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White Won't Certify Burris Appointment
The governor's appointment to the U.S. Senate will not be certified by the secretary of state.

Secretary of State Jesse White says he has known Roland Burris for 25 years, and he admires the man, but he'll have nothing to do with an appointment by this governor. White said after the governor was arrested Dec. 9, accused of scheming to shake personal profit out of his power to appoint a senator, that he would not certify any appointment made under such a cloud.

White reiterated that position on Tuesday an hour after Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that his appointment to the Senate is Burris, the former state comptroller and attorney general. Burris, 71, is a Centralia native who lives in Chicago.

White said his decision not to certify the selection should not be viewed as a slight against Burris, but as a reflection on Blagojevich.

It's unclear whether certification by the secretary of state is legally required, and if it is, whether White really has veto power. White says Burris can go to Washington and hope the Senate will let him in, but Senate leaders say the appointment is "going nowhere." President-elect Barack Obama, the last man to hold this seat, says he supports the Senate's decision to reject the selection.

(Illinois Radio Network)
12 30 08 by Newsroom
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