Senate Sends Mixed Messages on Burris

(NEWSER) - Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin told his junior colleague, Roland Burris, that he should resign during a meeting today, the Chicago Tribune reports. Burris declined, and also would not confirm whether or not he would run in 2010, despite earlier accounts that he would give up the seat. Durbin said he was “disappointed” by both responses, and will not support Burris in a future campaign. More»

Obama replacement will be sworn in this week, 'barring objection' from GOP

(NEWSER) - Senate Democrats today accepted Roland Burris as the senator-designate from Illinois, and he will likely be seated later this week, the Chicago Tribune reports. “Barring objections from Senate Republicans,” said a statement from Sens. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin, “we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in.” Senate lawyers looked over the case and decided that Burris’ disputed credentials were satisfactory. More»

Lawyers meet today; Durbin says Senate will back ruling on Burris

(NEWSER) - A ruling could come today on whether Roland Burris can take Barack Obama’s Illinois Senate seat, Politico reports, with his lawyers meeting with the Senate’s legal counsel to discuss various documents certifying him for the job. Illinois’ secretary of State didn’t sign papers from embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich, instead penning his own letter approving Burris. “The question is whether they are adequate,” Sen. Dick Durbin said yesterday. More»

Bush says GOP 'got whipped;' Burris claims seat, 'no question'

(NEWSER) - Saying his administration will be “looking forward,” Barack Obama suggested he won’t pursue criminal charges against national security officials accused of committing crimes in President Bush’s war on terror. The president-elect also told ABC’s This Week that closing Guantanamo Bay—a key tenet of his campaign platform—is a “challenge” that’s “going to take some time.” In other corners: More»

Has 'no problem with him personally'

(NEWSER) - A far cry from the political shunning of just days ago, Majority Leader Harry Reid ushered would-be senator Roland Burris into his office this afternoon, and emerged saying that an Illinois court decision could go a long way toward seating the Blagojevich appointee. “We don't have a problem with him as an individual,” said Reid. But a court decision on Burris' lack of signature from his secretary of state is vital, as “everyone has to present certification by the secretary of state.” More»