Ronald Burris Should Have Been Seated As Senator Today But His Appointment Still Stinks To The Highest Of The Heavens

Roland Burris really should have been sworn in as the junior Senator of Illinois today. I don't buy any of the excuses the Democrats are giving not to seat him. As usual, the Democrats dropped the ball and it's their fault this mess happened. Burris should never ever been in the position in the first place.

With that said, I'm just beside myself with the appointment of this dude. Burris is a walking example of what is wrong with black leadership in America. First, he was just too gleeful to take a clearly tainted appointment from a clearly corrupt Governor. Second, he let the race card be played which changed the entire discussion for a situation that didn't rate that kind of drama. Third, I hate politicians that play their black supporters by saying that the "Lord" has played some role in their case. I hate that black folks are that easy. The "Lord" had nothing to do with this mess and Burris is wrong for using religion as a tool for his politics.

The biggest problem is Burris' ego. The man is delusional. Burris actually thinks he can win re-election when all signs point to the fact he can't. He can't raise the big money necessary to retain the seat, he has lost four or five major state election primaries in a row, and he would be 73 at the time of re-election, with less than two years in the Senate seat. Further, since he will be bucking the Democrats to get seated when they didn't want him in the first dam place and he have refused to just serve as a seat warmer, he is not going to get the support from the DNC or his fellow colleagues for re-election either. Yet, Burris will insist on being seated for a Senate position now, that he doesn't have a chance in hell of holding on to in the future.

And what bothers me the most is the fact that he's just getting in the damn way of the opportunities of others. Illinois is filled with young, highly educated, highly qualified African Americans with fresh ideas and the high energy to serve. Instead of an African American that can make a serious impact in the future of American politics, we get Burris, who clearly only wants the title. Folks like Burris are one of the largest stumbling blocks to change with politics and civic leadership within Black America.

Our civil rights and black power era leadership just flat-out refuses to get out of the way to allow another generation of Black Americans to lead. From Jesse Jackson Sr to Al Sharpton to Bobby Rush to Andrew Young to Ronald Burris, the black community is saddled with black folks who refused to pass the mantle of power. Look at how many of the old Black political guard shot themselves in the foot during the Obama campaign. The majority ended up on the wrong side of history and found themselves in complete exile from Obama because of nasty comments they made about him. Completely shutout!

Black America doesn't have any Senators for a reason. And the truth of the matter is because Black America functions like a slide rule, we can rise up and we can slide back down in equal measures. And that is because we support folks like Burris instead of challenging them. It doesn't matter if Black America has a Black Senator, if he is ineffective in office and can't keep his job. The likelihood is that Ronald Burris will be eventually seated as Senator, but it won't be something that Black America can be proud of, he will be nothing but the senate appointment of a disgraced and corrupt former Governor.