So Much Power, So Little Time: Reid And Senate Back-Off And Will Let Burris Sit Down, But Reid Says Colman Will “Never Ever Serve”
Senate Dems May Seat Burris, But No Final Deal
Blagojevich’s Senate Pick Meets With Reid, Durbin
WASHINGTON ― Senate leaders began to clear the way for Roland Burris to take over President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant seat, saying they wanted the issue resolved quickly.
Burris met Wednesday with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin, a day after his paperwork was rejected at the opening of the 111th Congress.
They called the meeting ”positive” and indicated that the Senate would be open to seating Burris once legal hurdles are resolved and Burris clears the air over his appointment.
Senate officials in both parties, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for Senate members, said there is a growing expectation on Capitol Hill that the saga will end with Burris being seated.
Senate officials say Burris’ appointment still has to be certified by Illinois’ secretary of state.
Burris met for 45 minutes Wednesday morning with Reid and Durbin. Only days ago, both senators were arguing that Burris’ nomination was so tainted that he should not be seated and would be blocked.
Addressing reporters Wednesday morning, Reid did not say for certain whether Senators planned to seat Burris, but both he and Durbin said the issue of whether Secretary of State Jesse White will be required to sign Burris’ certificate would have to be resolved quickly.
“That decision will be before the Illinois Supreme Court today or tomorrow. We are hoping that they act on it in an expedited fashion. I called the Attorney General of Illinois, Lisa Madigan, yesterday, as well as the Secretary of State, and urged them not to delay the decision,” Durbin said. “Whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, we want it to be made on a timely basis, and we both agreed that was their intent as well.”
White previously refused to certify Burris because he was picked by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, now a criminal defendant. The rule requiring state governors and secretaries of state to sign certifications for a senate nominee has been in effect since 1884, Reid said.
Reid and Durbin also said Burris had submitted an affidavit to the panel seeking to impeach Blagojevich, and it was clear to them that Burris has been upfront.
“He’s not trying to avoid any responsibility to hide anything,” Reid said.
After the Illinois Supreme Court rules on whether White must sign the certification form for Burris to take a Senate seat, and after Burris testifies before the impeachment committee, the Rules Committee will review Burris’ nomination and make a recommendation to the whole U.S. Senate, Durbin said.
But the anticipated long, drawn-out Rules Committee hearing may not take place. Reid was hinting that Burris’ testimony before the Illinois House Impeachment Committee may satisfy the Democratic leadership.
Reid and Durbin said Burris had told them he knew the issue had nothing to do with his race.
“One of the first things he said to us was, ‘Hey, this is nothing racial, do you understand that?’” Reid said. “A lot of people tried to make this a racial issue. Roland Burris has not, and will not.”
While not saying whether they expected Burris to be seated, both Reid and Durbin said they wanted the issue resolved.
“We’re going to do the best we can to make sure the State of Illinois has two Senators, and not one Senator,” Reid said.
Burris returns to Chicago late Wednesday afternoon and is expected to address reporters then.
Meanwhile at an unrelated news conference, Obama declined to take a position on whether Burris should get the Senate seat.
Obama said the decision on whether to allow Burris to join the Senate is one for the Senate to make. He said he has known Burris for years and would be happy to “work with him” if he ultimately gets seated but that he can’t go further than that.
Burris was selected by Blagojevich in late December, and went to the U.S. Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, but he was denied access to the Senate floor.
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.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Rules Committee, told reporters 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.”
Roland Burris’s Monument to Me
Roland Burris, the man Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich picked to succeed Barack Obama in the Senate, might get to etch another accolade into the monument he built for himself if this appointment goes through.
You see, Burris has already charted his esteemed career path on the walls of his future grave in Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery (pictured here). Beneath a seal of the state of Illinois, Burris lists his accomplishments to date, and there seems to be plenty of room above the bench to mention his career in the Senate - if he has one.
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