L'Affaire Burris: The More Things Change

Roland Burris was certainly far from the best person to fill Barack Obama's sizeable shoes as the junior senator from Illinois. He has led a life of personal privilege and public underachievement, and his selection by a brilliantly shrewd and now impeached governor had everything to do with his race.

Yes, Obama is a street-smart Chicago politician of the Rod Blagojevich mold, but that is where the similarities end, which makes the enormous mess that first the corrupt Blago and now the corrupt Burris have created by their serial lies and obfuscations so sad. And infuriating.

Burris's defenders point out that he has many friends. None care to address that he also is ethically challenged. Burris is no more likely to gracefully exit than his mentor and his defense of trying to solicit fund-raising money for Blago while hoping that he would be appointed to Obama's seat reveal him to be a self-righteous buffon.

The young administration needs another distraction like it needs a war with Iran, while a nation in pain and already deeply disaffected with Washington is reminded that the more things change the more they remain the same.