Should Senator Burris resign?
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
There's a growing chorus of voices who want to take a closer look at how Roland Burris was appointed to the U.S. Senate by now-ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Many officials in Illinois want to take a closer look at how Burris was appointed to the Senate.
An affidavit recently filed by Burris shows he had more extensive contact with the former governor's people than he previously acknowledged. The affidavit shows Burris spoke on several occasions with Blagojevich's brother, who hit him up for $10,000 in campaign money. Burris says he didn't raise or donate any money after June and insists there's nothing inconsistent in what he said during Blagojevich's impeachment trial and the affidavit. The Illinois senator says he has "absolutely nothing to hide" and that he'll testify in front of anyone to prove it.
But that might not cut it. Illinois Republicans started calling for a perjury investigation by a county prosecutor. And now Democrats are getting in on the action too. The Democratic Attorney General is calling the affidavit a "particularly frustrating revelation" and wants a deeper investigation into his actions.
Meanwhile, the Democrats on Capitol Hill have probably had their fill of this sideshow in Illinois. Majority Leader Harry Reid apparently knows about the affidavit and is looking into it. Reid's office says "clearly it would have been better" if Burris had provided this information when he first testified. No kidding.
Burris was appointed by Blagojevich 3 weeks after the governor was arrested on corruption charges, including an attempt to sell Obama's Senate seat.
Here’s my question to you: Should Roland Burris resign from the U.S. Senate?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Pablo from Texas writes:
Jack, Not quite yet. Almost certainly there is more fertilizer about to hit the ventilator. Let us not rush to judgment. Sen. Burris should be given a chance to dig himself out or in a little deeper.
Mike from Hot Springs, Arkansas writes:
No. He should just go sit in the corner and do what he is told until the next election when Illinois can elect someone to replace him. We have other important things to worry about and this is but a blip on the screen that only Republicans and old newscasters like you like to worry about.
Jim from Las Vegas writes:
Who would you replace him with if he does? With the exception of "Honest Abe", has there ever been a non-corrupt politician to come from that state, especially since Prohibition?
Jack from Lancaster, Ohio writes:
Jack, I don't know who he is but I support any of their resignations. We are woefully behind on elected official resignations. We need to catch up and catch them before any of them can do more damage. It would be a "shovel ready" project.
Beverly from New York writes:
Jack, He should resign but he won't. The truth will come out; none of the participants seem overly bright. It's like the Keystone cops do politics.
Tom from Desoto, Texas writes:
I've never been to Chicago; I've heard it's a nice city. The state of Illinois appears to be run like a 3rd world country. Perhaps it could be sold to South America.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
This is easy, he should resign and the Federal Prosecutor add him to the penalty box with Blago. This is the guy who paid for the seat. (Just like figuring out who is at the head of that line of slow traffic on the highway.)
Yes, Senator Burris should resign. His appointment is a distraction from important matters and is an embarassment to the Democratic Party. Although I'm not sure how long his term in office will be prior to an election, another month of hagling over what he did or did not do will only protract the inevitable removal from office. If he resigns he may be able to keep a fair amount of self-respect.
Grace Trp
Rotonda West, Florida
If Burris offered to raise campaign funds for Blagojevich in return for the Senate appointment, then he should certainly resign. But that's not what the media are reporting.
The media say that Blagojevich's brother asked Burris to raise campaign funds for him. How can Burris be responsible for that? And why should he resign if the wrongdoing was someone else's?
Moreover, Burris says he refused when asked. So if he resigned, what would his reason be? Getting caught obeying the law? Being observed following good ethics?
Jack, I realize that Americans love scandals and conspiracy theories, but please: try to ask questions that assume we've got at least one or two brain cells to work with.
Any opinions now are without foundation. Time will tell. Far better than no action.
Jack: No. Senator Burris is not the problem. The critics are the problem.
John from Alabama
Yes, and I am from Illinois so my opinion should actually mean something, just this once.
Jack
This is an easy one to answer he should have never been able to be appointed, and once he was appointed he should have never been accepted into the Senate.
He is not going to , Jack.
just let him run out the clock.....he will never be re elected.
Jack there were many senators who were allowed to stay in office even when they were indicted on charges. The former senator of Alaska comes to mine. I think these rights should also be applied to the junior Senator Burris. If there is enough evidence to file charges that is the path they should take. I know the republicans are sharpened their knives on this. But they should be careful they might end up looking like a fool.
Yes. Robert Packwood was coerced into resigning for something far less significent.
Does it really matter in the great scheme of things?
but, If he resigns, and there has to be an election - do you suppose a "republican" would win?? one more to try to lay blame on when there is still a majority of democrats?
Bye bye Burris....He's just another of Chicago's best when it comes to politics!
No, don't let Burris resign, not after the media circus he created to get a senate seat. It's only befitting that Burris has a media circus before being kicked to the curb, he deserves no less.
Only an "idiot" would have accepted the senate nomination from a corrupt governor who was getting ready to get kicked out of office. By Burris accepting the nomination from that governor should have told us a LOT about this guy. I say he stays until Obama's old term is up and then vote him out.
Jack,
It sounds like his only 'crime' is not revealing sooner that he was being hustled. By that standard, we would not have any politicians at all in Washington. Let's ensure that he was forthcoming about not acting on the 'arm twisting,' and put it to bed.
Rick, OH
As an Ill resident, let me say no, I'll just have the pleasure of voting him out in the 2010 primary.
Is the Pope Catholic? Why would anyone believe that Burris had clean hands when he was nominated by Blagojevich? People in Illinois should be able to vote on who they want representing them in the Senate, not someone hand picked by an impeached Governor.
should he? yes. will he? probably not. he is one of the chicago machine politicians who think they should be allowed to do what ever they want as long as it benefits them and does not benefit anyone else. he is entitled to that seat (by his standards) and no one is going to make him give up the money and power that goes with it. he believes he deserves it.
Absolutely! If he didn't disclose it up front – it's the same as a lie. After all, they gave no breaks to those who did not pay all their income tax even if they brought it out in the open themselves.
He should, but he won't. He lied to get the job, he certainly isn't going to resign for telling the truth.
Of course he should resign. Unfortunately his massive ego, and apparent lack of integrity, probably won't let him. We will have to endure yet another circus because of Illinois state politics. The only upside of this sorry mess will be watching Burris being forced to make changes to the self serving accolades on his mausoleum.
Jack,
Ask yourself, did he lie? If so, then why did the Illinois house of representatives allow him to fill the seat in the first place?
This is an old fashioned Witch Hunt, the Republican party is desperately attempting to change the Senate make-up one Senator at a time. They know that Franken is growing closer to being seated as the 59th vote in just a few days. That means only 1 vote will be required to pass any legislation the Democratic party puts forth and that vote will come from the first Republican that steps forth to insure the support of their district. With so many seats up for election in 2010, this is going to be a contentuos subject for a lot of Republicans.
Do you stand with the most popular President in the last 30 years, or do you stand against him? My guess is that if you know what's best, you will problably stand with him. Just ask 22 republican Governors who the public trust' more?
Jack–
In a word yes. He should resign since it seems obvious that his orginal testimony was not complete and therefore not "the whole truth and nothing but the truth." It also shows a lack of good judgment. His first testimony, especially in this situation, should have been truthfully complete–and it wasn't.
Who cares about Burris? I am far more determined to get rid of the whole damn bunch.
This guy should have never been appointed in the first place. Of course, he should resign but this arrogant man won't.
Should Roland Burris resign? Well it depends on the test. If the test is he lied then he and most if not all of Congress would also need to resign. If the test is breaking the law then he should be safe and need not resign. This is a political process and not a legal one. In the end you get what you elect and Illinois elected a Gov who appointed Burris.
No. He should just go sit in the corner and do what he is told until the next election when Illinois can elect someone to replace him. We have other important things to worry about and this is but a blip on the screen that only Republicans and old newscasters like yourself like to worry about.
Jack,
No, he should not resign. He was lawfully appointed to that Senate seat by the illinois Governor. As far as I know he had nothing to do with that Governor's fun-and-games while in office and is as disgusted with him as I am. He should have his chance. Heck, he might just turn out to be a pretty good Senator. Let the piranhas have their own fun-and-games investigation. But unless they uncover genuine misbehavior (other than being appointed by a creep) Burris should retain his seat.
Jim
Reno, Nevada
Jack, They never should have appointed him in the first place!
Each time this guy opens his mouth, the story changes.
Blagovich, much?
I believe some thing is wrong at the very root of his appointment and he was not frank and forthright in his deposition before congress. He should resign.
In a word,Yes.
Yes! Yes! Burris should never have had the Senatorship in the first place. The 'right man' for the job is Jesse Jackson Jr.! Get Buris out of there and back to llinois before he can do damage!
Yes. Everyone in the House and Senate who've lied should resign. That way we can start all over, as in rebooting.
Burris should have never taken the seat, but deffered the selection to the lt governor, he would have had a better chance to actually win a seat someday, his career is now over, whether he resigns, is removed, or somone else is elected in a few months is irrelevant
St. Pete, FL
If shown to have committed perjury, no doubt about it. The bar
should not lowered to allow someone to become a United States
Senator by not telling the truth in a matter directly pertinent his being approved.
The entire state government of Illinois has joined both Houses of the US Congress is becoming completely irrelevant and untrustworthy.
Neither is worth asking them to solve the ills of this country. Nothing but sound-bites and outrights from both parties.
Maybe its time the people of this country took matters into their own hands and rid ourselves of these incompetent minions. This country desperately needs relief.
How about a constitutional convention and let the states start running this country.
And YES, Burris should get the hell out of the Senate and the State of Illinois should schedule a special election.
Yes. Period. We are up to our eyeballs with pay-to-play politics in Washington. It holds too much influence on our lawmaking process. We the little people get left out b/c the politician is then owned by the one who pays to play. Let's put an end to it by outlawing this practice. Hopefully voters will fire all lawmakers, no matter their political affiliation, who participate in this undemocratic process.
I think he should resign. He willnever get over the Blogo taint and the President does not need another side show.
Mr Jack,
Burris should have never been appointed , he tried to use the race and take advantage of the situation that guy should be removed immediately and sent to jail along with that Ex governor what ever his name is.
Yes Jack I think Burris should'nt have appointed in the first place. Burris knew he was lying isn't that what lawyers do? It impedes his credibility and he will not be a successful election contender.
Lisa Ga
Not only should Rolland Burris resign, he should be made to give back any compensation he has been paid as a US senator.
Absolutely! The Democrats never should have alowed him to take he office in the first place. All of the qualified people steped out of the running to be sure there was no question of inappropriate behavior. Burris played the game because he wanted the job. He lied to everyone about this and does not deserve to be in the senate. He should resign and a qualified person should be put in the job.
Yes he should resign, but he probably won't. He knew going in that he would be under close supervision and did not care, he just wanted to say he WAS a senator at one time. IL is and will continue to put crooks into these positions, just like the rest of the country.
Here is one guy who should not even have been considered for the Senate seat. Something about his dog and pony show in Washington DC made me very suspicious about his credentials and scruples. Now it is bearing out.
Yes, he should resign before he gets kicked out in disgrace!
I don't see how perjury was committed. He was evasive, but the questioner was unskillful. What he should have said was, Mr. Burris, when I asked you if you had had contact with the individuals mentioned, you said, you had conversation with friends regarding the Senate seat, then you said yes. Let me ask you this in another way. Mr. Burris, did you have contact with Rob Blagoyevich, the brother of the Governor. If you did so, did the contacts occur between July 2008 and December 2008? The questioner then could follow up with additional questions such as, what was said during the conversation. What did Rob say and what did you say in total? The questioner then could go on and ask this question about the three or four contacts that were mentioned in the one rambling, inartful question.
I don't understand. These men are lawyers, you would think they would be better questioners. As it stands, no jury would find Burris guilty in my opinion.
By all means. Sounds like business as usual in American politics, and at some point the People must say, "Enough".
Resign?
Why should he? He will fit right in with the rest of the cronies who claim to serve we the people, but when push comes to shove, serve only their pockets.
The man was asked a question and instead of being honorable and forthright, decided to skirt the issue as only politicians and lawyers can do. As far as I am concerned he is a liar, even if the lie was only one of omission.
Give him a chance to come out with the truth but if he fails to prove his innocent be like Donald Trump and tell him" He is fired.." I advicee him to come clean and walk away with some pride. Don't be like Rod Blagojevich...
Yes, Yes, and Yes.
He seemed so slimy, right from the get go. Considering he lost every election he entered over the last 13 years, this was the ONLY way he could take a political seat.
Too many questions haunt this man. He should go.
If it is important to him to list tenure with the US Senate on his mausoleum......he's been there for a couple of weeks, so he would be justified to do that…..JUST LEAVE NOW WITH SOME DIGNITY.
I don't think he lied, but he did play with the words a bit during his testimony, in any case he should leave office, we the people have had enough of these political games with words that way too many politicians play.
Absolutely and while he's at it, so should the rest of Chicago's political representatives. He's as corrupted as the person who appointed him. Imperfect trees, Jack, only produce imperfect fruits.
This man should not ever been appointed to the Senate. Absolutely, he should resign. He has for sure perjured himself. He should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and if he does not resign he should be impeached in the same manner as the guy that appointed him.
Jack, I was raised in IL, and left as soon as I could. Now I seldom admit that I was raised there or still have family. Why should he resign, this is just politics as usual in IL. It has been that way since I can remember, from the 1940s. IL politics have become a joke and they continue to be the laughing stock of the rest of the country.
Although Burris came in under unfavorable circumstances he is no more gulty of paying to play than any other senator that is in the senate. I watched his press conference the other day and he tried to stay firm on his positions but he gave the media to much rope and now this has spun into a never ending story. I believe that the media and republicans are on a witch hunt to not just get his seat but to slay any democrat that breaths to heavy into a microphone. The media wants the story and the republicans want vengence for a horrible election year. The man is clean, maybe errogant but clean.
He should resign, but will probably try and stonewall his way through this with more pitifully dishonest and evasive responses to these charges. Politicians seldom come clean, now do they Jack? In Illinois it appears to be an art form...
Yes he should resign, or should be thrown out for the lies he told.
Sarah
Dade City, Fl.
Resign or not – indict the jerk for perjury. This country needs a special prison for convicted elected officials and their corrupt appointees. Of course it would have to be larger than any prison ever build. Burris can share a cell with pal Rod B. No TV channels other than CNN. No AC. No Internet.
Senator Burris should not resign. The problem with the appointment is the lack of courage in the Il. legislature. They had an oppurtunity to show leadership by having a special election. They chose not to trust the people they serve and instead played the safe politcal game so they could point fingers at Blago. I'm deeply ashamed of them!!!!!!!
You bet he should resign, and in a New York minute. This man has shown nothing but a desperately greedy disposition toward his Senate seat, sheer contempt for the truth and complete indifference toward the inmorality of Blagojevich's governorship. If he doesn't show the decency to resign, as he most likely won't, the Senate should show him that at least they have some decency left and get rid of him.
If the spineless people in charge in dc kept their word and didn't allow anyone appointed by the govenor to become senator like they first said we wouldn't be worrying about this would we.
yes he should resign yesterday he knew all along what he did and who he had contact with and he should be ashamed. it is embarassing to the democratic party and to president obama. he should be put in a jail cell right next to rod blogovich.
I do believe that he should resign. What he did was not horrific but plain and simple-when are people going to realize that there are consquences to actions that they take?!
HE LIED UNDER OATH! What else will he lie about or omit from the public? The people that he is suppose to be representing. I think we got a glimpse of his character and integrity. But just watching him during interviews-he doesn't think he did a thing wrong. That makes him a very scary and very dangerous public official.
He shouldn't have been appointed in the first place. But now that we know what we do, he should grow a conscience and resign. He is just like so many politicians, afraid to lose the limelight but not afraid to lose their dignity.
No he should stay at his job, who else in the senate has not told the whole truth to get their job, He answered the questions just like a laywer. He did not give extra information.
Absolutely... but then again he could always do that talk dance that seems to be very popular in Washington. The citizens from IL. deserve better than this, what's next will he claim that is age made him forget.
When will the American public understand that it's time to get rid of all of those in DC who have been there for many, many years and don't know or are unwilling to change.
We need new young fresh blood with ideas that are in line with the 21st century and who think out of the box.
Yes, he should resign. I'm from Southern Illinois and we all are sick and tired of Chicago Politics. If you took a poll across all of Illinois I would be willing to say that my view is that of the majority of the folks in Illinois. We are tired of Burris and his Chicago politics and oh by the way Jack you might poll the Illinois Lawmakers as well to get their view on this , I bet you would be surprised, Burris and his antics, has given this great state a bad rap. Thank You and keep up the good work Jack.
Joe From Illinois
Burris may be sliding, but he will slide safely into home plate. Burris is voting in tandem with Senator Durbin, who is Harry Reid's second in command. As long as Burris votes like he is told to by Durbin, Burris can hide in his office and warm his Senate seat. We never wanted Burris, but our legislature was too lazy to pass a special election bill.
Wayne
Chatham, IL
Being from Illinois, I can tell you Jack, that all the people of Illinois are sick of our state being dragged through the mud by the unscrupulous politicians that we have had the misfortune of having. Burris did not tell the truth while in front of the Illinois impeachment committee, even if by omission. He had the opportunity to say anything he wanted to and he chose not to. He should resign or the Illinois congress should have him up on perjury charges and kick him out and he can join ex-Gov. Ryan and Blagojevich in prison.
Why should Burris resign when Senator Larry Craig who pled guilty to the charges he was accused of, did not? And the senator from Louisiana Vitter consorted with prostitutes. He is still serving did not resign , so why single out Burris? The entire Congress is corrupt.
I do not know Mr. Burris, but why is the news media concentrating
on this politician so much?? What about the other govenors from the
U.S.A. Why Illinois?? It seems to me that someone wants to get
President Barack Obama in trouble for the next election??? Go figure.
Mr. Burris should not only resign but he should retire from politics. His appointment was tainted from the very beginning he he has done nothing short of embarrassing the great state if Illinois.
Steve
Clifton,VA
Jack,as we all know , politicians from Illinois don't give up power voluntarily. Senator Burris should therefore be forced to resgn by his senate democrats. Afterall, his appointment to the senate, has already lost credibility.
Should he resign? YES!
Will he resign? NO, not until either he's put under indictment by Patrick Fitzgerald, or put out of the Senate by the ethics committee, or the IL group gets him.
He's not going to give up a salary of #166,500 without a fight,and a fight should keep him there until Nov. 2010, so no doubt he'll be Illinois' junior senator until the next election. He wouldn't be scrambling with additional affidavits unless he is afraid he's on tape-–which I suspect he is and probably has been told he is.
One more reason why people get so frustrated with politics. Statesmanship is hard to find. I don't think Burris brought it along to the beltway.
Norfolk, VA.
yes he should resign. lets clean house.he seems like the kind of person that would pay his way to meet his political goals. lies can not be excepted when we have to depend on honesty in the senate, how can we trust him? get him out ! i am a democrat and need to know that there will be no corruption in the party.
Yes they should. Mr. Burrris was to excited to get the Senste set. He made it seem like it was owed to him. he ran and lost oheer office in Illinois he felt this was a given. He wasn't voted into office by the people of Illinois during his run for all the offices, what make him think he shoud be given the seat by a crook. He should have been more cautious about accepting the seat. In some way I feel sorry for him.
AnnaMarie
Wisconsin
Is this a serious question? I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that he was appointed in the first place. I think when the Republicans are yelling that something was "rushed through, hammered through Congress, boo-hoo" they are referring to the Burris appointment, worse yet, they're right. I still believe that given the controversy surrounding Blago, a special election should have been held, during which the people picked their senator. If Burris had any sense he would step down and call for an election, he could nominate himself if he wants, but at least the people can decide who they want.
Jack,
Resigning is not enough!!!!
Burris said to Congress: "Absolutely no contact".
If that is not perjury I don't know what is. Isn't that a crime? I mean prison time crime? That's what should happen to him. It's a pity we have a namby-pamby Congress, and I'm a Democrat.
The man should be run out of town, burned at the stake, tarred and feathered, hung up by his toes.
Shame on him!!!!
To end this circus, it would be best for Roland Burris to be left alone to finish out the two years left in his term. Remember we are talking about Illinois politics here. If Burris resigns, the governor has the daunting task of finding a replacement who actually paid taxes and has no felony convictions.
Mr. Burris should resign. He may not have lied, but he didn't fully disclose all that he knew in order that he would be appointed, knowing that if he had disclosed all that he knew, he would not have been appointed. Sounds like a conspiracy to me anyway, the Democratic Welfare Spending Bill would not have passed if he had not been appointed to the Senate, and he comes from the same state as Hussain Obama. Seems like a conflict of interest here to me. The Illinois government is so corrupt that anything is possible when it comes to Hussain Obama's corrupt administration. Continuing with the coming change that Obama is bringing, we need to change the countries name to the United Socialist States of America.
Jack:
Yes Burris SHOULD resign and if he refuses to do so he should be forcibly removed by legislative action. This is just another example of "Chicago style politics" -, and "Chicago politics" -, NOT race is exactly what prevented me from voting for Obama -, whose seat Burris "politically appropriated" via "Chicago politics" after Obama's departure .
Ivan
Yes Jack but that will mean a strange correction on his grave stone !
What has Americans turned in to? What about the innocent-before-proven-guilty philosophy we have? The corruption within our politicians has caused every American to be suspicious of one another. As far as I know, Boris is innocent until proving guilty. If he got involved in any dirty work with Blagojevic for the senate seat isn't it obvious that he will be following the same path as his Mentor? A Nation of Whiners would make it difficult for anyone to get the job done. The same whining issue is being done about President Obama's Stimulus Package. Stop Whining, America!
As a tax paying resident of Illinois, I am hoping Roland Burris do the right thing and resign his ill-gotten seat as State Senator. We all should have known that beaddy-eye Rod was up to no good when he appointed Burris to the seat. As far as I am concerned, Burris lied by ommission when he did not make mention of this during his testimony before the panel. Good riddance!!
If Roland Burris was the ethical, moral person he purports to be, he would never have accepted the nomination from Rob the Robber in the first place. His campaign contributions to Blagojevich, either personally, or through his law firm are well documented. Its the old adage about, "birds of a feather!" ect. He should resign immediately, and save the state of Illinois even more political embarrassment than they've already had to endure.
The strength and stability of our country lies in the fact that we are a nation governed by laws. Due to the current suspicion Senator Burris is under, a full investigation should be pursued, and if he is found guilty of wrong doing, then he should be removed from the senate. Until then, it is entirely up to Burris, whether he wants to resign or not. Either way, the proper procedures should be followed for such situations.
Should Roland Burris resign from the U.S. Senate?
The fact that Burris did not disclose conversational details the inquisitors thought he should have disclosed does not constitute perjury or any other crime; this partisan tirade is developing into real political theatre...unfortunately both republicans and democrats have specific issues with Burris' appointment which is not likely to change...in any event the govt will have to prove its political allegations, in the meantime Burris should not resign...
Burris should go. Half truths got him into the Senate, now they should get him out.
Is he the worst there is in Senate? I doubt it but it would be refreshing if he did resign on his own. We might believe there was one representative who could do the right thing.
What part of "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" didn't Burris get ? Why would anyone question a Blago appointment ? Just another embarrassment for the whole ethically challenged political crew based in Chicago. Maybe not... this is just business as usual.
Heck no, it's absurd, he should not resign, and he shouldn't had a press conference about it .
People try to act as if they didn't hear his direct response to the question, he said "yes, I spoke to friends". He then went on in his testimony to speak about a particular person (I forget the person's name). The questioning continued. Later, he provided additional and very specific information in an Addendum. I am a lawyer, it looks proper to me. Republicans should give this up. The man stated in an earlier Press conference that there was no pay to play, because he was not a money man. He was attempting to get contractual business from the Governor!
How come the state of illinois has so many political issues, one after another? There is some sorts of political curse is going on in this state. Geez...Burris is under pressure to resign and he should resign.
Yes, Burris should resign. They should appoint me in his place. The fact that I live in Florida won't matter as I can get just as much nothing done from here as I could from DC.
Senator Burris should not resign, at least not now. There is no conclusive evidence to prove he payed for his appointment. In our country, aren't we innocent until proven guilty? Also, the senator has excellent qualifications. Qualified politicians don't turn up that often, so give him a chance.
Here is a case where a disgraced Governor tried to use race to help save his job by appointing a man of color and a man of color using race to push himself into the job even after warnings that the appointment will be questionable and tainted regardless of who it was. If he loses his seat, it will not be because of color, it will be because of putting his self interest above the state of Illinois and the US Senate.
Sen. Burris, no matter what he does or what he says, will always carry the taint of the Blagojevich administration. There will always be a cloud over his appointment and he will not be trusted by many people or his collegues. For the good of the state and the good of the people, he should tender his resignation.
Let him serve out the remainder of the term and then see if the people of Illinois wish to retain him. It is their senate seat, not rush's or newt's or any of the other screaming idiots.
Is there not one honest man in Illinois politics? His fellow Congressmen need to be careful about throwing stones, because they all have skeletons in the closet themselves.
Jack,
They have done nothing but questioned his appointment ever since nim rod nominated him. Throw him out already!!!
Ohio,
Lance
Yes. He should resign and the Senate should force him out as soon as they're finished wiping the egg off their faces. This was coming since day one. To accept an appointment from Gov Blagojevich should've raised big red flags concerning his ethics. Anyone with half a brain or an ounce of scruples would not have accepted that appointment.
I feel that he should resign, because he could have come out and said that he was asked for money before, be was put into office. It is going to be to much speculation about him now and we do not need this.
In light of the gov. that appointed him, I do not think it was wise to accept the position. As bad as the economy is, Ill. should have ask for recommendations from their house and senate REPRESENTATIVES.
The person with the most votes win. Realizing that the vote must be bi-partisian, the voters would have to take off their selective hats and vote for the right individual. WHAT A NOVEL APPROACH!
Is it that everyone that was approached by the Blago crew is tainted even if they are honest? This doesn't make sense. I think we can all agree the Blago is dirty. This man was desperate and could have approached Tony the Tiger. Does that mean is the tiger tainted? Burris did not commit perjury and should continue serving the citizens of Illinois. People are losing their jobs and homes. They can't get medical care and are sleeping in their cars. I think we have more important things to worry about than ostracizing everyone Blago has come in contact with.
Who knows why Burris wasn't totally up front from the beginning. He certainly appeared very eager for the job ... and Burris' "monument" is a testiment to his inflated ego. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't have accepted a proffered Senate seat from the far too tainted Blago.
Pressure busts pipes and I think his pipes are bout to bust real soon! I think he should resign. You see him with his hand on his head like he have the slighted idea what he is doing as senator. I think he doesnt have the potenial to be a senator of Illinois. Get him out of there.
Hell yes he should resign! He shouldn't of got the senate set in the 1st place. The more i see him on tv trying to explain himself, the more he reminds me of blago. (I know roland were probably taking everything you said out of context!!) step down now! Let the people of illinois pick who should be in that set. That set is bleepin' golden! We shouldn't of just gave it away to blago's right hand man.
Aside from the fact that he looks pathetic, I honestly don't think that this man could represent the state of Illinois. He looks confused, doesn't answer questions in a sensible manner, and acts as if he can't hear the questions. He should leave voluntarily and try to save whatever honestly or integrity he has left.
I guess his greed for power overwhelmed his moral values, thus he lost his way and folowed Blagovich into the swamp of dirty politics. He should resign .
I feel that we should not be in a rush to judge Senator Burris in light of the Governor Blagojevich scandle because we may be making a big mistake.
I guess his greed for power overwhelmed his moral values, thus he lost his way and folowed Blagovich into the swamp of dirty politics. He should resign .
Enough of the Soap Opera from Chicago,we have seen the final skit.Burris should resign and he should resign now.It has been lies,intrigues and lies but what do you expect from a Chicago politician.If there were takers he would have solicited funds on behalf of his "hairness" Blago.It is clear that he delibrately lied to the Senate and his defence is all wrapped up in legalese.
he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, not only for lying but also for being so stupid. let him burn
If he resigns Jack, a short term job won't look good on his resume engraved on his tombstone.
ur the best Jack!!
Nick
Brooklyn, NY
Absolutely not. Grow up and give it a rest. The fat cat bank CEOs on Wall Street should resign.