[classicman]

Mr. Burris, who says he has made no decision yet on whether he will seek his party's nomination in the Democratic primary next March, denied Wednesday that he had done anything wrong, telling reporters, "Did I try to buy the seat? Never. Did I commit perjury? No."

In the Nov. 13 telephone conversation with Mr. Blagojevich's brother Robert, who headed the governor's campaign fund, the transcript shows Mr. Burris offering to give the governor's campaign committee a check, but acknowledges that doing anything more for the governor might appear as though he was "trying to buy an appointment" to fill the Senate seat being vacated by then-President-elect Obama.

"I mean, so Rob, I'm in a dilemma right now, wanting to help the governor," Mr. Burris says in the transcript of a call that was taped by the FBI. "I know I could give him a check. Myself ... I will personally do something, okay."

"God knows, No. 1, I wanna help Rod. No. 2, I also wanna, you know, hope I get a consideration to get that appointment," he says.

The wiretap transcript was released Tuesday after U.S. District Judge James F. Holderman ordered that it be sent to the Senate ethics committee, which is conducting an investigation into Mr. Burris' appointment. An official on the panel, now in the early stages of its preliminary inquiry, said its rules forbid discussing the document.

Mr. Burris' poll numbers are in the basement, with a Rasmussen poll showing his unfavorable rating at 73 percent.

He has made little or no effort to raise funds for a campaign, bringing in only $845 in the first quarter, and Democratic campaign officials already have begun quietly talking to other candidates.

What are they waiting for? This guy is guilty, stupid and inneffective... can we get someone honest in there and move on please?