Burris "Humbled" To Be Next Ill. Senator

Eager To Move Beyond Scandal-Tainted Standoff, Senate Democrats Accept Blagojevich Appointee As Obama's Successor

(CBS/AP)  Roland Burris says he's "humbled and honored" to be Illinois' next junior senator, and is thankful for the opportunity to serve.

The former Illinois attorney general thanked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois at a news conference Monday and said their scrutiny was motivated by trying to do the best thing for the chamber.

Senate Democrats said earlier Monday that criticizing Democratsthey'll accept Burris as President-elect Barack Obama's Senate successor and expect to swear him in soon.

Even though Burris doesn't stand accused of wrongdoing, Senate Democrats initially rejected Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pick. Blagojevich is accused by federal investigators of seeking to trade the Senate seat for personal favors.

The impasse has served as a distraction for Democrats trying to tackle an ambitious agenda.

"He is now the senator-designate from Illinois and, as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a senator-elect," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a joint statement.

The two senators said they anticipate that Burris, a former Illinois attorney general appointed to the post by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich, will be seated this week barring objections from Republicans.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve," Burris said later at a press conference. "It will be my honor to serve with them and to learn from them," he said of Sens. Reid and Durbin.

The senators made the announcement after Burris lawyers delivered to the Capitol documents certifying his appointment to Obama's seat, and the secretary of the Senate determined that the paperwork met Senate requirements.

Burris, in Chicago while his lawyers met with Senate officials on Capitol Hill, scheduled a news conference later Monday.

While a victory for Burris, the move is a major reversal for Senate Democrats.

They initially objected to the appointment by Blagojevich, who is accused by federal investigators of seeking to trade the Senate seat for personal favors. Senators feared that any appointee would be tainted.

Even though Burris does not stand accused of wrongdoing, Senate Democrats rejected Burris last week only to quickly backpedal after Obama himself privately weighed in and senators fretted that the situation was diverting their focus at a critical time.

Indeed, much to the chagrin of Democrats who expanded their House and Senate majorities in the November elections and won the White House, the impasse stretched into the new Congress' second week in session and has served as a distraction for Democrats trying to tackle an ambitious agenda.

It includes weighty tasks like holding confirmation hearings for Obama's new Cabinet while negotiating both the second installment of last fall's $700 billion financial bailout package and the president-elect's mammoth new spending plan aimed at jolting the economy.

As the Burris appointment took on the feeling of a political sideshow, Senate Democratic objections to seating Burris softened. And, Reid said the Senate would vote on Burris' appointment after Senate lawyers reviewed necessary documents and Burris' testimony in the Illinois House that he promised Blagojevich nothing in exchange for the seat.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled last week that under state law, Burris' appointment paperwork was valid and that it was up to the Senate to decide whether to seat him. But Reid and other Democrats had contended that it violated Senate rules unless the appointment was signed by both the governor and the Illinois secretary of state.

Lawyers for Burris and the Senate met for under an hour in the Capitol to review the documents and determine the next steps.

In their statement, Reid and Durbin said they had spoken with Burris to tell him they were satisfied both with the documents and with Burris' testimony before the impeachment panel that he did nothing wrong.

A date and time for Burris' swearing in has not been set.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna quickly released a statement criticizing Democrats for not keeping Blagojevich from making an appointment. Illinois Republicans pushed for a special election to fill Mr. Obama's seat in the wake of the Blagojevich scandal; had one been called, the seat might have ended up in Republican hands.

"By failing to strip Rod Blagojevich of his senate appointment power, Democrats chose to trust a madman over the people of Illinois," said McKenna.

[tincup356]

Burris wouldn''t know humility if it slapped him upside the head......He is just licking his lips to get on the meal ticket of the rich and greedy. Humility is not thinking less of yourself,,,,but thinking of yourself less......and people....there is not a single person serving in congress that puts his constituents before his own personal gain ,,,they are all harlots to the lobby dollar.....robbing the country, and committing treason.

[ldvuong]

He or Michelle Obama will be our next president.

[nanc12]

With Blagojevich being so unpopular, Burris is now forever linked to him and his crimes, regardless of what Burris himself did. Posted by tj217

I doubt you will see Burris as the candidate in 2010. He, after all, lost 5 primary elections. This gives state Dems 2 time to come up with a viable candidate with no connection to blago. Unless Burris does something spectacular, he''ll only be able to carve a 2 year Senate career on his mausoleum.

[specialty8]

rafterman1,
Obama ran about the same platform of Carter.Carter maade a whole bunch of promises also that were going to be paid for by the wealthy. He forgot one small problem, the wealthy control Washington.The tax payer ended up paying for his handouts.

[rafterman1]

===know when i look at my pay stub in a couple months it will be a lot less.===
Posted by dbaker13

How do you know that?

[nanc12]

Posted by pdchapin

I agree with most of your post, but I can''t say I''d assume that Blago would act in a rational matter about this. You never know what lego hair will do next. :)

And I have to laugh at all the neocons acting like this was a huge victory for repubs or a huge defeat for democrats. What did they end up with? A black democratic senator. What did they avoid? A special election, where people who are upset with Blago just might vote in a repub. It was win-win from the start.

[pdchapin]

1. They couldn''t just leave the seat open until the next election and it may be awhile before the gov is gone. Worse, he might not be removed leaving the Senate in a worse position if he were later to select some one morally dubious for the position.

2) Burris is almost certainly clean. If I''m being investigated for trying to sell the seat, the last thing I''d do as governor is appoint anybody who could be used against me. I''d look for the cleanest candidate I could find. Probably why he went with some one relatively unknown and unmentioned as a possible replacement for Obama.

[nanc12]

....I guess everyone did forget O''''bungler is being investigated and could face charges for trying to buy his own senate seat for Valerie Jarrett so she can represent the intersts of Iranians in the US Congress!
Posted by TexHillGirl

Actually he''s not. Fitzgerald specifically stated he was not, but of course, we should believe you, instead.

[dbaker13-2009]

i know when i look at my pay stub in a couple months it will be a lot less.i dont care if its middle class or whatever you are.why do think many people are selling off in the markets?obamas capital gains taxes.etc.

[dbaker13-2009]

why do i need capital letters?you cant read the small ones?

[rafterman1]

===another democrat.why dont i just work for free while dems in congress just keep raising taxes.i didnt vote for nobama but again i wasnt stupid you dem liberal morons!===
Posted by dbaker13

They are going to be cutting taxes for 90 percent of Americans.

By the way, here''s some advice. Capital letters. Look into them.

[dbaker13-2009]

another democrat.why dont i just work for free while dems in congress just keep raising taxes.i didnt vote for nobama but again i wasnt stupid you dem liberal morons!

[gangesdak]

I don''t see why burris should be embarrassed for being nominated as the senator. To put this senatorship as his life achievement on his mausoleum even before he was accepted, that is weird.

[krescera]

Lucky dog!! I too would be" humbled" if I win a huge lottery."Humbled" here means great astonishment at one''s own luck.

[rafterman1]

===Just shows how pathetic the state of Illinois really is...but not quite as pathetic as Minnesota electing Al Franken..... We are in for a world of SH@T....what a bunch bof ret@rds....===
Posted by dumbocrap

If the Dems are a "bunch of ret@rds", then what does that say about the Republicans that LOST to the aforementioned Democratic ret@ards?

[runningralph]

Burris will fit right in with the Democratic congress. Another yes man for Obama. Obama could start redistributing farm land if he gets enough stroke in Congress. The only thing Illinois had going for it was farmland. Poor Illinois. They can''t get a decent politician.

[asamiller]

Burris'' appointment is legal. Blago may be crude and disgusting but it remains to be seen if he''s actually broken the law.

[pepperwood2]

Posted by brianbwb...But change it will!

With all due respect Sir, whether delusional or not, I suspect we''re going to end up being half right about this so called CHANGE taking place?? Call it reality! But I can still laugh about it Cackle Cackle Cackle......end of story.

[robert7562]

For the first time in American history, freedom of speech has become linked with responsibility of speech

Posted by brianbwb

ABSOLUTLY, responsibility and acountability have been LONG overdue. (In many more things than OUR right to free speech) Freedom of speech is not only a privilidge, but one of our RIGHTS. You are also perfectly entitled to have your own opinion, however tolerant or racist it may be. Just remember, when you exercise your right to free speech, to voice that opinion of yours, you are accountable for what you say (or type).

[robert7562]

But change it will, despite your wishes and efforts to resist it.

Posted by brianbwb

No matter what or how we personally feel about the incoming administration, we should pull for them to be successful, however we can,because if the new admin. fails, OUR country will fail.