You Would Think Roland Burris Could Take a Hint

Roland Burris is in hot water. He knows it.

From Rich Miller:

A former top official for then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday he got a “courtesy call” from Roland Burris last fall noting Burris’ interest in a vacant U.S. Senate seat—a contact Burris failed to mention to lawmakers in his evolving testimony about how he got the job.

John Filan, former chief operating officer in Blagojevich’s administration, also said Burris called him later—after Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges. Filan said Burris asked him to put in a good word with then-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn if Quinn became governor and inherited the power to make the Senate appointment.

Burris has gotten signals from the White House to consider his future. Governor Pat Quinn called for Burris to step down. And Burris' chief of staff quit, going back to be a senior adviser for Reid.

But nooooooooo.......

According to the Chicago Tribune this morning:

On Friday, Burris toured a Veterans Affairs hospital and the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago, but continued his vow not to speak to the media, whom he blames for taking his comments about contacts with the Blagojevich administration and casting him in a negative light.

"He's asked the public and officials to stop their rush to judgment and asked for the facts to come out," said Burris spokesman Jim O'Connor. "There is a legal process moving forward and he's promised to fully cooperate."

Burris is as pathetic in his hubris as was our former governor. It's all about him and not the people of Illinois.

I agree with Governor Pat Quinn that Burris needs to step aside for the good of the state (as it is the laughingstock of the country) and to have a special election in May. It's expensive to have an election during a time that the budget is in crisis, but who said democracy was cheap?