The largest newspaper in Illinois on Tuesday called for U.S. Sen. Roland Burris to resign, a day after Burris detailed several conversations with impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother he had failed to mention under oath.
Burris, appointed by a scandal-wracked Blagojevich to fill the rest of President Barack Obama's Senate term, told reporters in Peoria, Illinois, Monday night that he had three conversations with Robert Blagojevich.
In them, he said he discussed possibly raising money for the governor before ultimately declining.
Burris said he had "talked to some people about trying to put a fundraiser on," but told Robert Blagojevich shortly after Obama's election that no one was willing to give.
In a third conversation, he finally said it would be inappropriate to raise money because he was interested in being appointed to the Senate.
In an editorial posted on its Web site Tuesday night, the Chicago Tribune said that with Burris' explanations of his dealings with Blagojevich, "the benefit of the doubt had already been stretched thin" and that, with his most recent comments, "(i)t finally snapped like a rubber band, popping him on that long Pinocchio nose of his."
"There is only one honorable action for Burris: resign," the paper wrote. "Strip this whole wretched process out of the hands of the politicians and give it back to the people."
Blagojevich had been indicted on federal corruption charges, including accusations that he wanted to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder, before he appointed Burris.
On Tuesday, Burris again told reporters he's done nothing wrong.
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