Blagojevich Makes Senate Pick Despite Democrats' Objections

Late in yesterday's news conference, Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) emerged from the audience and joined Burris and Blagojevich on stage, saying "thank God" for the selection and adding that the appointee does not have "one iota of taint on his record."

Despite the objections of Senate Democrats, Rush said he would mount a campaign to make sure that an African American keeps the seat, citing the fact that Obama's departure from the chamber last month meant the Senate was without a single black member.

"This is a matter of national importance. There are no African Americans in the Senate, and I don't think that anyone, any U.S. senator who's sitting in the Senate right now, wants to go on record to deny one African American for being seated in the U.S. Senate. I don't think they want to go on record doing that," Rush said.

Since the direct election of senators began in 1913, the Senate has refused to seat just four people, according to the chamber's historical office. All such incidents were related to ethical allegations directly connected to the person.

Rep. Danny K. Davis, a six-term Democrat, told the Associated Press last night that he met with a Blagojevich emissary twice last week. After thinking the proposal over, Davis said he turned down the appointment on Sunday. Burris said in the news conference that he was offered the job Sunday night.

"I thought the environment had been poisoned," said Davis, who is black. "The environment was just a bit too murky, and it was not the kind of environment I would want to go into the Senate with."

Robert Walker, the former chief counsel of the Senate ethics committee, said Reid and Durbin are entering an "uncharted area" by casting the corruption allegations of Blagojevich onto his appointee. "We all think, as a moral matter, the governor ought not do what he's doing. But as long as he is there -- and he is still governor -- he can do what he's doing. They will have to view the appointee as somehow participating in the corruption," said Walker, now in private practice at Wiley Rein.

Walker and Eric Ueland, who served as chief of staff to then-Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), both suggested that the appointment could be referred to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee for an investigation before any decision is made about Burris. The Senate has done that with contested election outcomes in the past, and doing so probably would prevent Burris or Blagojevich from taking up the matter in courts, Ueland said.

"The Senate, basically as a practical matter, is going to do what it wants to do," Walker said.

In Washington, Republicans accused Reid of "playing politics" after he moved this month to stop the state legislature from considering legislation to create a special election to succeed Obama. "The Senate should refuse to seat Mr. Burris, and then Senator Reid, Senator Durbin and all Senate Democrats should join Republicans in supporting a special election to fill this seat," said Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Burris said there will be too many critical issues when the Senate convenes next week for Illinois to be "short-handed."

"I welcome the challenge that awaits us in the 111th Congress," he said. "I am humbled to have the opportunity."