So it looks like Roland Burris just sort of wore us all down. Many left-leaning blogs and sites are actually silent on the issue today. It’s a bit egg-on-everyone’s face, perhaps, especially Democratic leadership.

So, in case you haven’t heard, apparently some deal was cooked up in a smoke-filled room or else the powers that be just couldn’t find a reason not to seat Burris in Obama’s former seat as junior senator from Illinois today. Or they couldn’t find a legal way to stop him from being seated. The NYTimes Caucus blog had this to say a few days ago on the matter:

Mr. Obama’s seat comes open in 2010. At one of his news conferences last week, Mr. Burris said he had not made any promises that he would not run in 2010 in order to be seated this session, as some had suggested.

At his news conference today, Mr. Burris would not answer questions about the possibility of running for a full term in 2010. Rather, he praised Senators Durbin and Reid, and Mr. White for doing their jobs.

Asked how he would try to remove any perceived taint on his appointment, Mr. Burris said: “So there’s no such thing as taint. There’s nothing in the statute about taint. And that is — that is a — more of a — of an — political-type emotional-stirring activity that’s been drawn up by someone.”

Um, ok. Anyway, everyone seems to have just shrugged and rolled over on it: “Whatever – this is an inauguration party buzzkill for realz.” Call it Blagojevich drama fatigue, perhaps. As for me, I’m disappointed. It’s not that Burris is the worst possible choice: he’s alright I suppose. It’s more that — this seems like a real missed opportunity for black folk. Burris is not a young man – at 71, he represents the old guard of black leadership soon to sunset like Jesse Jackson Sr.

In replacing Obama in the U.S. Senate, we had a chance to position another great young leader who happens to be black in a catapult position to higher glory for our nation’s better welfare. The spotlight of being America’s only black senator at the moment is a critical one, now more than ever when so many African-Americans have been hit hard by the economic challenges our nation faces. My sincere hope is that Burris undertakes a vigorous representation of both IL’s and Black America’s interests rather than a hard-charging, ego-boosting representation of his and his cronies’ interests. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially after my last post re: Burris’ bid for the Senate got many a JJP reader riled up. (Y’all gotta know we read the comments…) And I hope he keeps the seat warm and free of ahem — taint — for another generation of black leadership to emerge potentially in his distinguished wake.

So what do you think — are you jumping for joy that Burris is taking Obama’s seat, are you hoppin’ mad or just sorta – meh?

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