Rep. Davis' Tepid Defense of Roland Burris
When one is expected to defend the guilty, it is better to focus on process ('innocent until proven guilty') or distraction. Today, Rep. Danny Davis -- who had rejected Rod Blagojevich's offer to make him the replacement senator from Illinois because he thought it would be tainted by Blagojevich's crimes -- offered both in defense of the scandal-plagued junior senator.
You may recall that Roland Burris was seated after supposedly fulfilling two conditions. One was the necessary signature from the Secretary of State (which was essentially waived by the Secretary of State). The second has been described in a couple of ways. One description was:
Of course, now we learn that Burris was willing to do what the Blagojevich campaign asked -- that he attempted to raise funds for the governor -- but didn't want to do it in a way that could be viewed as inappropriate. In lawyerly terms, Roland Burris didn't want to be perceived as responding to a quid pro quo, but was willing to do whatever he could to help the governor out. Burris made himself the indispensible man to the corrupt Governor, in effect, the last man standing -- the only one Blagojevich could turn to.
If Roland Burris wrote out a sworn declaration that he didn't offer anything to Blagojevich in exchange for the seat, then he obviously lied. It was determined before he accepted the seat that he was willing to raise money for Rod the corrupt.
One has to wonder how much of that $400,000 debt for "legal bills" is for Rod Blagojevich's monstrous legal bills.
The other way that the "second condition" was described was:
Or:
"full and complete testimony." Does anyone honestly want to argue that Roland Burris offered "full and complete testimony" to the Impeachment Committee?
What is clear is that Roland Burris understood the stakes when he went to Springfield to discuss his appointment before the state legislature. Danny Davis tried to obfuscate this here, suggesting that his lawyer made him do it. But Roland Burris should have known that he was not on trial -- Rod Blagojevich was (or, rather, would be) -- and that what he faced was a test.
It was a test of Burris' honesty and willingness to lay out all the facts as he knew them. This was a test that Burris failed.
Danny Davis' need to provide excuses for Roland Burris' lack of integrity really dims the fact that Davis had the good sense and grace to decline Rod Blagojevich's offer of the seat that Burris lept at. Danny Davis wanted that seat. But he understood that it would come with questions that one might never be able to get out from under. Roland Burris' ambition got the better of him. He was willing to live with the taint, live with the ongoing questions, because of that ambition.
But he forgot about the people of Illinois. We never really got a second senator. What we got was Roland Burris (D-Blagojevich). The whole country lost on that one...
You may recall that Roland Burris was seated after supposedly fulfilling two conditions. One was the necessary signature from the Secretary of State (which was essentially waived by the Secretary of State). The second has been described in a couple of ways. One description was:
As Reid and Durbin described it, the process depends on two developments: Burris securing the right signoff on his appointment papers, plus a sworn declaration that he didn't offer anything to Blagojevich in exchange for the seat.
Of course, now we learn that Burris was willing to do what the Blagojevich campaign asked -- that he attempted to raise funds for the governor -- but didn't want to do it in a way that could be viewed as inappropriate. In lawyerly terms, Roland Burris didn't want to be perceived as responding to a quid pro quo, but was willing to do whatever he could to help the governor out. Burris made himself the indispensible man to the corrupt Governor, in effect, the last man standing -- the only one Blagojevich could turn to.
If Roland Burris wrote out a sworn declaration that he didn't offer anything to Blagojevich in exchange for the seat, then he obviously lied. It was determined before he accepted the seat that he was willing to raise money for Rod the corrupt.
One has to wonder how much of that $400,000 debt for "legal bills" is for Rod Blagojevich's monstrous legal bills.
The other way that the "second condition" was described was:
he [Harry Reid] suggested that testimony which Burris is to give before the state legislature's impeachment committee on Thursday could be crucial to his prospects of gaining the seat.
"He's going to go answer any other questions they might have. He's not trying to avoid any responsibility and trying to hide anything," said Reid (D-Nev.) "Once that's done, we'll be in a different position and see what we are going to do."
Or:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and his top deputy, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, had made Burris' full and complete testimony at the impeachment hearing one of the conditions for swearing him in as a federal lawmaker.
"full and complete testimony." Does anyone honestly want to argue that Roland Burris offered "full and complete testimony" to the Impeachment Committee?
What is clear is that Roland Burris understood the stakes when he went to Springfield to discuss his appointment before the state legislature. Danny Davis tried to obfuscate this here, suggesting that his lawyer made him do it. But Roland Burris should have known that he was not on trial -- Rod Blagojevich was (or, rather, would be) -- and that what he faced was a test.
It was a test of Burris' honesty and willingness to lay out all the facts as he knew them. This was a test that Burris failed.
Danny Davis' need to provide excuses for Roland Burris' lack of integrity really dims the fact that Davis had the good sense and grace to decline Rod Blagojevich's offer of the seat that Burris lept at. Danny Davis wanted that seat. But he understood that it would come with questions that one might never be able to get out from under. Roland Burris' ambition got the better of him. He was willing to live with the taint, live with the ongoing questions, because of that ambition.
But he forgot about the people of Illinois. We never really got a second senator. What we got was Roland Burris (D-Blagojevich). The whole country lost on that one...
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