Blagojevich appointee rejected for senate seat

ROLAND Burris announced yesterday he was rejected for Barack Obama’s senate seat, in a bizarre scene on the capitol grounds as lawmakers awaited the gavelling of the 111th Congress into session.

Burris, 71, told reporters he had been informed “my credentials are not in order and will not be accepted”.

The former Illinois attorney general said he was “not seeking to have any type of confrontation” over taking the seat that he was appointed to by embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich.

But Burris also said he was looking at his options.

There had been indications the Senate would disallow Burris to take his seat.

Burris dismissed the Senate Democratic leadership’s position that he cannot be seated because he was appointed by a governor accused in a criminal complaint of trying to benefit financially from his authority to fill the seat that Obama vacated after winning the presidential election.

Burris said his belief is that his appointment is constitutional. “I have no knowledge of where a secretary of state has veto power over a governor carrying out his constitutional duties.”