Illinois politics now in driver's seat

The Cheshire cat of Illinois politics, Roland Burris, has room for another etching on his granite mausoleum, which he has erected in Chicago's Oak Woods Cemetery. The mausoleum touts his many accomplishments, which include being Illinois' first African-American attorney general and state comptroller, and will soon contain another political laurel, that of U.S. Senator, thanks to his tainted appointment to that office from disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The Senate Democrats in Washington have done an about face on accepting Burris, 71, into their exclusive club as their opposition to him was only political posturing and not based on any legal merit. Using the obfuscation of the technicality that Burris' appointment to fill Obama's seat in the U.S. Senate did not have Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White's seal of approval, Burris was not allowed to take his seat, which had been barely warmed by his predecessor.

Threatening to overshadow the inauguration/coronation of President Barack Hussein Obama and keeping the spotlight on the politics that spawned him, the rejection of Burris was a losing proposition. We all know the first law of politics: "Don't back no losers."

Fasten your seat belts, America, Illinois politics is now in the driver's seat in Washington.

Tom L. Jones

Pingree Grove