Just Kidding. No Burris Deal After All

There is no deal to seat Roland Burris in the Senate after all.

Jill Zuckman of The Chicago Tribune just said on MSNBC that she spoke to two different senior Democratic sources just before 11 a.m. ET today, and that they said there is absolutely no deal to seat Rod Blagojevich's pick for Barack Obama's Senate seat. They're refuting earlier reports from the Associated Press that said Senate Democrats have agreed to let Burris in.

NBC's Ken Strickland also says there's no deal.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, met with Burris today and just gave a presser.

"He obviously is very engaging, extremely nice man. He presents himself very well," said Reid, D-NV, who just met Burris for the first time.

"He understands, above all else, being a lawyer, attorney general of the first most populous state of the union, the law. We have a situation here that we've had a rule in effect since 1884 here in the Senate that for a person to be appointed by a governor, you have to have the signature of the governor and the secretary of state. Now that matter is in the courts."
It's up to the Illinois Supreme Court to decide on Burris' paperwork and to decide on its certification, then the Senate will go from there, Reid said.

"We have never, ever waived this rule ... in the history of the United States Senate. So it's an important rule and not one easily challenged or changed," added Durbin.

Reid and Durbin stressed that they and Burris know this has nothing to do with race, despite that many other Burris advocates - including those in the House - are implying otherwise.

Describing Burris as "candid and forthright," Durbin said he hopes the time when the Senate can vote on Burris "comes sooner rather than later," even though the issue will have to be sent to the Rules Committee first. But, I think, without question," the full Senate will eventually vote on Burris, he added.

People have to realize the chamber is being deliberate about this because they have to be sure everything Blagojevich has done since being nabbed is "transparent." "It's obvious. We have a man who was arrested for trying to sell the Senate," Reid said. "We have to be totally and above-board on this."

Burris is scheduled to testify in Illinois tomorrow during Blago's open impeachment hearing. He's expected to say he had nothing to do with the governor's dealings. It's important for the Senate to watch those proceedings, Reid said, adding, "we don't have a problem with him as an individual."

Burris has consistently asked to not let Blago taint him. But there's a report out of MyFox Chicago today that implies he may be tighter with the gov than he'd like people to realize. It says Burris held a 2006 fundraiser for Blago at his home, and that his lobbying firm donated $22,295 to Blagojevich's campaign. Over the past four years, Burris' lobbying firm reportedly won $705,435 in state contracts. Burris' longtime lobbying partner is also a board member of the Christian Industrial League - the same group that hired Blagojevich's wife Patricia.