[New Illinois Sen. Roland] Burris may be a hack, but he'll never make a waitress panini [see Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Dodd].

If nothing else, he's been instructive. We've witnessed his transformation, from an amiable Democratic Party functionary with that Please-Don't-Squeeze-The-Charmin mustache to the playing card for certain black politicians using race as a cudgel.

And just weeks after America elected the first African-American president, we learned that the race card, when skillfully flicked across the foreheads of white Senate Democrats, is still the ace in a royal political flush.

No one else would take the job offered by Blagojevich after he was arrested and charged with trying to sell Obama's old Senate seat to the highest bidder. No one, except for Tombstone.

Such ambition, though terrifying and desperate, is also somewhat endearing. He so wanted to be senator that he kissed Blagojevich's hand. Now, all Tombstone has to do is call out the stone-carvers.