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Senator Burris supporters attacked racist Dick Durbin and other racist democrats who are asking Senator Burris to resign. They say there are racial motives involved.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Roland Burris refused to resign on Tuesday, rebuffing a call from the Senate's No. 2 Democrat who made it clear that the embattled Illinois lawmaker has little hope next year of winning the seat vacated by President Barack Obama. "I told him that under the circumstances, I would resign," fellow Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin told reporters after an hour-long meeting with Burris. "He said, 'I'm not going to resign.'""I can't force him," Durbin added.Burris was appointed by disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and driven from office after he was accused of trying to sell...

Just across on MSNBC; video to follow. They met this morning, supposedly to hash out a deal in which Burris would stay on, serve out his term, and then retire next year when the special election rolls around. I can only assume that his egomania intervened and refused to let him pledge to go quietly, forcing Durbin to go nuclear. Over to you, Illinois legislature: If Burris quits, Gov. Quinn will appoint a Democrat on a temporary basis–someone, Quinn told me, who would be a caretaker. Quinn then would push the Illinois legislature to change the law for a special...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the second ranking Senate Democrat, said Tuesday he advised embattled Illinois Sen. Roland Burris that he should resign from the Senate in light of the continued allegations against him over his dealings with their state's former governor, Rod Blagojevich. Emerging from a meeting with Sen. Burris, Sen. Durbin said he advised Sen. Burris to resign, but that the Democrat refused, saying he would continue to fight to clear his name. Sen. Durbin said that he told Sen. Burris that under the circumstances, it was doubtful that he would be able to win a...

Barack Obama wants Roland Burris gone. That was the unmistakable implication of White House press secretary Robert Gibbs’ remarks to Matt Lauer on Today this morning. MATT LAUER: The president has talked a lot about transparency in government and transparency with government officials. In your opinion, does Roland Burris meet the threshold for transparency that the president wants to see? ROBERT GIBBS: Well Matt, what I talked about here just last week was, obviously many of the representations that Senator Burris made in order to get into office have now proved to be true [sic]. I think he has to...

This week's poll focuses on the "evolving" situation with new Illinois Senator Roland Burris, and whether or not his recent admission of "fundraising" conversation with Blago's people will result in his leaving the Senate (one way, or another). The question: What will happen with the Roland Burris Senate seat? Your options: Burris ignores the problem and keeps his seat Illinois legislature brings him up for perjury & he beats the rap Legislature brings him up for perjury and he's forced to resign Burris is gone and a special election is held: GOP wins Burris is gone and a special election...

CHICAGO — The crisis now threatening Sen. Roland Burris’ political career started with revelations about his entanglements with disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But it was the way the situation was handled by Burris and his advisers — trapped between competing political and legal demands — that has made the problem much worse and has pushed him to the brink of losing his seat. In multiple interviews, several Senate aides and Burris confidants say the senator was unprepared from a public relations and political perspective to deal with the national media frenzy and ethics problems he now confronts. “The...

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris was interviewed by federal authorities for several hours Saturday as part of the ongoing corruption investigation into charges that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell a Senate seat for personal or political profit, sources familiar with the talks said. Burris' interview, which had been delayed for weeks, took place at his attorney's offices in downtown Chicago. He has been informed he is not a target of the probe, the sources said. Burris acknowledged a week ago that federal investigators wanted to talk to him about the circumstances surrounding his appointment by Blagojevich, which occurred three...

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris was interviewed by federal authorities for several hours Saturday as part of the ongoing corruption investigation into charges that former Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell a Senate seat for personal or political profit, sources familiar with the talks said. Burris' interview, which had been delayed for weeks, took place at his attorney's offices in downtown Chicago. He has been informed he is not a target of the probe, the sources said. Burris acknowledged a week ago that federal investigators wanted to talk to him about the circumstances surrounding his appointment by Blagojevich, which occurred three...

Federal authorities question Burris about appointment February 21, 2009 NATASHA KORECKI, BY DAVE McKINNEY AND MARY ANN AHERN Staff Reporters. Federal authorities questioned U.S. Senator Roland Burris today at his lawyer’s office -- a long-awaited interview involving his U.S. Senate seat appointment — the Sun-Times-NBC/5 team has learned. Burris is not accused of wrongdoing but was questioned in the case that centers on ousted Gov. Blagojevich and his alleged attempts to sell President Obama’s former seat. Federal authorities questioned Sen. Roland Burris today about his appointment. Burris is not accused of any wrongdoing but was quizzed in connection with the...

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and other Democratic officials Friday called on Sen. Roland Burris to resign from the Senate, which is investigating him for possible perjury. The White House added pressure on the embattled lawmaker to explain his actions leading up to his appointment. "To step aside and resign is, I think, a heroic act, and I ask Roland to do that," Mr. Quinn said at a news conference in Chicago. The governor said that if the senator does not resign from President Obama´s former seat, state lawmakers should enact legislation to fill the Senate seat by a special election...

If Sen. Roland Burris misled an Illinois House impeachment panel with a false account of his appointment, he did the same thing with the Illinois Supreme Court last month. In a lawsuit to force Secretary of State Jesse White to certify his appointment to the Senate, Burris submitted the same Jan. 5 affidavit to the state high court that he had earlier sent to the House panel. The truthfulness of the affidavit has since been called into question.

Embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) took another blow on Friday--his chief of staff, Darrell Thompson quit. Thompson was detailed to the Burris operation from the staff of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv.) in order to give Burris top notch experienced Senate help to get his office up and running. Thompson was a top staffer in President Obama's 2004 Illinois Senate campaign. As Burris resists calls for him to step down, Thompson pulled the plug on is short tenure. "Three weeks ago I was temporarily detailed to serve as Chief of Staff to Senator Roland W. Burris. Though my tenure...

Gov. Quinn this morning called on his good friend Roland Burris to resign his U.S Senate seat.

Watching the Chicago media pack take chunks out of Roland Burris this week—and after taking a few bites out of the lying weasel myself—I couldn't help but wonder: When it comes to covering corruption, is there a media double standard, one for weak black politicians and another for powerful white guys? African-Americans like the hapless Sen. Tombstone, or Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, the Urkel of local politics, deserve the thwackings they get. When Burris or Stroger give a foolish non-answer, that or even a no-comment becomes news, evidence of their nefariousness. Not so with the much pinker bosses,...

Black pastors to ask Burris to resign One cites senator's effort to raise money for disgraced Blagojevichago pastors originally supported Burris' appointment Feb. 19, 2009 CHICAGO - A group of black ministers who supported U.S. Sen. Roland Burris as he fought to get his job now plan to ask for his resignation following revelations that he tried to raise money for the disgraced governor who appointed him, one of the ministers told The Associated Press on Thursday. Many of the city’s influential black pastors supported Burris because of his scandal-free reputation — even though he was appointed by then-Gov. Rod...

CHICAGO (AP) - A group of black ministers who supported U.S. Sen. Roland Burris as he fought to get his job now plan to ask for his resignation following revelations that he tried to raise money for the disgraced governor who appointed him, one of the ministers told The Associated Press on Thursday. Many of the city's influential black pastors supported Burris because of his scandal-free reputation—even though he was appointed by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich three weeks after the governor was arrested for allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat. Now some of those pastors will ask Burris to resign,...

Sen. Roland "Tombstone" Burris (D-Lying Weasel) insisted he was the Real Roland Burris, which must mean that some sneaky impostor is out there, doing evil deeds in our senator's name. "You know me, you know the real Roland! I am the real Roland!" he told a packed crowd at Wednesday's luncheon of the venerable City Club of Chicago. "I ask you today to stop the rush to judgment. You know the real Roland. I've done nothing wrong, and I have absolutely nothing to hide." The man insisting he was the Real Roland chattered like a magpie about how he deserved...

As if enough hasn't already gone wrong, with Cabinet nominees dropping like flies, bipartisanship out the window after just 30 days and the world's economy squarely on his back, President Obama has a new problem with the man who took his old Senate seat [-] a problem he thought had been solved. Weeks before his inauguration, Mr. Obama objected to the appointment of Democrat Roland W. Burris to the vacated seat, saying the move was tainted by Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, who has since been ousted from office. But days later, he relented, joining Senate Democrats in offering a...

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris gave an impassioned defense of his fundraising efforts for ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, saying Wednesday that he has "absolutely nothing to hide." Burris is under increasing pressure to resign from the seat he assumed only a month ago after his appointment by the embattled Blagojevich to fill President Obama's vacancy in the U.S. Senate.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - U.S. Reps. Janice Schakowsky and Phil Hare have joined a growing group of lawmakers seeking to replace Sen. Roland Burris. The Democrats criticized Burris on Wednesday after accusations he wasn't entirely truthful when he testified before an Illinois House impeachment committee. Hare says Burris should resign. He says Burris "is not being entirely straight" about his contacts with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's staff before he was appointed senator. Schakowsky says the General Assembly should change state law to allow for a special election to replace Burris. [snip]

Sen. Roland "Tombstone" Burris (D-Lying Weasel) hatches his lies by the minute; they bubble out of his mouth like insect larvae from the mud. Once their wings are dry, they launch from our senator's lips and buzz. Yet with all the buzzing, let's consider a few things. First, there are two Chicago politicians who should get credit for Burris being in the Senate to embarrass everyone in Illinois. No, not just former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He appointed Burris, but that's not the whole story. I'm talking about two other Chicago pols: President Barack Obama. And Illinois House Speaker Michael "What...

The Washington Post added its voice Wednesday to a growing chorus of demands for the resignation of Sen. Roland Burris two days after he detailed conversations with impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother that he failed to mention under oath. Sen. Roland Burris of Illinois is facing pressure to step down in leading newspaper editorials. Burris, appointed by a scandal-wracked Blagojevich to fill President Obama's vacant Senate seat, told reporters Monday night in Peoria, Illinois, that he had three conversations with the governor's brother, Robert Blagojevich. In them, the Democratic senator said he discussed possibly raising money for the governor...

Has Burris been thrown under the bus yet? I mean really, this cannot be the Roland Burris that Obama once knew.

Forgive us for sounding self-congratulatory, but we have a suspicion as to one reason Chicago and Illinois are reputed to be among the most corrupt cities and states in the nation -- a vigorously competitive press in this town likes to dig up the bodies. Other cities and states are plenty corrupt, no doubt, although we perversely like to flatter ourselves that we stand apart. But few other towns enjoy such an aggressive get-the-story-first culture of newspaper reporting. Nobody in those supposed bastions of integrity seems to do much digging. We raise this point today because it's no secret the...

CHICAGO, Feb. 17 -- In the latest in a series of shifting accounts of his conduct, Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.) told reporters that he tried to raise money for then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the same time he was asking Blagojevich to appoint him to the Senate. Burris said he contacted "some people" about holding a fundraiser at the request of Blagojevich's brother, Robert, only to learn that no one was willing to help the governor. He said he later changed his mind, raised no money and contributed none. The account to reporters in Peoria, Ill., was Burris's fifth version...

Embattled Sen. Roland W. Burris' legal and political problems deepened Tuesday as Democrats in Washington and Illinois signaled that they would support an investigation into whether the senator lied under oath about his appointment to the Illinois Senate seat. Illinois Democrats are now backing GOP calls for a perjury investigation, while the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Ethics Committee suggested that the panel would open a preliminary inquiry, which could ultimately lead to Burris’ expulsion from the full Senate. "Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of the Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry," said...

The benefit of the doubt had already been stretched thin and taut by the time Roland Burris offered his third version of the events leading to his appointment to the U.S. Senate. It finally snapped like a rubber band, popping him on that long Pinocchio nose of his, when he came out with version four. Let’s see if we have it right: Burris had zero contact with any of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s cronies about his interest in the Senate seat being vacated by President Barack Obama— unless you count that conversation with former chief of staff Lon Monk, and, on...

Politics: Harry Reid needed 60 votes, so he reneged on his vow not to seat anyone named by impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Now Roland Burris has contradicted his testimony and could be charged with perjury.Blago, as he is called, tried to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat and ended up giving it away to former Illinois attorney general and perpetual candidate Roland Burris. Unfortunately for Illinois citizens, the cliche that you get what you pay for is proving true once again. A Daniel Webster he is not. An honest man he may not be either. The public perception was that...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has acknowledged trying to raise money for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich before being appointed to the Senate. According to a transcript posted on the Chicago Tribune's Web site, Burris told reporters in Peoria Monday night that he talked to some friends about putting together a fundraiser after being called by the ex-governor's brother

On Monday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Nancy Cordes reported on perjury allegations against Illinois Senator Roland Burris and calls for his resignation: "Burris admits he did much more than just talk to one person, in fact, he says he talked to four other people with close connections and took three phone calls from the ex-governor's brother about raising money. In the down and dirty world of Illinois politics, some Republicans are calling on him to resign." In addition to bashing Illinois Republicans, Cordes’s report featured CBS legal analyst Andrew Cohen, who argued: "From a purely legal point of view, it...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. Sen. Roland Burris has acknowledged trying to raise money for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich before being appointed to the Senate.

Roland Burris says the reason that he never mentioned the demand for $10,000 from Rod Blagojevich’s brother Robert to the Illinois legislature is because they never asked him about it. Mark Brown at the Chicago Sun-Times begs to differ, and he has the transcript to prove it. In his testimony, Burris had plenty of opportunity to spill the beans — and instead chose to remain silent. Here are all the questions asked which should have prompted Burris to reveal the demand (emphases mine): Rep. Jim Durkin: “Did you talk to any members of the governor’s staff or anyone closely related...

Monday morning show coverage of allegations that Illinois Senator Roland Burris may have perjured himself with respect to connections to impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich minimized calls for investigation or Burris’s resignation. On the CBS Early Show, correspondent Thailia Assuras explained: "State Republican lawmakers are calling for Senator Roland Burris to resign and be investigated for perjury...The U.S. Senate could move to expel Burris, but analysts say that's unlikely to happen. It's not the kind of distraction Senate Democrats need as they try to move forward the president's agenda."

Lying on your resume gets you fired. If you claim you graduated from college when you actually didn't, and your boss finds out, you usually get shown the gate, even if you're doing a good job. It isn't that you can't be an account rep without a college degree. The issue is that once people who lie on their resumes are allowed to keep working, then resumes become meaningless and job applicants might as well fabricate the most extravagant qualifications they can imagine. Roland Burris lied on his job application. He lied, under oath, about Rod Blagojevich hitting him up...

On February 5 Roland Burris quietly filed an affidavit to correct the testimony he had provided to the Illinois House impeachment panel on January 8. Rep. James Durkin closely questioned Burris regarding his awareness of a quid pro quo for his Senate seat. His answer was that he was not. Burris's affidavit reveals that he was solicited for campaign cash (up to $10,000, according to the Sun-Times) by Governor Blagojevich's brother Robert in connection with Burris's interest in the seat. What prompted Burris's correction of his testimony? The Sun-Times notes that one of Burris's three conversations with the governor's brother...

Calls for Sen. Roland Burris to resign, or at the least to face criminal investigation, are increasing today in his state of Illinois. The calls come as a result of revelations that Burris did have at least six conversations with people connected to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich about Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. The problem is, Burris told Illinois lawmakers last month while under oath that he did not have any contact with people connected to the Governor about the senate seat. He now admits that he did. The video report above does a good job of giving the details...

Perjury or not, Burris shows he is at least a liar Given a chance to clear the air, he chooses to play with words February 16, 2009 BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist I'll leave it to the proper investigative bodies to decide whether Roland Burris committed perjury last month in testimony before the Illinois House impeachment committee. From a strict legal perspective, maybe he didn't. But I'll tell you straight up, our new U.S. senator proved himself to be a lying little sneak. The word preposterous comes to my mind to describe Burris' explanation -- and accompanying performance Sunday --...

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris tried Sunday to quell new questions about his controversial appointment, insisting he shouldn't be blamed for only recently detailing his conversations about the job with five close associates of disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The Chicago Democrat said he didn't provide a full explanation because nobody pressed the point during his sworn testimony last month to House lawmakers who impeached Blagojevich. He accused Republicans of playing politics by calling for an investigation into whether he committed perjury and even asking for his resignation. But Burris' evolving explanation of what happened took another twist when he said...

Still busily sweeping up little piles of Blagojevich around the capital. We’re facing a bad economy, startling unemployment statistics and a bleak outlook for maybe at least a year or so. But we still find time to worry about some lady with octuplets, whether Jessica Simpson wears mom jeans and a Yankee known as A-Roid. Most of us still have jobs, roofs over our heads, the general trappings of suburbia surrounding us. Although we stand in admiration of him today, I doubt that the railsplitter is weeping for us on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Things were a tad...

A twist of this story is that while Senate Democrats initially tried to fight Rod Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris, they needed Burris' vote to pass the $789 billion economic stimulus package with a filibuster-proof minimum threshhold of 60 votes. As it was, the Democrats needed to call Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown back to Washington from Brown's home state, where he was attending his mother's wake, of all things. The next option would have been to try to pull Teddy Kennedy from his sick bed. In other words, Rod Blagojevich apparently was one of the key actors for passage of...

Appointed Sen. Roland Burris lied under oath to capture his seat in the Senate, but The Washington Post can't quite say that. On Sunday's front page, the paper promoted a story on A-3 with the headline "Burris Revises Story on Senate Seat."

Sen Burris is facing ethical questions. I hope this doesnt mean we have to hear from Bobby Rush again. Guy is painful to watch. Id rather listen to a conversation between Joaquin Phoenix and Mushmouth. Stimulus bill needed to be passed urgently so Obama could have a nice long weekend?

CHICAGO – Illinois' freshman U.S. senator says he never misled anyone when he testified before an impeachment committee last month.

Those of us unfortunate enough to live in the state of Illinois are well aware of the under the table/ you scratch my back – I’ll scratch yours way of doing business that has defined doing business here for decades. While the phrase {Pay to Play” has recently gained national infamy, it has been a way of life in Illinois for generations. Now, this culture of corruption may have extended all the way to the Nation’s Capitol. The exploits of impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich and his alleged attempt to sell President Obama’s vacant senate seat are a matter of public...

Roland Burris has made an ass out himself and us, in no particular order. The junior U.S. senator from Illinois, a Democrat let it be noted, now admits that he was deeper into conversations with representatives of the disgraced former governor, Rod Blagojevich, about his possible appointment to seat than he first said, under oath. The admission was made in an affidavit that he had quietly filed with an Illinois House committee on Feb. 5, the same committee that he swore to that no Blagojevich emissary solicited him, at least not more than once, for cash (a $10,000 figure was...

Rod Blagojevich's brother asked Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign donations before Burris was appointed to the U.S. Senate by then-Gov. Blagojevich of Illinois, a Burris spokesman told FOX News. Sen. Burris didn't make the donation but failed to disclose the request under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel. Now state House Republicans say they want Burris investigated for perjury. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported on its web site Saturday that Burris made the disclosure in a new affidavit sent to the head of the state committee that recommmended Blagojevich be removed from office. According to the...

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post -- something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show. Burris (D-Ill.) acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.

Democrats in Washington and Illinois are becoming increasingly concerned that Sen. Roland W. Burris will be a weak Senate candidate if he runs in 2010, giving the GOP a shot at winning President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat. Burris hasn’t even said he’s running, but the behind-the-scenes debate within the Democratic Party is already fraught with concerns about race, fundraising and the Rod Blagojevich scandal. On top of that, Democratic Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, has said very positive things about a potential Burris primary opponent — even though he’s made no endorsements. The fear among...

Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.), who arrived in Washington without any staff to back him up, has just snagged his first high-profile hire. Darrel Thompson, senior adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, will become Burris's chief of staff. Thompson will continue to serve as senior adviser to Reid, and his position with Burris is considered temporary. Thompson, who worked as chief of staff on President Barack Obama's 2004 Senate campaign, will be responsible for helping Burris put together his legislative agenda and create a constituent services plan for the people of Illinois. Thompson previously served in senior positions for former...