Why won't Burris budge

If anyone has been thinking U.S. Sen. Roland Burris is bluffing about refusing to vote for health care reform without the public option, he sure has a good poker face.
Today on the Senate floor he reiterated his stand, which undoubtedly is riling many of his Democratic colleagues who believe they can't get the needed 60 votes with a public option.
“Health insurance reform with a public option means competition, choice and affordability. That’s why I refuse to compromise on the public option: because it is the only way to give the American people the quality, affordable care they deserve," the Chicago Democrat said on the Senate floor today. "So let me be clear: I will not vote for any health reform bill that does not include a public option. And I ask my colleagues to stand with me.”
It seems Burris is going to stick to his guns on this one.
And why not?
Politically, it makes sense.
From an extremely cynical point of view, one could see how this position helps the cloutless Senator tremendously.
For one, he is under investigation by the Senate ethics committee for allegedly lying about his interactions with Gov. Rod Blagojevich before his contentious appointment.
Holding out to vote for a public option now gives Burris some much needed leverage over Senate Democrats who did everything they could to keep him from taking that oath of office.
On another front, Burris has announced he will not try and seek the seat in next year's elections.
That means he will have few donors willing to pony up cash for his campaign fund to help pay mounting legal bills brought on by the Senate ethics commission and earlier investigations.
Over the summer, campaign finance records show he raised just $5,760 and had $1,738 on hand at the end of September. There are trustees in small suburbs who have more campaign cash than that. He lists nearly $140,000 in debt.
Holding out to vote for a public option gives the throngs of lobbyists and organizations on both side of the debate a reason to pay Burris a visit.
And lastly, it may come down to exactly what many allege led Burris to take the appointment in the first place: ego.
For a man who already has his tombstone carved with his decades of accomplishments - and two children named after himself - leaving the Senate as the senator with no power, who no one wanted, is not the way he probably wants to go out.
This gives him a principle to stand on. Refusing to back co-ops or anything but a public option could position him as a solid voice for the liberal wing of the party in the Senate. Who knows? He might win.
But all the cynicism shouldn't let us forget that there are also principled reasons politicians do what they do.
Burris says he simply can't see health care reform working without a public option, and that is not a surprise position for an Illinois Democrat whose political base is in Chicago.
“I believe the American people are tired of the scare tactics and the dishonesty. They are interested in the truth behind our reform proposals," he said on the Senate floor today. "They just want to know: “What can healthcare reform do for me?”