Roland Burris set to retire
By John Amato Friday Jul 10, 2009 4:00pm
By lying about his ties to the ex-Governor, Roland became a national embarrassment and that was too bad. Blago got his laugh at the expense of the people from the state of Illinois.
Embattled Illinois Sen. Roland Burris planned Friday to say he won't run for a full term in 2010, making official the end of a short Senate career clouded by the circumstances of his appointment by disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
In prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press, Burris said he was bowing out of the 2010 race because of the burden of raising money to pay for a campaign.
"I was called to choose between spending my time raising funds, or spending my time raising issues for my state. I believe that the business of the people of Illinois should always come first," Burris said, according to the prepared remarks.
The WaPo runs down the aftermath:
Burris had refused to make any commitment about his future plans until today although his ever-changing story regarding his relationship with the disgraced former governor and his non-existent fundraising during the first three months of the year led savvy strategists to conclude he would not (or could not) run.
The race had passed Burris by with speculation centering on whether or not Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) would run. (She decided against doing so earlier this week.)
With Burris formally out of the race, the Democratic slate is likely to come down to state Treasurer Alexi Giannnoulias and Merchandise Mart CEO Chris Kennedy. Republicans face the possibility of a primary of their own with Rep. Mark Kirk in the race and Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna weighing a bid.
While Burris's retirement has little practical impact on the race -- for the reasons mentioned above -- it does save the White House and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee a potential headache since they would almost certainly not have supported Burris in the primary, a move that could have led some in the African American community to question the party's motives.
To his friends he'll always be remembered as a Senator.
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He's going to be retreading tires
Do people still buy those?
It's a brilliant strategic move! Now he can concentrate on laying the groundwork for his presidential bid!
BRILLIANT, I TELL YOU!!!
Nah, to do that, he'd have to announce he's not running for another term AND step down from his current post this month, since he'd be a lame duck.
since they never stop dreaming up new ways to harm our country.
And why is he always smiling. Does he drink?
what are the odds that Sarah Palin will see this as a sign from God and move to Illinois?
You're scaring me. Stop it.
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Alan Keyes...
Don't even breathe that man's name or hers. We have enough problems in Illinois without either of them.
No one here wants him. Good Riddance.
He has found it impossible to raise money - no one would touch him with a ten foot pole - that's the reason he's not running.
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So, you're saying he's a national joke with nearly no support? Has he considered running as a Republican?
Run as far away from here as fast as you possibly can.
It's time to retire so you can spend more time with your legacy.
... or was Palin pulling a Burris.
Nader was right after all...
Does this asshole get senate retirement now that he's not going to run in 2010?
that I could work at a job for that little time and get about $169,000.00 a year retirement plus the best medical care in the world.
These ass-holes are laughing at every one of us poor slobs that pay their fucking benefits. Fuck 'em all!
Any American could do their job better for 25% of the money and no benefits!
It was never supposed to be a lifetime job, it was never supposed to supply them with health care, or retirement.
You were supposed to do your civic duty, reluctantly serve and return to your previous life.
These people have perverted the system into a house of prostitution.
They are pollitical whores. Spreading STD's across the world, aided by their big money Johns.
Here is a list of elected people taking payoffs to cheat the American people and the amounts of bribes being taken. This is just from health care and insurance.
It is mind boggling to think how much these people are taking from others!
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $4,026,933)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $2,833,731)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $2,758,468)
And when you just go right to Big Insurance, the non-presidential candidates who got the biggest legalized bribes were the 7 senators who have been tasked with the job of killing single-payer:
Ben Nelson (DLC-NE- $1,196,799)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $1,184,113)
Joe Lieberman (DLC- CT- $1,036,302)
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $1,035,530)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY- $981,400)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $929,207)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA- $884,724)
These people are crooks and liars. They have broken the public trust and need to be removed.
They have lost all sense of the reality of what America is supposed to be.
We are a banana republic!
republicanism is a mental illness!
He has what he wanted most. He can put "U.S. Senator" on that fucking monument he has set up at the cemetary. He left space, don't you know. Instead of retiring maybe he can run for State Attorney General and see how many more innocent people he send to death row. Asshole.
That was my thought exactly. The only purpose for him to accept a tainted appointment from a criminal former Governor who was about to be impeached, simply served as a feather he could put in his cap and something more to carve into that ridiculous monument he has at his burial plot. As it was mentioned somewhere else in the thread, he will collect a federal pension and have access to the best medical care for the rest of his life for FREE. He had no interest in serving The People, only himself. Roland Burris is perfect example of how politicians treat public service as a career instead of a commitment. All the while they sit in their clubs with a martini in one hand, a Cuban cigar in the other and laugh at us 'poor slobs' whose interests they are supposed to be serving. Governor Quinn if you are reading this and you really want to serve The People of Illinois, have recall and special election amendments added to the Illinois Constitution before your replacement takes over after the next election cycle.
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