It's never a good thing for a member of Congress when the words "FBI wiretap" and "Senator" are used in the same sentence. But that's what we have now out of Illinois.
Yesterday, a federal judge ordered the public release of the transcripts of an FBI wiretap that caught then-private-citizen Roland Burris speaking on the phone with the brother of then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
"So if I put on a fundraiser now," Burris says early in the call, "it has so many negative connotations that Burris is trying to buy an appointment."
But that doesn't stop Burris from bringing up the issue of money and the post repeatedly.
"I know I could give him a check," Burris says at one point. "Myself."
Burris then goes on to detail how he might be able to have his law partner undertake a fundraiser, and get money to the Governor that way.
"God knows number one, I, I want to help Rod," Burris says of the now deposed Governor.
"Number two, I also wanna, you know, hope I get consideration to get that appointment."
Why is this important? Well, Burris hasn't really mentioned this kind of conversation before, though a lot of people could well have imagined that something like it took place.
All of the transcript details are now in the hands of the Senate Ethics Committee, which is undertaking its own review of how Burris got appointed to the seat formerly held by Barack Obama.
"I will personally do something," Burris tells the Governor's brother.
We'll see whether Senators decide to do something based on this wiretap.
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