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The Secretary of the United States Senate has refused to accept Roland Burris’ appointment by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Firing the first shot in Washington in the fight over the appointment of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate, Gov. Blagojevich’s acting chief of staff hand-delivered Burris’ nomination certificate to the Capitol this morning — only to see it rejected by the secretary of the Senate.

Chief of staff Clayton Harris delivered the certificate around 8 a.m., eastern standard time, said Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero.

The secretary of the senate and two assistants acknowledged receipt of the document “but did not formally accept it” because it did not bear Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s signature, Guerrero said.

White refused to sign the certificate last week, joining the chorus of politicians who say Blagojevich is not fit to fill the vacant seat because of his Dec. 9 arrest on corruption charges. The governor and Burris are hoping the Illinois Supreme Court will force White to sign the document.

Stay tuned as this drama plays out and Burris makes his way to Washington D.C.

Harr Reid may be an “ol’ trial lawyer” but his legal authority is flawed and will be tested in the courts should he have the BALLS to bar Roland Burris from taking his rightfully appointed U.S. Senate seat this week.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Sunday that “legal authority” exists under the Constitution to bar embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, but added there is also room to negotiate.

Under the Constitution, Reid said, “We determine who sits in the Senate. And the House (of Representatives) determines who sits in the House. So there’s clearly legal authority for us to do whatever we want to do. This goes back for generations.”

There will be a DEAL and the Democrats are working a way to pay off Burris with some sort of gratuity. They are probably hamstrung, howerver, because of Patrick Fitzgerald and his ubiquitous microphones. And, Hot Rod plus his cronies in Chicago would love to work a deal for his own skin.

The GOP can only hope for Burris to be barred from the Senate floor in a game of chicken with Reid. What a perfect storm for the Republican Party.

Stay tuned……

As Barack Obama spiritual advisor Jeremiah Wright said, “The chickens are coming home to roost.”

First, it was Hot Rod Blagojevich and his corrupt appointment of Roland Burris to Obama’s U.S. Senate seat along with the interference by Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry  Reid and Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Second, the NEPOTISM of a possible Caroline Kennedy appointment to Hillary Clinton’s U.S. Senate Seat.

Third, the apparent win of Al Franken, who is an incompetent a pol as Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And, now, there is the withdrawal of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson from his Obama appointment to become Secretary of Commerce because of corruption charges.

But, what do you expect from a MSM who did not properly VETT the Democrat Party or Obama during the last election cycle.

Chickens coming home to roost, indeed.

Not really a shocker – but Democrat Party politics as usual.

Congressman and COS to Barack Obama called Illinois Governor Hot Rod Blagojevich with the bosses’ recommendation for his U.S. Senate seat and why not Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones.

Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election.

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero confirmed that Reid (D-Nev.) and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) — the new chief of the Senate Democratic political operation — each called Blagojevich’s campaign office separately Dec. 3. Sources believe that at least portions of the phone conversations are on tape.

Does anyone NOW think Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats will now have the BALLS to block Roland Burris (also African-American) from taking the Obama seat next Tuesday?

Flap and the world wants to hear Harry Reid on tape which will undoubtedly be “leaked” when Blago is eventually indicted. Did Harry Reid pan the appointment of Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones because of their race? Is this why he suggested they could NOT win the seat in two years?

And, will Harry Reid be called to testify in Hot Rod’s trial?

This seat looks like a GOP capture every day.

Yes, Harry Reid will manuver a Senate Resolution to study the validity of Roland Burris’ appointment to the U.S. Senate until his appointment by Rod Blagojevich is MOOT.

The first thing the Senate leadership plans to do is to demand, under Rule 2 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a certificate containing “the name of the person elected or appointed, the date of the certificate, the name of the governor and the secretary of state signing and countersigning the same, and the State from which such Senator is elected or appointed.”

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has said that he does not intend to sign the certificate–but that may not be all that much of an impediment. It turns out that Blagojevich–like every other Governor, I’m told–has a set of certificates that are pre-signed by the Secretary of State, to be used in the event of an emergency. If Burris shows up with one of those, the Senate leadership intends to reject it. But Senate leaders also are preparing for the possibility that Burris will get a Writ of Mandamus ordering the Secretary of State to sign the certificate.

At that point, the first order of business for the Senate would be to vote on a resolution questioning the validity of Blagojevich’s appointment of Burris, and specifically, raising the question that the Governor asked for or received something of value in exchange for naming Burris. (There is, of course, no evidence that anything like this happened.) The resolution would be nondebatable and nonamendable, which means the Republican minority would not be allowed to attach, say, a separate resolution blocking Al Franken from being seated from Minnesota. What happens then? The whole thing would be sent to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee for “investigation.” Said investigation would have a time limit, specifically written to give the Illinois Legislature enough time to impeach Blagojevich, put Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn in the job, and get a new appointment.

The scenario is plausible and why it was floated to the left-supporting Time Magazine for comment and vetting. But, what is in Burris’ interest to not raise a stink on the floor and then immediately march over to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the entire process as a subterfuge?

Maybe President-Elect Obama can promise him the Ambassadorship to some vacation resort island country?

Or maybe the U.S. Senate Democrats can let it go and allow this seventy-three year old African-American to serve two years, then retire and then get a federal appointment?

The deals will be made this weekend.

Does Patrick Fitzgerald have his microphones turned on?

Shocking? NOT Really…..

The story about Roalnd Burris’ egregiously poor judgment is well documented and can explain why this meat head has been unable to win statewide election on numerous occasions since.

Former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris, embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pick to replace Barack Obama in the Senate, is no stranger to controversy.

Public fury over the governor’s alleged misconduct has masked the once lively debate over Burris’ decision to continue to prosecute, despite the objections of one of his top prosecutors, the wrong man for a high-profile murder case.

While state attorney general in 1992, Burris aggressively sought the death penalty for Rolando Cruz, who twice was convicted of raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. The crime took place in 1983.

But by 1992, another man had confessed to the crime, and Burris’ own deputy attorney general was pleading with Burris to drop the case, then on appeal before the Illinois Supreme Court.

Burris refused. He was running for governor.

The Illinois GOP should drop its hysterical efforts to force a special election. It very much looks like Burris will be a caretaker ONLY for two years or “easy pickin’s” for a Republican challenger in 2010.

Thanks Hot Rod……

Would Harry Reid REALLY have the balls to block Roland Burris from taking his seat in the United States Senate chambers?

No, he wouldn’t and the Illinois Secretary of State will not be able to legally block Hot Rod’s appointment.

So, break out the champagne and celebrate with Roland Burris when he says: “I Am the Junior Senator from Illinois.”

Roland Burris suggested he would challenge an effort to block his appointment to the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama, but said he’s confident that Senate Democrats will back down and allow him to take the job.

“We think they will come around and recognize that the appointment is legal and valid and I am the junior Senator from Illinois,” he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal at his office here.

Flap wonders when Illinois voters will say they have had enough and initiate some election reforms like a voter initiated recall, referendum and/or initiative process like in California?

In the meantime, Illinois folks, including the Illinois GOP can bellow all they want about a special election but Burris is appointed and he is an Illinois Senator whether they like it or not.