Burris shut out by Senate secretary
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/01/06/art.roland1.cnn.jpg caption="Burris told reporters Tuesday he was turned away from the Senate."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, named by Illinois' controversial governor to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, said Tuesday morning that he had been informed by the secretary of the U.S. Senate that his credentials were "not in order" when he arrived at the Senate door for the start of the 111th Congress.
Watch: Burris and his attorney speak to the media
Nancy Erickson, the Senate secretary, initially rejected Burris' appointment on Monday because it does not conform with the Senate rule requiring that the secretary of state - in this case, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White - must sign the certificate of appointment along with the governor.
White has declined to sign the certificate, siding with some Senate Democrats who say Burris should not be seated because of the cloud over Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell Obama's Senate seat.
From CNN Politics
- Untitled
- Top 10 Credit Cards for Excellent Credit
- Former prosecutors say blockbuster January 6 testimony increases Trump's criminal exposure
- Liz Cheney says US is 'confronting a domestic threat' in Donald Trump
- Jan. 6 committee revelations may give GOP opening to take on Trump in 2024
- Biden set for final day of highly consequential NATO summit
i wonder if they will refuse to seat Franken because the MN Gov. hasn't signed HIS certificate of appointmant. Fair is fair. The same rule applies.
jesse white needs to sign burriss certificate, the law is on burriss side, no more double standards, seat the man.
The melee lived up to expectations!!!
Burris NEVER should have accepted the appointment! Anyone who accepts anything from Blago should understand what position they are putting themselves in.
Hello people this is not an isolated situation Al Franken is in the same position and cannot be seated without the Secretary of States signature on the certification. In Frankens case, although recognized he won't be seated until any and all legal challenges are completed. Burris is not being treated any different
It was an unlawful rejection. What good is a senate that does not obey the law?
As an African American I say GOOD!! They should NOT SEAT HIM.
He should be ashamed for being USED by Blago.
He should be thinking what's best for the state of Illinois and not turning this into a big circus.
REJECTED!!! Booyah!
What a mess – Burris should just cool his heels and let this play out quietly instead of raising all the ruckus. Geeez.
That's cold.
Obama isn't even in office and the Democrats are already overwhelmed with drama...as usual. Which is why the liberal media wanted him elected. This is embarassing. Russia cuts off gas supplies to europe. The Middle East is blowing up. And we are focused on the a very bad first day back to school for congress...fighting amonst themselves. Not to mention that the Obama appointments are turning into another drama ...Panetta at the CIA? Let's elect Jimmy Carter for Defense Secretary! How about George Clooney for head of the FBI? This will be a very short 4 years.
You are not, NOT!, under any circumstances "a sitting senator"
unless and until YOU HAVE BEEN DULY SWORN IN!
Roland Burris IS NOT "the junior senator from Illinois," no matter
how many times he keeps repeating it. Everybody on the planet
seems to get this, except him.
Period.
Let the man in. We have an election coming up soon. It won't be that long. We have more important things to face.
Harry Reid strikes again. Will someone please give him a call and remind which party he is in.
too bad, let other than government to appoints you, Burris. Then you are REAL legal! you know that!
Blagojevich is govenor, he made his decision. Seat this man and get to the real problems. History tells us he'll lose in 2010 anyway.
What!!?? Why God itself put his hand on the Gov's shoulder to name him as Barry's replacement.. Burris said so!
Well, are we surprised? Mr. Burris, this is about your ego, sir, not about serving the people of Illinois.
There needs to be a special election for President-elect Obama's seat.
Blagojevich lost the right to appoint someone when he tried to sell the senate seat. The man is a crook.
I concur completely with Roland Burris. He should be seated as the junior senator from Illinois with all rights and priviledges of that office. He was legally appointed by the Gov. of Illinois and he deserves to be seated. The Senate Democratic leadership should stop playing power politics and get on to more important work of solving some of our nation's problems. BTW, I am a 60 year old white, retired professional woman from Nevada and a long-time Democrat.
The more I see this man on television, the more he comes off as a complete kook.
Good. This is what should happen. The Democrats don't want to seat somebody appointed by a crook. The Republicans would love for the Democrats to seat Burris, so that they can act all horrified and outraged by it and joyously pick up a Senate seat in Illinois in 2 years.
A "Senator" appointed to an empty Senate seat by a governor on tape talking about how he wants to sell the appointment to the empty Senate seat, even if it is legal and legitimate, is not acceptable.
Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution of the United States begins "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members..." It is perfectly constitutional and legal for the Senate to deny Roland Burris a seat representing the State of Illinois. Whether or not it is politicallym prudent is another question. Sitting members of the Senate can also call for a vote on the denial which might prove embarrassing for the Majority Leader if several Democrats were to support Mister Burris. If the US Supreme Court were to insert itself into the debate there would be a very interesting Constitutional tug of war. Does the federal court system have ANY jurisdiction in this case? Looking at the first sentence of Article 1, Section 5, it appears not, since the grammar means the each House is the sole judge of members' qualifications.
Hey Burris – Go home until the appropriate state officials certify your appointment – it's that technical part of the law that you seem to want ignore while bleeting "I'm the Seantor appointed by god".
God maybe, but you need the correct paperwork here in earth...
Democrats just keep shooting themselves in the foot. I have a feeling I'm going back to the Green Party in 4 years.
Rolland Burris should have NEVER taken this Senate Seat nomination in the first place. He KNEW that it would cause nothing but a "circus" and the Democrats said EARLY ON they would NOT seat anyone named by the Illinois Governor, so did the Secretary of State of Illinois.
So Rolland Burris KNEW he would NOT be seated. This is NOTHING NEW in politics. Mr. Burris is USING the media and playing the political game to try gain a Senate Seat he NEVER would have been elected to in the first place.
This guy ran FIVE times and was never elected, there must be a reason he was NOT elected. The Governor just made him a political "black token" pawn in this messing chess game. Both the Democrats and Republicans can STALL this process for as long as it takes while starting impeachment process on the Illinois Governor!!!!
Mr. Burris is NOT fooling anyone. He claims he doesn't want a problems and doesn't want to cause any confrontations, etc. Geeeez, what a crock of CRAP. This guy has been doing EVERYTHING to stir the pot when it comes to this Senate Seat. Mr. Burris is really at the root of the problem.
I don't think ANYONE SHOULD BE SEATED until the Chicago Senate approves of the election process of that seat. The governor should NEVER had named Mr. Burris to begin with. Blagoveivich is nothing but a CROOKED and GREEDY GOVENOR!!!