Burris inching towards Senate seat

Roland Burris' quest to claim his US Senate seat keeps working in his and Rod Blagojevich's favor.

CBS 2 Chicago has more:

Roland Burris sought to clear a key hurdle in his quest to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate on Monday, dispatching his lawyers to the Capitol with formal paperwork designed to persuade Democrats to accept his appointment.

The two sides were meeting privately in hopes of breaking an impasse that has plagued Senate Democrats.

One Democratic official said it was likely Senate lawyers would tell attorneys representing Burris that paperwork was in order for the former Illinois attorney general to be sworn into office.

CBS 2's Mike Parker reports the paperwork includes a document with an official state seal, signed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White confirming that Burris's appointment letter from the governor has been formally registered.

Burris is hoping that after the legal counsel of the U.S. Senate receives the paperwork, he will be given the green light to take his seat.

Dick Durbin, currently Illinois' only US Senator, seems to think that document will past muster with other senators.

Durbin of course was the first prominent politician to call for a special election to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama, a seat the Durbin's fellow Democrat is accused offering to the highest bidder.

Barring a miracle, there will be no special election.

Michael Madigan, the speaker of the Illinois House and the chairman of the state Democratic Party, is probably feeling the heat of the failure of the General Assembly to strip Blago of the power to appoint Obama's successor. While appearing on a Chicago radio station yesterday, the Chicagoan said that he didn't think the state legislature could have stopped the Burris appointment--Blagojevich would have simply vetoed the bill. Perhaps. But Madigan knows how to achieve a veto override.

Technorati tags: Blagojevich Illinois Politics corruption Illinois Democrats impeachment Durbin senate Michael Madigan special election