I go way back with Roland Burris, Governor Blagojevich’s pick to replace Barack Obama in the Senate. I don’t know him—though years ago we took the same plane to New York City. He sat in the seat in front of me and as I recall requested an extra bag of peanuts.
Burris ran for the U.S. Senate in the 1984 primary against Paul Simon. I voted for Simon—didn’t everybody? But I voted for Burris for comptroller again in 1986, and supporting him over Jim Ryan in their 1990 race for attorney general was a no-brainer. Ryan, the former chief prosecutor in Du Page County, had been way too eager to rely on questionable evidence to send Rolando Cruz to death row for the 1983 murder of ten-year-old Jeanine Nicarico. (Cruz was eventually exonerated and freed.)
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As expected, Daley whomped Gardner, giving Burris his shot. Boy, did he run a lousy campaign. He either didn’t have any issues or didn’t understand the ones he had. Most of his press coverage came when he ripped the press for not covering him. As for all those white people who’d previously claimed Burris was the kind of black pol they’d support for mayor, well, let’s just say talk is cheap. Burris won only 36 percent of the votes, mine included.
Like my mother always tells me, the more things change…v
