The real question is why did Burris accept? You think that BO could have reached out to him and asked him NOT to take it..promising him an appointment, or his endorsement when he ran for the seat. It’s curious also that during his comments, Burris did NOT say he was only a caretaker..which means he intends to run for the seat in 2010
“The real question is why did Burris accept?”
Burris is quite politically ambitious. He is the first black to hold statewide office in Illinois. He probably truly wants to be senator, knows that Quinn (the lt. gov poised to take over from Blago) would not appoint him and he would not win in an open election. He is also as close to “honest” as you will likely get in Illinois politics. Much more so than Candidates 1-5.
Burris must see it as his last shot at higher office and he knows he’d never get it any other way.
Obama doesn’t dare promise Burris anything right now with all of Blago’s problems, and any way this whole thing took Obama’s people by surprise.
If Burris had tried to “negotiate” anything with Obama’s team before accepting this Obama & co. would have have said they could only promise their “gratitude” — they could not risk getting pulled back into the Illinois cesspool any more.
I’m not surprised at Burris taking this (or trying to) — based upon what I’ve read about him he was very ambitious for “higher” office, was thwarted repeatedly, is now 71 y.o. and this is his last shot at playing in the big time.