Senate Clerk Rejects Burris Paperwork

The secretary of the Senate blocked the appointment of Roland Burris to Barack Obama's former seat today on the grounds that Burris’ certificate of appointment lacked the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, CNN reports. White has refused to sign the certificate because of the controversy over Burris’ selection by Rod Blagojevich, the governor who faces corruption charges.

Burris said he doesn’t consider the rejection of the certificate a major hurdle because “the appointment's legal.” In a news conference, Burris added that he’s surprised at the controversy over his appointment: "I didn't expect all this,” he said. “I expected my qualifications, my commitment to the people of Illinois, that that would be the best choice the governor could make because I could hit the ground running.” Senate Dems will meet with Burris on Wednesday.
(More Roland Burris stories.)