The disgrace of Sen. Burris

Here we go again.

Roland Burris, disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s man in the U.S. Senate, is in trouble once more.

Federal wiretaps released Tuesday show that Burris, a Chicago Democrat, practically begged Blagojevich’s brother, Robert, for the appointment to fill Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. The two spoke by telephone Nov. 13, barely a week after Obama’s election as president.

While Burris shied away from saying he would sponsor a fundraiser for the governor, he wasn’t shy about promising to write a check himself for Blagojevich’s campaign fund – more than once.

“I know I could give him a check. Myself,” Burris said at one point.

“OK, OK, well we, we, I, I will personally do something, OK,” he said at another.

It’s a promise Burris said he didn’t keep.

But he clearly made an offer to pay money to the man who would choose the state’s next U.S. senator.

Burris doesn’t see it that way. Speaking Wednesday, he denied any connection to pay-to-play politics.

“Did I try to buy the seat? Never. Did I commit perjury? No.”

The perjury remark has to do with Burris’ sworn testimony before Illinois lawmakers that he had minimal contact with the Blagojevich camp before the Dec. 30 appointment.

It was testimony that he himself contradicted with a later affidavit, after he was sworn in, that revealed more conversations and sparked a February firestorm that swirled around Burris for days.

Burris may be not guilty of actually buying his seat.

He may be not guilty of lying about it.

But his guilt on other matters is quite evident.

He is guilty of coveting the Senate seat so much that his judgment was clouded.

He is guilty of insulting the intelligence of Illinoisans. He asks voters to believe him, not their own eyes and ears.

He is guilty of a massive ego. He opened the Nov. 13 conversation with Blagojevich’s brother this way: “I know you’re calling telling me that you’re gonna make me king of the world.”

And, he is guilty of implying that he would pay to play.

“God knows No. 1, I wanna help Rod.”

That’s the “pay” part.

“No. 2, I also wanna, you know, hope I get a consideration to get that appointment.”

That’s the “play” part.

Unfortunately, Burris will keep his job until early 2011.

He won’t resign, his fellow Democrats don’t have the stomach to oust him, and Republicans don’t have the muscle.

But voters – stung by the whole embarrassing saga – won’t nominate him next year, and 19 months from now, Blagojevich’s man in the U.S. Senate will fade from public view.

We hope.