I don't even know what to say about this. It's like watching Greek tragedy. Here you have a guy who lived a decent, honorable life, brought low by ambition. This is an ugly, ugly stain. Greed kills. On another note, who advised Burris to go on Hardball? What were they thinking?
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. He is the author of The Beautiful Struggle, Between the World and Me, and We Were Eight Years in Power.