No wonder everybody thinks all politicians turn out to be crooks and liars

As various chapters in the Roland Burris saga unfold, all I keep thinking is how totally unsurprising it is that there are all sorts of problems with his various testimony to various tribunals, all adding up to the fact that Burris is not a person of good character, at least if being of good character includes not dissembling to the public when you want to serve in a position of public trust. The latest is that Burris, an attorney, lied to the Illinois Supreme Court, putting his law license at risk. Call me formalistic if you like, but the bottom line is that lawyers' codes of professional responsibility require them to be candid with tribunals, particularly courts. Candid. Not just honest, but forthcoming and open. Whatever else Roland Burris has or has not been, he most definitely has not been candid throughout the process of finagling his way into the U.S. Senate. He has dissembled, race-baited, played the victim: you name it, if it served his goal he did it. He even tried to pay to play, but just happened not to succeed.

Coming on the heels of tax evader Timothy Geithner and just generally evasive Bill Richardson and slippery Tom Daschle, it is a miracle that anybody in the country ever gets behind any politician. But the Burris situation is one of those that really makes an ordinary citizen shake her or his head in wonder. Why did anybody - including Reid and Barack Obama - bother saying anything positive about Burris when the obvious thing to do would be to say nothing at all, given the odds that somebody who would accept an appointment to the U.S. Senate from somebody as apparently corrupt as Rod Blagojevich, would be unlikely to be a particularly truthful person?

Meanwhile, some federal legislators are trying to force more candor from the executive with legislation meant to limit the "state secrets doctrine." Learn more here.

Comments

[Shtuey]

When it comes to a lack of character, the Resident is leading by example. Lack of character and poor judgement clearly was not a hinderance for the executive, so why should Senator Burris have to pay the price? He fits in quite nicely with the rest of the criminals on Capitol Hill.

Where's Mr. Smith when you need him? Oh wait, Blago said he's Mr. Smith.

Oy vey .

[democraticjack]

I believe part of the problem is that after 8 years of disinformation, subterfuge, finagling, treason, lying and all sorts of mischief, Roland Burris and his bare naked ambition receives more attention and calls to action than any of the aforementioned treachery. There is more than something wrong with that picture. Where was the Democratic leadership before Blago and Burris?

[jess]

the democratic leadership? they were dead last year.

[Dan D.]

Is this Blagojevich 2.0? Senator Roland Burris deliberately misled us in regard to his involvement with Blagojevich and like Blagojevich refused to acknowledge what he had done wrong when he was caught.

Why did both Blagojevich and Burris think that they could get away with their deceptions and lies? Why the brazen effort to try and retain their positions of power?

What does this do to the confidence of voters in the political system and the government to see such open and unashamed attempts to gain personal advantage from public service?

Dan Decker
http://www.weeklypoint.com/

[mary]

I loved Heidi Li's:

The "tax evader Timothy Geithner and the generally evasive Bill Richardson"....

No wonder politicians have a "crook and liar" reputation. And when I think that Tom Daschle was "working" in a law firm and drawing about a quarter million bucks just to whisper sweet nothings to the ears of his fellow congressmen--when, in fact, he was not even a lawyer.....

But it is no wonder that it is Barry Obama that (almost) appointed this joker to the Chief of Health and Pharma position. Like Barry O. writing his familial dreams and skinny careerings, Slippery Tommy has been preparing Himself by writing books on the health crisis. With the exception of Hillary, is there anyone else appointed by Barry O who can be said to be a truly dedicated Public Servant?