Stone Pigs

undeniable underlying truths

You’re an Idiot

Posted By on February 19, 2009

Current Illinois Senator Roland Burris is an idiot.  I don’t know the man personally, but I still don’t say that lightly.  Nonetheless, I do know some things about him that I will accept as fact.  Consider:

  1. Roland Burris knew the circumstances and questions surrounding the man that appointed him to his Senate seat.  He knew the ‘taint’ that would be associated with any such appointment.
  2. Roland Burris was asked repeatedly by people from many corners about the nature of his relationship with the former governor especially with respect to any possible trading of favors that might have taken place to curry favor with the governor so as to gain the appointment.
  3. Roland Burris repeatedly proclaimed his innocence and purity, even, at times, under oath.  With righteous indignation he forced his way into the Senate with the grudging approval of his peers.
  4. Subsequent to his appointment and confirmation, Roland Burris admitted in a sworn affidavit that he did have contact with multiple parties from the governor’s staff and representatives.  Even though such contact was questionable at the very least, and most probably inappropriate, he again publicly stated his innocence in having not traded any favors for the appointment.
  5. A single day later, he further contradicted himself and admitted that he did do some fundraising at the request of the governor’s brother.

These are the facts as they’ve been presented in the court of public opinion so far. There have consequently been numerous calls for him to resign and so far he has steadfastly refused.

This story sounds vaguely familiar to me.  Wasn’t there another Democratic Illinois politician recently who was accused of improper behavior and while steadfastly proclaiming his innocence refusing to heed the calls for his resignation?  Slowly, the story of the earlier event is coming back to me.  Yes, now I recall, I’m thinking of the story of Rod Blagojevich, the very governor who appointed Roland Burris in the first place!  The governor was ultimately run out of office by the state Legislature after much evidence was presented to the members.

What is interesting is Roland’s defensive refrain: “stop the rush to judgement.”

Mr. Burris seems to be implying that to pass judgement now would be premature.  He might be implying that there are more facts to be known.  I’m inclined to believe him on this based solely on his own behavior and recent history of presenting new and contradictory facts on a nearly daily basis.  However, there is still but one inescapable conclusion: he’s not one of the best and brightest the good citizens of Illinois could offer up to represent them in the United States Senate.  Any new facts would either add to the body of evidence he’s provided against him, or it would contradict earlier statements.  If it’s more contradiction, it just serves to further degrade his limited remaining credibility.  If not, it just further degrades his moral and ethical image.  Either way, it’s not good for him.

On the other hand, by protesting the rush to judgement (the well-used line from the Johnny Cochran O.J. Simpson defense handbook), he might be suggesting that we have just not taken the time necessary to really understand the complex information surrounding the facts with which we have been presented. However, given his lack of protest against the rush to pass the 1,000+ page economic stimulus bill, he clearly believes it takes less than 24 hours to properly digest even the gravest of matters of social importance.  Again, either way, he proves his unsuitability for the job he holds.  In fact, his behavior and the circumstances surrounding his Senate confirmation could easily lead one to conclude that the Senate Democrats secretly welcomed him into their ranks with enthusiasm so as to gain one more precious vote — without him, they would have needed four Republicans to break ranks to get Obama’s stimulus plan through Congress.

So why do I think Roland Burris is an idiot?  Simple.  His actions either prove he’s an idiot, or they prove that he thinks all his supporters, and the folks in Illinois, are idiots and will believe his protestations of innocence even in the face of the body of evidence and facts out there that say otherwise.  Again, either way, he’s an idiot and I rest my case.

Oh, did I mention that he’s a lawyer?

Folks that are good at pattern recognition might well be forgiven for concluding that Democrat lawyer politicians from Illinois cannot be taken at their word, nor trusted to be acting solely in the best interests of those they represent.  To blindly believe on faith any other position would be idiotic.


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