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Replacement for Obama in Illinois Senate seat

Washington: The Democratic leadership cleared the way for Roland Burris to replace Barack Obama in the Senate a week after threatening to block him because he had been appointed by a scandal-hit governor.

Just 24 hours after being denied access to the Senate chamber, Mr. Burris was back in the building yesterday for a meeting with the Democratic Senate leader, Harry Reid and the Democratic Senate majority leader, Dick Durbin.

Mr. Burris was appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, but said that former president Jimmy Carter called him before the meeting to offer his endorsement. Appearing jubilant,

Mr. Burris seemed confident he would be seated, describing Reid as “a charming gentleman”.

Mr. Burris brushed aside talk that he had agreed not to run for re-election in 2010, in a deal to win Reid’s approval.

Durbin said the meeting was positive: “He [Burris] cleared the air completely in relation to being appointed by Blagojevich.”

Mr. Reid said: “We don’t have a problem with him [Burris] as an individual.”

The row has been an embarrassing distraction for President-elect Mr. Obama. The conciliatory tone of Mr. Reid and Mr. Obama contrasted with the sense of outrage last week when Blagojevich, appearing with Mr. Burris, defied the Democratic leadership by making the appointment.

He was arrested by the FBI last month for allegedly trying to sell Mr. Obama’s vacant seat. Mr. Reid and Mr. Durbin seemed to acknowledge that Democrats had been stung by protests from Mr. Burris’s supporters that there was a racial aspect to the row. He would become the only African-American in the 100-member Senate chamber.

— © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2009

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