7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
U-S Senate Says No to Burris
The U.S. Senate has rejected Illinois appointee Roland Burris.

Burris announced his rejection for the seat previously held by President-elect Barack Obama Barack today (Tuesday) in a bizarre rainy-day scene on the Capitol grounds as lawmakers awaited the gaveling of the 111th Congress into session.

Standing amid a throng of reporters and television cameras in a cold and steady rain, Burris declared that he had been informed that "my credentials are not in order and will not be accepted."

Burris, 71, says he wasn't seeking "to have any type of confrontation" over taking the seat to which he was appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but Burris also says he is looking at options for taking the seat.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says Burris is welcome at the Capitol, but not on the Senate floor. Durbin offered Burris the opportunity to view the Senate swearing-in ceremonies on television from Durbin's office.

Durbin has arranged a meeting for Wednesday with Burris and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to see if anything can be worked out.

(Illinois Radio Network & Hanna Gutmann)
01 05 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.