In the days leading up to his senatorial nomination, Roland Burris assured the Supreme Court that there was "no illegality" in Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointing him. Blagojevich, of course, was in hot water for allegedly trying to sell the seat, a space previously occupied by President Barack Obama.

Many were skeptical of Burris’s assertion, but, in the end, he was confirmed and seemed free and clear of Blago’s scandalous web. Those days are over. The FBI yesterday released a transcript of Burris talking with Blagojevich’s brother, Rob, and, in that conversation, Burris suggests sending the governor a personal check. Says Burris, "I know I could give him a check… myself." He also floated the idea of having a fund-raiser or sending money to the Friends of Blagojevich, which raised money for the impeached governor’s election campaign. None of this came up during his confirmation process.

Those remarks don’t necessarily mean Burris did anything improper. He never sent the money, a move he admitted in the call would look bad, and says he could "catch hell" if anything improper came to light. At one point, Burris remarks, "I’m in a dilemma right now, wanting to help the governor.” Burris will no doubt be "catching hell" over the next few weeks, especially as Blago goes to trial. One can’t help but wonder what this means. Does it mean that Burris operated sans scruples? That he bought his Senate seat? Not according to the evidence at hand.

So, should he be booted simply for suggesting impropriety? If that’s the case, what about politicians who take big donations from companies and then work for their interest? Is that just as unethical? Or is it more unethical to "buy" a political appointment? Has Burris shown his true colors as a picture-perfect liar or was he simply playing politics? What say you, reader? Should Burris be penalized for something he thought of doing but did not, as far as we know, accomplish?

And certainly Burris and Blago aren’t the only "corrupt" politicians to come out of the notoriously crooked Illinois. Let’s revisit our slide show "What’s With Illinois? 8 Political Scandals to Remember."