Opposition to Burris weakening

2009-01-07 18:41

Washington - Roland Burris is closer to taking president-elect Barack Obama's seat in the Senate, say knowledgeable officials in both parties, despite Democratic leaders' vows to reject any appointee of Illinois' embattled governor.

After being rejected on Tuesday when he tried to join the class of incoming senators, Burris is finding new support in Congress as Democratic leaders scramble for a way to defuse the stand-off with growing racial, political and legal complications.

The likelihood that Burris, a Democrat, will eventually prevail and become the Senate's only black member after Obama's resignation from the seat, increased on Tuesday evening when a key chairperson got behind him, cracking what had been united public front by Senate Democrats against an appointee of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Burris was scheduled to meet with the Senate's top two Democrats - Majority Leader Harry Reid and assistant leader Dick Durbin - on Wednesday, a day after his paperwork was rejected at the opening of the 111th Congress.

Corruption charges

Senate officials in both parties, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there is a growing expectation in the Capitol that the saga will end with Burris being seated.

Blagojevich shocked Democratic leaders by appointing Burris to finish the final two years of Obama's six-year term in the Senate just three weeks after the governor was arrested on corruption charges in what federal prosecutors said was a scheme to sell or trade Obama's vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Blagojevich denies the accusations and has yet to be indicted.

There has been no indication that Burris was involved in the alleged scheme, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Democrats have repeatedly said the issue is Blagojevich, not Burris' qualifications.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Rules Committee, told reporters on Tuesday evening that Burris should be seated.

"If you don't seat Mr Burris, it has ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America," the California Democrat said.

"Mr Burris is a senior, experienced politician. He has been attorney general, he has been controller, and he is very well-respected.

"I am hopeful that this will be settled."

Political theatre

In a piece of political theatre, Burris, 71, tried and failed on Tuesday to take Obama's seat.

He marched into the Capitol, declaring himself "the junior senator from the state of Illinois", and asked Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erickson to accept a certification of his appointment signed by Blagojevich.

Erickson refused, saying it lacked Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White's signature and the state seal.

White has refused to sign the appointment letter that Blagojevich gave to Burris, saying he won't sign onto any such decision by a governor under legal siege.

White said on Wednesday he's being unfairly blamed by senators, saying Burris could have been accepted there without his signature, calling that "mostly ceremonial".

And in Chicago, Burris' attorneys asked the Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday to expedite a hearing on their petition for a court order directing White to certify his appointment.

Burris also was considering a federal lawsuit to force Senate Democrats to seat him.

"Our credentials were rejected by the secretary of the Senate," said Timothy W Wright III, an attorney for Burris.

"We were not allowed to be placed in the record book. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath.

"All of which we think was improperly done and is against the law of this land."

- AP