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WASHINGTON

Thanks to the court-approved wiretaps released last month, we heard evidence that Gov. Rod Blagojevich saw the power to choose of Barack Obama as an chance; fit to extract a juicy payment for himself

In the past few weeks, we’ve learned that the Democratic leaders of the Illinois Legislature saying the embarrassment of the governor (a man they even now despised) as an opportunity to guarantee that Obama’s seat would tarry Democratic. The Democrats rejected legislation to require a special election, and instead are severe to remove Blagojevich by impeachment and give the appointing power to the lieutenant governor.

And then Tuesday, we learned that Roland Burris, a guy who has been death on the gallows on all sides in Illinois politics for decades, saw in all of this an opportunity to vault himself into the Senate

Everyone, including Obama, has been exceedingly polite in their public comments about Burris. I have known him for years and I like him. But I bring forth never been confused about the level of his talent. He was elected as far back as 1978 as state comptroller and stayed in that low-visibility office for 12 years before instigating up to attorney general in 1990.

When he tried to climb higher, he found the competition too tough. He lost a Senate race to Paul Simon, tried three times for the nomination for governor without good fortune, and ran for mayor of Chicago with the same result. He couldn’t get past the Democratic primordial in some of those contests.

Burris is, in short, typical of a lot of politicians in both parties who find a comfortable refuge by the agency of reason of years in down-ballot offices but never make the cut for the major prizes. He was distinguishing in Illinois mainly for fracture the excuse barrier in statewide office, acknowledgments to his downstate birth and friendships and his pleasant, accommodating personality.

It was in no degree accident that, after Obama was elected, Burris’ name rarely figured in theory in opposition to the Senate seat. At 71, decades in the pattern of his last successful election, his political career seemed from beginning to end. But not in his mind. Burris held a news conference putting himself forward as a possible successor to Obama, but he never figured as a emulate to the statewide officials and House members interested in the seat.

So it must have been a transporting surprise and a large-size thrill for Burris when the embattled governor phoned onward Sunday to statement he was prepared to make Burris the new senator.

Blagojevich had already been turned down by Rep. Danny Davis, a doleful Chicago congressman, who said any appointee from the governor would have being too tainted to serve. But Burris had no such qualms.

“I have nothing to do with the governor and his problems,” Burris declared of the adulteration charges U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has lodged against Blagojevich and his former chief of staff. “You’ve got to sunder the appointee from the appointor.”

But that ace of sophistry did not persuade Obama, other Illinois Democrats or Senate leaders, all of whom criticized Blagojevich like being making the designation to office and Burris beneficial to accepting it. Obama repeated his call for Blagojevich to step prostrate and allow a senator to be named “free of impregnate and controversy.”

The conclusive bit of opportunism was supplied by means of Rep. Bobby Rush, the South Side Chicago congressman who has earned a footnote in history during the time that the but man so remoter to beat Barack Obama

Called to the microphone by Burris, Rush immediately played the race card, praising Blagojevich conducive to keeping a black man in Obama’s seat and saying that it would be imprudent for any senator to “deny one African American for being seated in the U.S. Senate.”

The Illinois Democrats have really made a spectacle of themselves.

davidbroder@washpost.com

Original text: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008578357_opin01broder.html?syndication=rss