All Hail Roland Burris, The Lord's Senator™

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 12, 2009 9:45PM

U.S. Senate lawyers relented this afternoon and declared that Roland Burris's credentials met the chamber's rules and could be seated as the junior senator from Illinois. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin issued a joint statement, saying: "Barring objections from Senate Republicans, we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week...We have spoken to Mr. Burris to let him know that he is now the Senator-designate from Illinois and as such, will be accorded all the rights and privileges of a Senator-elect."

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna issued his own statement: "By failing to strip Rod Blagojevich of his senate appointment power, Democrats chose to trust a madman over the people of Illinois. The national embarrassment of the Blagojevich saga could have been avoided first in 2006 when Democrats endorsed the Governor knowing he was under intense federal investigation and second by stripping him of his senate appointment power following his arrest. Today's endorsement of Rod Blagojevich's handpicked choice for U.S. Senate confirms what Republicans have been saying for years - that Illinois is in dire need of change."