Senate Democrats Yield to Obama, Retreat on Burris

The Democratic leaders brought Burris in from the rain and into Reid's spacious personal office just off the Senate floor for a meeting that had been set up last week. They invited news photographers in to capture the three — Burris in the middle — laughing and chatting.

Illinois U.S. Senate Appointee Roland Burris leaves Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

(AP)

Reid and Durbin then retreated from their won't-be-seated rhetoric and cast the dispute as a procedural delay caused by concerns about why Blagojevich made the appointment.

"First of all, understand we don't have a problem with him as an individual," Reid said of Burris, calling him an "extremely nice" and "forthright" man. "At this stage, the process is working out," he said.

Added Durbin: "I've known him for such a long time. We are friends and on a first-name basis."

The embraces reflected a growing expectation among Senate officials in both parties that the former state attorney general eventually would be seated.

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As Reid and Durbin described it, the process depends on two developments: Burris securing the right signoff on his appointment papers, plus a sworn declaration that he didn't offer anything to Blagojevich in exchange for the seat.

"There was certainly no pay-to-play involved, because I don't have no money," Burris told reporters after his Senate meeting, previewing his sworn answer to that question.

It's a key issue in resolving the dispute.

Blagojevich is accused of trying to get something for himself in return for the appointment, an allegation he denies. By appointing Burris, he defied Senate Democrats who warned that a taint of corruption would strip credibility from anyone he named to fill the vacancy.

Secretary of State Jesse White also said he would not certify the appointment with his signature, giving Senate Democrats another point of objection.

The entire Democratic caucus then declared they would not seat Burris or anyone appointed by Blagojevich. They also said they would not seat Burris without White's signature, which Democrats said has been required by the Senate since the 19th century.