* Sneed…

In & Out: Embattled U.S. Sen. Roland Burris may have decided to tough it out, but Sneed is told Fred Lebed, Burris’ former business partner, has now severed his relationship with the Burris campaign.

• • Oil & water: “Fred just quit as Burris’ campaign treasurer –mainly because he is not a big fan (which is putting it mildly) of Burris’ new press flack, Delmarie Cobb,” said a source.

That’s part of the reason, anyway. Lebed is definitely no Cobb fan. Cobb, of course, has been pushing the race issue hard to defend her new client.

This departure is big news. Fred Lebed has been with Burris since before the beginning, and that’s a heckuva long time ago.

* I got an e-mail from this guy yesterday. He thought he might have a scoop….

Both Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo report that Burris has put up a campaign website, with most of the pages empty, but featuring a biography and, of course, an online donation button. The website does say that it is paid for by Burris for Senate. Nevertheless, given how simplistic the site is, I’m still half-thinking it’s a hoax… There is a contact phone number, so I called it. […]

The woman that answered, in the way that people answer a phone at a law firm when they rattle off the name of the firm, “Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan.” I asked if this was Roland Burris’ campaign office. She said no. I asked if any Roland Burris staff was there (making no distinction between campaign staff and law firm staff). She again said no. So, not only is the number on the alleged campaign website wrong, but the number that Burris’ old law firm lists on YellowPages.com forwards to this larger law firm, Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, at the same address in the same office suite. […]

So, I wonder, is that really a Roland Burris campaign website? If it’s a hoax, it’s understandable why there is a bad phone number - whoever concocted the website just grabbed the old number off of Burris’ old law firm without checking it…

I told him that this was most likely incompetence and not a hoax.

And then comes this CNN report…

A spokesperson for Burris said Monday that the Web site supportburris.com was launched soon after the Democrat was seated in the Senate.

Always look for the most likely explanation. “Incompetence” is Burris’ claim to fame.

* Speaking of which, 2008 GOP Senate candidate Steve Sauerberg won’t try again…

SAUERBERG: My desire to interrupt the world of professional politics has been relatively unsuccessful.

Sauerberg still hasn’t recooped all the money he loaned his campaign. He’s now returned to his full-time job as a physician in the western suburbs. He sounds tired by just the suggestion of another run at the Senate.

* Related…

* Embattled Burris remains coy on 2010 run for Senate, but election Web site is up and running

* Congresswoman would gun for Burris’s seat

* Mark Kirk: Defender Of Inefficient Tax Breaks For The Wealthy

* Illinois Democrats lining up to challenge Sen Burris

* Launching their bids

* Giannoulias aims for Senate seat

* Ill. treasurer exploring run for U.S. Senate

* Illinois treasurer launches Burris challenge: The Illinois Republican Party, seeking to link virtually every Illinois Democrat with the disgraced Blagojevich, accuses Giannoulias of having lent money to convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko in Giannoulias’s capacity as a bank officer, as well as to other figures who have recently been embroiled in legal trouble.

* Burris rhetoric gets toned down in Illinois

* Race re-emerges in Burris dispute

* Senate scandal divides state Democrats over race

* Quinn Changes Focus From Burris to Economy

* Gov. Pat Quinn backs off call for special election

* Quinn says it’s time to shift focus, move on from Burris

* Burris refusal calms Quinn

* Don’t give up

And, remember, angry drive-by comments will be deleted. Take a breath and put some thought into your posts, please.