Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) held a 59-minute meeting Tuesday with embattled Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) and afterwards said Burris told him he will not resign.
Durbin said he told Burris he would not support his candidacy in 2010. Durbin said he asked Burris if he was going to run in 2010 and Burris said he has not decided. A source told the Sun-Times that Burris is not going to run. In any case, the uproar surrounding Burris would make it politically impossible to run since almost every major Democrat in the state has asked Burris to step down.
In recapping their discussion, Durbin said, "I told him it would be extremely difficult for him to be successful in a primary or a general election under the circumstances.Burris was under some pressure, Durbin said; Burris' legal fees were "hundreds and thousand of dollars."
"I told him that under the circumstances I would consider resigning if I were in his shoes. He said he would not resign and that was his conclusion," Durbin said.
"At this point I suggested to him he had to do everything in his power to bring the facts out as completely as possible. He told me he was limited in some respects in speaking to the press, making public statements."
Burris is facing inquiries from the Senate Ethics Committee and the Sangamon County (Ill.) state's attorney.
"It's now up to Sen. Burris to deal with the facts and challenges before him," Durbin said.
Durbin underscored what Burris told him. "He told me clearly he will not resign"
"Now a lot of people, including a lot of editorial writers who think that I have a very persuasive way about me with Mr. Burris. And I will just tell you that is not the case. He contacted me before he was appointed by Gov. Blagojevich and I advised him, don't do it. He did it anyway. So my advice obviously doesn't move him."
In the most general terms, members are concerned about this.
"Again, it raises sadly the specter of political controversy in my home state. People in Illinois are bone weary of this stuff. They want this Blagojevich burlesque to end and they want to move on. We have a lot of things that have to be done with our new governor and our General Assembly.
"As far as my colleagues here in the Senate, they are grasping as I am to try to get to the truth of this situation. They are confused and concerned about the disclosures that have been made but you know, each of them will have to speak for themselves."
I asked Durbin and he and Burris will work, since Burris is sticking around.
"I am going to do what is best for the state. Working with Sen. Burris on some issues absolutely essential. There are some appointments that require the signature of both senators, for example. So we will find ways to cooperate and work together. I don't want the people of Illinois to lose anything because of this controversy.
Burris, who was voting on the Senate floor on Tuesday, left the Durbin suite of offices through a side door. Trapped by reporters while waiting for an elevator, Burris said "it was a good meeting" and he was "under orders not to say anything about this." Those orders are self imposed and from his lawyer, he said.
Meeting reporters after speaking with Burris in his Capitol office, Durbin said he told Burris he was "disappointed" Burris gave incomplete testimony to the Illinois House about the circumstances surrounding his appointment from ousted Gov. Blagojevich.
(Sigh) This nigga here...
Via: MSNBC & The Chicago Sun-Times
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