Burris Launched Senate Bid in Fall Call

(NEWSER) - FBI recordings of a conversation between Sen. Roland Burris and the brother of disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich can be released to the Senate Ethics Committee, a judge ruled today. The committee is investigating Burris’ appointment by the now-impeached governor, made after Blagojevich was indicted, the Hill reports. The taped conversation occurred before the impeachment and the appointment. More»

Franken also not seated

(NEWSER) - Roland Burris strode briskly past the cameras through the rain into the Capitol today, demanding to be seated as Illinois’ Senator but was denied entry, CNN reports. The secretary of the Senate rejected his credentials, preventing him from taking the floor or the oath of office. It was "improperly done," Burris' attorney told the crowd of reporters, "and it is against the law of this land." More»

(NEWSER) - Rod Blagojevich announced today that former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris will fill Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, the Chicago Tribune reports. Blagojevich said Burris was a man of "unquestioned integrity" and asked that people not allow "the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man." Meanwhile, Senate Democrats released a statement reiterating Harry Reid’s warning that no Blagojevich pick would be seated. More»

Ex-gov bashes his trial, his successor; jokes about hair and lack of progress on book

(NEWSER) - Morning drive-time radio could be the future for Rod Blagojevich, if the impeached Illinois’ governor’s fill-in stint today on Chicago’s WLS-AM is anything to go by, Jimmy Orr writes in live-blogging the show for the Christian Science Monitor. Amid Elvis theme music and complaints about his successor’s proposed tax hike, the “natural radio host” responded to jokes about his hair and the book he’s writing. More»

(NEWSER) - John Ruff, a former associate of Roland Burris and his staff, is claiming Burris planned all along to make a trade with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the Senate seat he now holds. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ruff, then a participant in the effort to get the seat for Burris, was told by Burris aide Fred Lebed, “We’ll have to do some things for the governor.” More»