(Cross-posted from Blue News Tribune.)
(Hat tip to Talking Points Memo for raising the question and linking to this transcript.)
Note: Blagojevich here is ROB Blagojevich, the governor’s brother.
BLAGOJEVICH: So I will just shoot straight with you.
BURRIS: (chuckles) Okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: And manage expectations. Now I may be, I may be a little bit different than other family members, but I’m not a bullshitter.
BURRIS: Okay Rob. ‘Cause I’ve been, I’ve been trying to figure out what the heck, you know, I can do. Go ahead.
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, I’m just following up.
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: We’ve had a number of conversations about, you know, anything you might be able to do; you and Fred might be able to do here before the end of the year for Rod. Again, we’re trying to get as much as we can in his war chest, ah, so that when he has to, you know disclose in January …
BURRIS: Sure.
BLAGOJEVICH: … what he’s done and if he, you know looks formidable. … whoever might be out there.
BURRIS: Yeah. Right, right and, and now how do, answer me this question because I’m very much interested in, in trying to replace Obama, okay. Now I …
BLAGOJEVICH: So you, let me just tell you Roland, …
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: … you and 1 million other people.
BURRIS: That’s right, that’s right so …
BLAGOJEVICH: Of every race, color, creed and faith, it’s amazing.
BURRIS: So let, it is and so if I put on a fundraiser now …
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: … and, I, you know I, I think it would have something … this is what I’ve been talking to Fred about it, it has so many negative connotations that Burris is trying to buy an appointment …
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
But this never comes to closure.
BURRIS: … from the governor …
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: … for the Senate seat. I mean and I’m a high-profile person.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yep.
BURRIS: You know and, and so, I’m now, ’cause I’ve been just holding off calling you.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I’m trying to figure out how in the hell and since you called me I will be honest with you.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And I’m trying to figure out how to deal with this and still be in the consideration for the appointment.
BLAGOJEVICH: I hear ya. No, I hear ya.
BURRIS: And, and if I do that I guarantee you that, that will get out and people said, oh, Burris is doing a fundraiser and, and then Rod and I both gonna catch hell,
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: And if I do get appointed that means I bought it.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mmmm.
BURRIS: If I don’t get appointed then my people who I’m trying to raise money from are gonna look at me, yeah, what, what’s that all about Roland. I mean, so, Rob, I’m in a, I’m in a, a dilemma right now wanting to help the governor.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean I, you know I, I have been with him on all of the, all the issues and I’m now trying to figure out what the hell the best thing to do.
Maybe Burris is playing a game, trying to shift the burden of asking to Blagojevich? If so, Blagojevich is smart, he doesn’t bite.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I know I could give him a check.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: Myself.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And, and my law partner we were gonna try to do something at the law firm. I might be able to do this in the name of Tim Wright.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: Okay, ’cause Tim is not looking for an appointment, okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: So if I can talk to my law partner who’s been, you know, in New York trying to drum up business.
But, inevitably, duty calls.
BLAGOJEVICH: ell, ah, you know I’ll stand by. I mean if you wanna write a check and have Fred write a check or have someone else write checks, that’d be great. I mean …
BURRIS: Mm hm.
BLAGOJEVICH: … we’re, we’re just trying to do some clean up here. We’ve got a number of events we’ve got like …
BURRIS: Okay, how, yeah …
BLAGOJEVICH: … 18 events set up between now and the end of the year.
BURRIS: Okay. Maybe I can join in on one of those events too. What, what, do you have any going with the people that I know?
BLAGOJEVICH: You know right now we have no-, you know to be honest with ya I, ah, we have no law firms.
BURRIS: Okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: We’ve got a lot of ethnic groups. A lot of, ah, contract, not a lot of contractors, but, ah, …
I love that little moment at the end there.
BURRIS: (chuckles) And, and so, we couldn’t hook up with him.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And, and that’s what I am wrestling with.
BLAGOJEVICH: I understand your concerns, ah, Roland.
BURRIS: And, and God knows number one, I, I wanna help Rod. Number two, I also wanna, you know hope I get a consideration to get that appointment.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: And, and however that goes, ah, it would dictate, ah, you know how the press treats it.
BLAGOJEVICH: Understand.
BURRIS: ‘Cause man I, I will be, you know we both would be profiled …
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: … and we don’t need that.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: Yeah.
BLAGOJEVICH: Well, hey, I appreciate your candor.
BURRIS: Yes.
BLAGOJEVICH: I, I can’t help you with your dilemma other than want to encourage you to, …
BURRIS: Sure, sure.
BLAGOJEVICH: … to do what you think is fair from your standpoint …
BURRIS: Okay.
BLAGOJEVICH: … and Fred’s standpoint and ya know, I’ll work with you. And if I can think of a place where we can tie you guys in.
BURRIS: Oh, yeah, ple-, please consider that and give me a call back to, to, …
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: … to let me know.
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay.
BURRIS: ‘Cause I’m working on it. I mean I’m just, …
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: … I’m just trying to figure out what the best way to do where it won’t create any, any conflict for either one of us.
So what have we got? Burris wanted to “help,” and the seat was not for sale, but the gov could really have used some cash.
The whole thing has the air of two married people meeting at a bar in Vegas. So how married are you? Burris’s partner doesn’t understand him:
BLAGOJEVICH: Okay Roland. How’s your business by the way?
BURRIS: It’s terrible.
BLAGOJEVICH: Is it? Shit, I’m sorry to hear that.
BURRIS: I mean, you know Fred and I we might lose Burris and Lebed because we’ve been trying to get contracts. We don’t have any clients renewing for 09.
BLAGOJEVICH: No kidding.
BURRIS: We have no clients renewing for 09. Fred is dying on the vine because, I, you know, a lot of our clients have run out.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: And, and so we’re thinking about, you know going our separate ways.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mmmm.
BURRIS: And I’m going back into the law practice …
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: … rather than the consulting business …
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS . . .because we don’t have any clients. And anything I give would be out of my personal funds.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: … because there ain’t nothing coming in from the business. Ah, …
BLAGOJEVICH: Mmm. Got that, it is a tough time for everybody I mean …
BURRIS: It, it, it’s bad.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean I, I didn’t spring that on you.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: But you, but you asked.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yeah.
BURRIS: I mean that, that’s, Rob, that’s just where it is.
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
BURRIS: Urn, at the end of the year if we don’t get a major client in, Burris and Lebed will, you know, Fred will go his separate way and I will try to go into the law firm …
BLAGOJEVICH: Mm hm.
(snip)
BLAGOJEVICH: Hey, you’re a good friend. I’ll pass on your message.
BURRIS: Please do and …
BLAGOJE
VICH: Okay.BURRIS: … tell Rod to keep me in mind for that seat, would ya? (chuckles)
Business is terrible.
The question is did Burris actually end up giving money to the Governor or holding a fundraiser for him? Even if the answer to that question is affirmative it still may be legal. If I were to give Governor Patrick $500 this month for his re-election campaign (the legal limit) then next month he appointed me to state office it would look horrible, but as far as I can tell completely legal.
That’s why, ultimately, this is probably going nowhere. He never wrote the check.
<
p>However, I do think it’s fair to say that, if Burris decides to run for re-election, he will not survive the primary.
I guess the recession has taken its bite everywhere but, really, I thought a good slot in the Bay State would be worth more than that. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich certainly wouldn’t have settled for $500.
I think this tape indicts the system, at least the Illinois system. Both men know the seat is up for grabs, and a little, um, kindness will carry the day.
<
p>Burris is conflicted because he knows this is wrong.
whether or not he gave money.
<
p>In the Illinois impeachment proceedings, he apparently perjured himself. In his January 5 affidavit, for example, he wrote:
<
p>I have a very difficult time reconciling this sworn statement (item 11) with the just-released transcript of the November telephone call with Governor Blagojevich’s brother.
from the point he actively lobbied for the nomination from the a Governors who was on tape discussing selling the seat – bad right there.
<
p>There were others who wanted that position as much or more than him, but walked away, knowing that Blagojevich was not the proper person to fill that Senate seat.
<
p>That Burris did not answer, “Absolutely not!” Makes his lack of integrity even worse.
<
p>To accept a tainted nomination was a disgrace. That it may not rise to the level of criminal is not the standard most people expect from the representatives.
But the law was pretty clear, as the U.S. Senate later acknowledged. Blago was the sitting governor, he was not convicted; it was his appointment to make.
<
p>In other words, you’re right, it stinks to high heaven. But somebody had to take the seat, and the process was the process.