It’s only fair, and it should be said. The sooner, the better.
As the events surrounding potential investigations into perjury by the man who succeeded President Obama in his Senate seat, a few things are clear. Political guilt is different from guilt in a court of law.
I’ll give you an example – let’s take my own District, actually, my own Bergen County in NJ. County Chairman is indicted on 8 counts, after rebuilding the party and capturing many local offices. He wants the trial put off, he won’t step down and his supporters (many of whom owe their careers to him) won’t call for him to step down. The party nearly loses some races in the best possible election seasons for Democrats. The local party is in danger, and it could spread to the upcoming Governor’s race. All this, even though there has been no trial and no proof of guilt yet.
The smell of corruption permeates the political party - even more so when that party has run on changing the perceived (and in some cases, actual) corrupt government that has existed for so long.. Sure, there are instances where "witch hunts" and overzealous prosecutors (say, Chris Christie) have their eyes on higher office and make bogus investigations seem like more than they are. But, when Democratic Senators said they didn’t want to seat a Senator that was appointed by the indicted but not yet impeached Blagojevich, they are now seeing what happens when they do it without proper vetting.
Americans have gotten used to associating Washington DC insider corruption and pay-to-play as mainly a republican Party thing. And if Senate (or Congressional) Democrats were smart, they would get out in front of this. Especially after some of the recent tax issues surrounding a few Cabinet picks. Quite simply, the Democratic Party should not only do what is politically right, they should do what they promised when they said that corruption and questionably unethical things are done.
Burris may not be guilty of perjury. But he did have something to hide, and he said that he didn’t. That violates trust in him. And if his party doesn’t see that, then it will speak to America’s trust in them.
Will they keep their word when called on to make a tough decision regarding one of their own? Seems to me that they can’t afford not to.
He must go. He must deal with this – regardless of the outcome. And if he is not guilty, then we can cross that bridge when we come to it. But right now, there is no other option, if the Democratic Party doesn’t want to be viewed as no different when it comes to ethics and questionable actions.