Thanks to Obama, "Tombstone" keeps rolling

Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass has given the nickname of "Tombstone" to Roland Burris. That's because Burris has already built a temple to himself, his mausoleum, in a Chicago cemetery.

The positions he's held are chiseled into the tomb's marble, and it appears that the engraver will need to carve in one more political gig.

Kass explains where Obama fits in:

Now Tombstone has President-elect Barack Obama behind him, muscling Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid in a phone call earlier in the week. So much for transcending the old politics.

Only a week ago, Obama, Reid and other Democratic leaders were adamant that they'd block any Senate appointment made by tainted Illinois Gov. Rod "Dead Meat" Blagojevich, who has been charged with trying to sell Obama's seat to the highest bidder.

Their statements back then were stern and inflexible, invoking the honor of the Senate and how they'd never let an allegedly corrupt governor put his greasy paws on their august dignity. Those statements weren't bland. They were so tough they had hair on them. More hair than Blagojevich, even.

But today's news is that Obama, often treated by the national media as the gentle Mr. Tumnus of American politics, got privately hardball with Reid over the Tombstone issue.

Obama has been all over the map on the subject of his Senate replacement. He's said that he'd be opposed to any Blagojevich choice, and just a few days ago, the president-elect has referred to it as "a Senate matter."

He's not even president yet, and we already have Obama's first flip-flop.

Technorati tags: Illinois Politics corruption Illinois Senate impeachment Democrat Rod Blagojevich Chicago Tribune Obama Barack Obama