The cringe factor from Illinois

John Kass:

Roland "Tombstone" Burris goes to Washington this week as part of the Illinois political freak show, and many of us back home will watch it and feel like cringing, at least at the beginning.

Who among us could not wince at the prospect of Tombstone standing before news cameras, his head bobbing, smiling amiably, chattering nonsensically as is his way, insisting he feels no shame. All he wants is to become a United States senator, and he kissed a tainted hand to get there.

His fellow Democrats may be ready to bar his entrance to the Senate chambers, and politicians will be ready, even eager, to play the race card again. If this happens, the man who sent Tombstone to Washington, Gov. Rod Blagojevich will glory in his opportunity to speak directly to his future jury pool.

So I wouldn't bet against Gov. Dead Meat holding holding a news conference Wednesday, standing with a gospel choir, leading them in "We Shall Overcome," a single tear rolling down his cheek, a tear that will be referenced again and again by his lawyer Eddie Genson at Dead Meat's jury selection.

Such high emotions. Such low expectations. Such bad actors.

This has never happened to me, but watching Tombstone go to Washington must be like having all your future in-laws appear on "The Jerry Springer Show" without warning, and you're mortified and fascinated, but truly mortified, wondering if any of your colleagues are watching the antics and buffoonery as the complex rural love triangles are revealed.

But as this is the Senate of the United States, not Jerry Springer, it's much worse. And with so many bozos popping out of the clown car with the Illinois plates, as the Beltway begins to snicker and Illinois is called a laughingstock, let's just admit there is a natural cringe factor at work here.

...

Don't let the political class tell you that this is a terrible time for the people of Illinois. Don't let the Democrats tell you. National and Illinois Democrats, from Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on down, could have demanded a special election.

Illinois Democrats could have stripped the governor of his power to appoint a senator and held a special election so that everyone could vote. But they didn't want you to vote. The national Democrats, and the bosses here, wanted to hand-pick Obama's replacement the Chicago Way.

...

But it is a terrible time for Illinois politicians, from the self-professed reformers to the Outfit stooges, because they've been exposed, and now the nation will see how this freak show runs.

...

There is more. Illinois has much to be embarrassed about with the conduct of its public officials. What is really interesting is how Obama could be a bystander to this clown show and never raise his hand and say anything about it. To compound that bystander status is the national media who ignored this mess while attacking Wasilla, Alaska like it was the home of the Capone gang.

We now have the NY Times talking about corruption in Afghanistan which is comparable to that in Chicago, but no reporters are being assigned to do the digging in Chicago they did in Wasilla or Kabul. I guess everyone has to have his priorities.