Roland Burris, the former Illinois state attorney general and surprise choice of embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, had his credentials rejected this morning by the secretary of the Senate.
At a news conference held in the rain outside the Capitol building -- not long after Burris and his aides went to the Senate to make his case -- Burris, describing himself as the "junior senator from the state of Illinois," said his credentials were deemed not to be in order and he would thus not be seated today, when the 111th Congress is about to be sworn in. Nor would he be permitted on the Senate floor. He said he was not looking for any confrontation, and then added he would consult with his attorneys.
One of them, Timothy Wright, followed Burris to the microphones and called the Senate's action "improperly done" and "against the law of this land." Wright said he hopes the Burris team will "deliberate" with the Senate leadership about what to do next, and said he did not rule out taking the matter to court.
More to come.
categories: Washington Senators
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