White House on Burris: Illinois deserves to know the “extent of the involvement”
EmailFrom Sunlen Miller:
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One that the people of Illinois deserve to know the extent of any involvement Senator Burris (D-Illinois) had with ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s office.
"Obviously the people of Illinois have been through a lot in the last few weeks and obviously Senator Burris was seated based in some way on the representation that he made to the US senate and to the committee of Illinois investigating Governor Blagojevich as well as interviews that the people of Illinois heard," Gibbs said traveling back to Washington from Phoenix today, "I think in many ways he was seated based on those representations and I think that that the people of Illinois deserve to know, based on some of the things that have happened over the last few days, deserve the know the whole extent of the involvement."
Gibbs was referencing recent information in an affidavit released by Burris saying he had spoken to several Blagojevich advisors. One of those conversations included Robert Blagoveich (the former governor’s brother) who called three times asking for fundraising help, which Burris admitted this week that he had tried to do unsuccessfully.
This counters with what Burris originally told the Illinois House Committee in January when he testified he had not had contact with Blagojevich staffers or offered to raise money for the seat formally occupied by President Obama.
Gibbs said that he has not spoken to the President about this yet.
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Burris has outlived his usefulness. He voted for Porkulus. Time to be thrown under the bus.
Posted by: Plumber | February 18, 2009, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
Obama and the Democrats never supported Burris. They only seated him when they had no choice and the Republicans were trying to work it up to a sideshow distraction. The absolute best case situation for them now is Burris resigning.
Posted by: jhw539 | February 18, 2009, 8:01 pm 8:01 pm
jhw:when they had no choice and the Republicans were trying to work it up to a sideshow distraction.
====
Democratic President, Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Democratic Illinois Governor, Democratic Illinois Legislature, Democratic Senate Candidates. And yet jhw finds a way to blame Republicans.
Spectacular.
Posted by: MayBee | February 18, 2009, 8:26 pm 8:26 pm
The Senate had NO legal grounds not to seat Burris. Their hands were virtually tied and for those “Blame it on the Dems” no matter if it’s true or not – please read ABC’s THE NOTE form 1/9/09.
Here’s a tidbit: “McCain offered his opinion — that Burris was “legally appointed” and that he should be seated –
Posted by: JKS | February 18, 2009, 8:37 pm 8:37 pm
Burris is a distraction, of course.
Posted by: mad | February 18, 2009, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm
JKS- I am laughing at the idea Republicans had anything at all to do with the Burris situation. I absolutely agree with you that at the time, Reed had no choice but to seat Burris.
I would love to hear the “extent of the involvement” with Blagojevich, as the WH calls for. I wonder if Burris’s lawyer will be allowed to run the investigation and issue the report absolving him.
Posted by: MayBee | February 18, 2009, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
I agree with JKS. However, Burris did not lay his cards on the table, so he was able to sneak in by remaining secretive. He must have gotten wind that he is on tapes, hence the race to file affidavits of disclosure. Mr. Burris originally struck me as an honorable, decent man, and a good advocate. I argued that he should be seated based on his demeanor. Retrospectively this was a mistake, and he appears to have conned people in a similar manner as to the way Blag conned people, just maybe not to the same degree. It doesn’t matter as to degree, though. Burris must go. It makes me begin to wonder more about Obama, another politician from Chicago, but I still give him the benefit of the doubt so long as there is not one shred of evidence to the contrary. Burris now has lots of shreds of evidence. He must go.
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | February 18, 2009, 8:55 pm 8:55 pm
As a native Illinoisian, I like to think that Sen. Roland (“I am not a sneaky, lying cheat!”) Burris is nothing more than Rod Blagojevich’s “gift that keeps on giving” to the people of Illinois.
Posted by: chuck | February 18, 2009, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
Obama and the Democrats never supported Burris. They only seated him when they had no choice and the Republicans were trying to work it up to a sideshow distraction. The absolute best case situation for them now is Burris resigning.
Posted by: jhw539 | Feb 18, 2009 8:01:21 PM
************
Your honor, I give you Exhibit A:
The death of common sense.
Posted by: Peach | February 18, 2009, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
Send him home ,get Burris out of the Senate.Damn this is getting worse .Not happy with unpaid taxes and crooks in the congress.People who want the job and then back out yes,Gregg…..
Posted by: NH voter | February 18, 2009, 10:10 pm 10:10 pm
No question this episode will not end well for the incredibly stupid and tone deaf Mr. Burris…
Posted by: matt | February 18, 2009, 10:12 pm 10:12 pm
BS, Robert Gibbs. The people of Illinois deserved a special election which you all wanted-that is-until you figured out we might vote for a Republican-so that was canned. The mighty Illinois Speaker got the word from the top. He and his Barbara Flynn Currie knew about Burris THEN, they ALL knew about Burris and they deliberately sat on the information. Now it just magically comes out the day after the Stimulus bill passes. They’ll have the media do all the dirty work, get the people all riled up and make it so bad for Burris, he’ll want to resign. Then Obama, Reid and Durbin(I mean the “New” governor) can put who they(I mean he) really want in the seat. The perfect plan. If the Illinois legislators REALLY want to do something for the Illinois people, they’ll enforce the laws they’ve already passed instead of RAISING OUR BLOODY TAXES AGAIN.
Posted by: RL in Illinois | February 19, 2009, 12:55 am 12:55 am
Should not this begin with PBO, his chief of staff, and his chief political advisor?
The good people of illinois, and the country for the matter, deserve better.
Posted by: kat | February 19, 2009, 1:07 am 1:07 am
White House on Burris: Illinois deserves to know the “extent of the involvement.”
Why does this apply to Burris but not Obama’s involvment with criminals Resko and Ayers?
Posted by: Rasputin3.14 | February 19, 2009, 7:14 am 7:14 am
I’d rather hear the truth about our president and his relationship to the corruption in Chicago.
Posted by: reed | February 19, 2009, 10:34 am 10:34 am