海角大神

The drumbeat is getting louder for Sen. Roland Burris (D) of Illinois to resign.

On Friday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) added his voice to those who say too many questions have been raised about the circumstances that led to Senator Burris鈥檚 appointment for him to remain in office. Even the White House sent a warning, with press secretary Robert Gibbs saying Burris should 鈥渢ake some time over the weekend鈥� to better explain himself and 鈥渢hink of what lays in his future.鈥�

So far, Burris, whom prosecutors in Illinois are investigating for perjury, has held firm, repeating that he has done nothing wrong and refusing to take questions from reporters.

But the ballooning scandal, and the senator鈥檚 often-contradictory remarks as he has sought to explain his appointment and the contacts he had with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) before Mr. Blagojevich appointed him, has darkened the cloud hanging over Illinois. It has also extended what Sen. Richard Durbin (D) of Illinois called in a Sun-Times interview the 鈥淏lagojevich burlesque.鈥�

鈥淚 would ask my good friend, Sen. Roland Burris, to put the interests of the people of Illinois first and foremost, ahead of his own, and step aside,鈥� Governor Quinn said in a news conference Friday, in the strongest call yet for Burris to resign. He also called on the Illinois legislature to pass a law setting the terms for a special election allowing voters to select a senator.

In another sign of fading support for Burris, his chief of staff 鈥� detailed to him by Senate majority leader Harry Reid 鈥� resigned on Friday, returning to his former post as a senior adviser in Senator Reid鈥檚 office.

The current scandal stems from unfolding revelations that Burris had more contact with Blagojevich鈥檚 staff about the appointment than he had previously acknowledged in his sworn testimony to Illinois lawmakers.

Blagojevich, who was removed from office last month, has been charged with corruption, including allegations that he sought to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Obama. He stunned Illinois voters by appointing Burris after his arrest, but Burris assured the Illinois legislature and others that he had done nothing to curry favor in return for the appointment and had had only one conversation with a Blagojevich official about the Senate seat.

Over the past week, however, new revelations and an affidavit from Burris have shown that, in fact, Burris had spoken with others in the governor鈥檚 office, including Blagojevich鈥檚 brother, who called him three times to ask for help with fundraising. Burris later acknowledged that he attempted to raise money, though he was unsuccessful.

At this point, he faces a perjury probe in Illinois and an inquiry by the Senate Ethics Committee, but it鈥檚 far from certain either mechanism will force him from office. Perjury is notoriously difficult to prove, and the Senate is not known for ousting members.

鈥淓xpulsion is the remotest possibility, though it鈥檚 certainly an option the Senate has,鈥� says Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, noting that Senate Democrats are unlikely to want to expel the lone African-American in their midst.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e desperate that he jump, because they don鈥檛 want to push him over the side,鈥� Professor Baker says. 鈥淚f I were the majority leader, I would simply arrange for colleagues to visit him and tell him that he would be totally ineffective as a senator, that his influence is nil and will not get greater, and that the better part of valor for him would be to resign.鈥�
Even Burris鈥檚 support in the African-American community, which helped him get seated over earlier objections from other senators, has been waning in the past week. The Congressional Black Caucus has been largely silent 鈥� a stark contrast to their vocal support of Burris before 鈥� and the Associated Press reports that Chicago ministers who earlier supported him were preparing to ask him to resign.

But Burris has been tenacious and may stay that way. 鈥淎nyone else would have already been out the door. But resigning would be such a blow to his pride and his self-image that I think it鈥檚 less than 50-50 that he鈥檒l resign,鈥� says Kent Redfield, a political scientist at the University of Illinois in Springfield.

Even if Illinois lawmakers pass a special-election bill, which looks increasingly likely, it鈥檚 doubtful they could apply it retroactively, without Burris stepping down.

鈥淏urris might be figuring that if he holds on long enough,鈥� he can ride it out, says John Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in California. That鈥檚 what happened, he notes, with Larry Craig, the Republican senator from Idaho who seemed on the point of resigning when he was charged with lewd conduct in an airport restroom two years ago, but who hung on to finish his term.

Still, he adds, 鈥渢he case of Larry Craig arguably involved a misdemeanor in his private life, and this involves the very circumstances of Burris鈥檚 selection. When the word perjury is being batted about, that makes it serious.鈥�