Burr accused of using insider information

Senator Richard Burr is causing a stir among political bloggers.

After reportedly talking to treasury secretary Henry Paulson during last fall’s banking crisis, Burr called his wife and told her to withdraw cash from their bank’s ATM. Critics believe the senator used insider information to aid his family. Earlier this week MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann called Burr the day’s “Worst Person in the World”.

Burr says the incident was blown out of proportion.

“I have opportunities to use information that we hear in Congress every day to make decisions,” Burr said. “I have never done that. Nobody’s ever questioned my integrity. It’s politics, and I think people really are disgusted about the process.”

The senator said he wasn’t trying to remove all of his money, just enough to get by. Burr added that every American should keep some cash on hand and not be totally dependent on ATMs and banks.

Senator Burr has already announced his intent to run for re-election in 2010. He was in Wilmington Friday evening as the keynote speaker at the New Hanover County Republican Party’s Reagan Day Dinner.