Look On My Works, Ye Mighty, And Despair

Politics | Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 5:36:21 pm PST

Roland Burris, appointed by scandal-beset governor Rod Blagojevich, is turning out to be—not to put too fine a point on it—a nut.

CHICAGO (AP) — Roland Burris has erected a grand mausoleum for himself, carved with the words “TRAIL BLAZER” and a long list of his accomplishments, with a space left for his more recent achievements. That gap could soon be filled in with “U.S. Senator.”

The tomb is a monument to the ambition — some say egotism — that led him to accept what many regard as a tainted prize: an appointment to the Senate from scandal-ridden Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

“Roland wants an office. It’s another thing to chisel on his Ramses II pyramid,” said Judy Baar Topinka, a former Illinois state treasurer and Republican candidate for governor. She added: “His ego is huge.”

Here’s a photo of the “Trail Blazer” plaque on Roland Burris’ monument to himself.