IL-Sen, IL-Gov: Next Stop Mausoleum for Roland Burris
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Though he has refused to comment publicly, or to discuss his future plans with senior Senator Dick Durbin, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Roland Burris has realized the gig is up for Roland Burris, and so apparently he will not run for reelection.
He will not resign, however: Roland Burris seems intent on finishing the job Roland Burris was appointed to do.
WASHINGTON--Embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) meets with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday afternoon. Burris understands that he needs to try to mollify Durbin and he will attempt to do that.
Scoop: Burris will also be sending, directly or indirectly (maybe this is it) two messages: he will not resign in the wake of the controversy surrounding his appointment by the ousted Gov. Blagojevich and he will not run for the seat in 2010. Burris has finally realized that not seeking election next year is the least price he will pay.
Burris was probably doomed in the 2010 primary, anyway, with two powerful Illinois Democrats, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, waiting to pounce, and several other potential candidates in the wings.
But as Roland Burris prepares to get back to work on Roland Burris' personal mausoleum, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, the successor to the one and only Rod Blagojevich, has announced that he will run for reelection.
Someone needs to clean up Blago's mess, after all:
"I have no reason not to run," Quinn told me when I asked him about the 2010 election.
"I think I am doing a good job today. I anticipate I will continue to do that. Stabilizing the ship of Illinois is vitally necessary. I think even in the first three-and-a-half weeks we've done a decent job of turning a page in an unhappy chapter in the state's history," Quinn said.
He is not in campaign mode though.
"Given the cataclysmic events, I don't think the people of Illinois want their governor devoting the lion's share of his time to political campaigning and planning for the political future. I think in this case the best politics are doing this job, this rescue mission properly with a complete focus on what's best for the common good."
This should set up a nice battle royale between Quinn and his anticipated primary opponent, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, assuming she does enter the fray.
(Photo courtesy of WDCPIX).
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