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Even though Blagojevich has not been indicted for his apparent attempted wheelerdealing over the vacant Senate seat, ABC's Chris Bury found "audacity" in the governor's decision to make the appointment anyway and NBC's Lee Cowan mused: "If anyone thought Illinois politics could not get more circuslike, the Big Top went up again." Cowan reminded us that Burris himself had called Blagojevich's actions "appalling and reprehensible" when US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald had the governor arrested only a few weeks ago.
No reporter could find a blemish on Burris' character. CBS' Cynthia Bowers called him "an historic figure in Illinois, the first African-American ever elected to statewide office." NBC's Cowan stated: "None of the governor's critics suggest Burris is anything but a respected political player." ABC's Bury pointed out that Burris was not among the six original would-be appointees referred to in Fitzgerald's arrest warrant complaint about kickback schemes. Bury quoted President-elect Barack Obama describing Burris as "a good man and a fine public servant."
NBC's substitute anchor Lester Holt was a longtime local news anchor in Chicago. He landed an interview with Burris, who called him "friend." Burris insisted that Blagojevich was fulfilling his Constitutional duty as duly-elected governor and that the presumption of innocence applies. Blagojevich was "finding a person who is qualifies, who has integrity, who has the desire to represent the 13m people of our state, who has the ability to go to Washington and to begin help tackle the problems--and I mean the crises--that America is facing," Burris stated, referring to himself.
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