Illinois Senator Roland Burris and a Comedy of Errors
Robert Goidel
Posted: 01.07.2009 / 11:16 PM PST
Note to Democrats: Give Roland Burris his Senate seat.
Rod Blagojevich may be guilty of a lot of things - perhaps none more offensive than having the audacity to ask for something tangible in return for his Senate appointment. That is way too crass. In contemporary politics, corruption can never be so overt. It must be subtle based on a nod and wink rather than a quid pro quo. Campaign contributions, for example, are not given to buy votes (nod) or influence (wink), they are given as mechanism of civic engagement (nod and wink).
As a candidate, you can never tell special interest groups that you will vote “yes” or “no” on a specific piece of legislation, you can only reassure them that they have your support. If they want to give you a contribution, they are free to do so. This is America for God’s sake.
Not everyone understands the distinction. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson bowed as Obama’s Commerce Secretary as the result of a grand jury probe into a quid pro quo “contributions for contract” allegation. Sometimes it is best to accept the check and not say anything.
As a Governor, you can give considerable thought to how a particular appointee might advance your state or your political career. You just cannot ask for any direct benefits. Like a personal check or half a million in unmarked bills or job for a family member.
If charged with selling a Senate seat, the best thing you can do is give it away. As quickly as possible. The only shocking thing about the Burris nomination is that it took Blagojevich so long. What was he thinking?
Once the appointment was made – and it was clear that Burris was not involved in the scandal – it became hard for me to see how it could be denied. This is not a question of right or wrong, it is a question of “rule of law” and Illinois law gives the power to the governor. Senator Diane Feinstein got it exactly right: “If you don’t seat Mr. Burris,” she commented, “it has ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America.”
So do the right thing (as required by the rule of law): Give Roland Burris the Senate seat and let’s be done with it.
As a final note: Democracy generally works best when there is an effective and loyal opposition. With the Democrats, the opposition does not have to do much. Just sit back and watch the comedy unfold.
