Burris Under the Saddle

Like me, you probably had never heard of Arenda Troutman, an Illinois Democrat, until she was convicted in U.S. district court this past week, accused of taking payoffs from developers seeking zoning changes, thereby becoming the 27th Chicago alderman since 1972 to be convicted on public corruption charges. Illinois politics more and more looks like Louisiana's without the integrity.

Here in Washington, the Two Iron Rules of Political Scandals have been constant. Rule One: It is not the original act, but instead it is always the cover-up of the original act that proves politically fatal. And Rule Two: Everyone forgets Rule One.

The nation's most junior U.S. senator, Democrat Roland Burris of Illinois (sworn in on Jan. 15, 2009) may well have amended the iron rules by getting himself in major trouble by both the original act and the cover-up.

On Jan. 5, Burris testified before the Illinois legislature that was then considering the impeachment of since-ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who had been arrested four weeks earlier on federal bribery and conspiracy charges. On Dec. 30, Blagojevich had appointed Burris to the Senate to fill the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

Under oath, Burris failed to admit that, yes, he had tried in the months before he was appointed to raise money for Blagojevich. Burris testified that he was asked by the governor's attorney on Dec. 26 if he was interested in being appointed to the Senate and that "there was not any contact between myself or any of my representatives with Gov. Blagojevich or any of his representatives regarding my appointment."

Three days later, on Jan. 8, under intense questioning, Burris did concede that he had expressed his interest to one person, the governor's chief of staff. Four weeks later, he suddenly remembered discussing the appointment with three other Blagojevich lieutenants and the governor's politically engaged brother, with whom the subject was fundraising for the governor.

Obama and the Senate Democratic leadership were unequivocal in early January: No Senate appointee of the arrested, about-to-be-impeached Blagojevich would be seated.

Then Burris deftly played the race card, making sure it was known that he would be the only African-American in the U.S. Senate — replacing the Senate's only African-American.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said following a capitulation meeting with Burris that "one of the first things he (Burris) said to us (was), 'Hey, this is nothing that's racial.'" Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois reported that Burris had reassured them they had "excellent records when it comes to racial relations."

Senate Democrats and the president-elect caved. Democrats in Washington had been completely and publicly "rolled" by a Chicago pol, himself facing political execution, Rod Blagojevich.

Illinois politics has never suffered from an excess of romantic idealism. One of the state's most successful reform politicians, former congressman and federal appeals court judge Abner Mikva, tells the story of how in 1948, as a law student at the University of Chicago, he wanted to volunteer in the campaigns of two exceptional Democratic candidates, Paul Douglas for the U.S. Senate and Adlai Stevenson for governor.

Mikva stopped in at his local Democratic ward headquarters to volunteer for the two men, where the glaring ward committeeman asked him, "Who sent you?" Mikva answered, "Nobody sent me." The committeeman dismissed him with, "We don't want nobody that nobody sent."

This entire Illinois Senate vacancy episode, much like the one in New York, has diminished nearly everyone involved, especially the "clarifying" Sen. Burris. It's a shame that Roland Burris never knew the late George V. Higgins, a master of crime fiction, who wisely observed: "Tell the truth. It's the easiest thing to remember."

To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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COPYRIGHT 2009 MARK SHIELDS