :~)

~Susan