* Drip, drip, drip…

The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a federal tax deadbeat who landed a $75,000-a-year state job under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich five months ago, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Blagojevich’s administration hired Roland W. Burris II as a senior counsel for the state’s housing authority Sept. 10 — about six weeks after the Internal Revenue Service slapped a $34,163 tax lien on Burris II and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure suit on his South Side house. […]

Burris II’s hiring, however, raises more questions about Sen. Burris’ interactions with Blagojevich and his inner circle at a time when the governor was soliciting Sen. Burris for campaign contributions and Burris was angling to have Blagojevich appoint him to the Senate seat once held by President Obama.

Burris also talked to former Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris and Blagojevich insider John Filan about a job for his nephew before Blagojevich was arrested.

* More drip, drip, drip…

In Springfield, the head of the legislative committee that took Burris’ testimony on how he got the Senate appointment from ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued a timeline aimed at refuting Republican accusations that she sat on a controversial affidavit revising Burris’ story.

But in her written response to Republicans, Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) acknowledged she received the affidavit from Burris’ attorney on Friday, Feb. 6, days earlier than was previously known.

“Without a closer look, I assumed the entire document was a routine response to committee questions,” she wrote. “Any suggestion that I engaged in a deliberate cover up, that I purposely delayed distribution of the information is totally false.”

*** UPDATE *** From House Democratic spokesman Steve Brown in comments…

Actually this part of the Trib’s reporting is dead wrong…her first statement and yeseterday’s letter contain the same info…As soon as Jim Webb returns my phone call the correction will be requested.

[ *** End of Update *** ]

* Delmarie Cobb, Burris’ media adviser who more than hinted to Carol Marin this week that she intends to play the race card, sent a pretty frank letter to Ald. Freddrenna Lyle which was then posted on a local blog…

In true David Axelrod style, all week, white progressive Democratic elected officials have called for Roland’s resignation–David Orr, Dan Hynes, Dick Durbin, Pat Quinn, and Alexi Giannoullias.

You may not be able to ask this question, but where have all of these self-righteous people been during all of the corruption, scandal, pay-to-play and mismanagement revelations that have been uncovered by the Chicago Sun Times and Tribune on Mayor Daley. Not once have these elected officials or the Chicago media called for Daley’s resignation. As John Kass said in his column on Friday, black elected officials are perceived as weak and white elected officials are seen as powerful. Consequently, we can do to Roland–with no evidence of wrongdoing–what we can’t do to Daley and others with mounds of evidence.

Also, all of them will need black votes to be elected or re-elected, so this isn’t a good time to make enemies of the black community.

It seems pretty clear where this is headed.

A not so veiled threat…

Many black elected officials didn’t like Barack, but they stayed quiet and got on board and they need to do the same for Roland.

The ultimate goal…

We need to help rehabilitate Roland’s image and try to get him elected. Then, over the course of his six-year term, we need to find a successor, who is African American.

…Adding… As a commenter rightly notes, Ms. Cobb supported Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama last year. The irony abounds.

* Related…

* Burris expresses concern over turmoil he’s caused state Dem leader: “We spoke very briefly; he expressed concern over attacks on me and said that he’d done nothing wrong. We did not discuss the affidavit,” Currie said Wednesday.

* Burris trying to appear as if situation is normal

* Burris ignores calls to resign, goes about day

* Burris? He’s all theirs.

* Burris Presides Over the Senate

* Burris has campaign Web site, but not much on it: “Legislation,” “Endorsements,” “Accomplishments,” “Issues,” “News Articles” - these sections are all blank. The “Biography” section contains 500 words about Burris’ career, and he names his wife and children in the “Family” section.