Burris takes Senate seat

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By David R. Sands

UPDATED:

Overcoming intense opposition from his own party leaders, former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris on Monday won a battle of wills and is expected to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, and Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, a Democrat from Mr. Burris' home state of Illinois, conceded defeat in their bid to deny the 71-year-old the seat after his Dec. 30 appointment by scandal-plagued Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich. Mr. Obama, Mr. Reid and Mr. Durbin had all vowed early on to block the appointment.

But after Mr. Burris' attorneys hand-delivered to the Senate the final documents he needed to confirm his credentials for office Monday, Mr. Reid and Mr. Durbin waved the white flag.

"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," the Democratic leaders said in a joint statement.

Mr. Burris, addressing a press conference in Chicago, was magnanimous in victory, saying he bore no ill will to Mr. Reid and Mr. Durbin.

"Never once did I doubt their intentions were motivated by anything other than doing what was right for the people of Illinois and by what they believed had to be done to protect the Senate as an institution," he said.

He said he accepted the appointment from Mr. Blagojevich because he "believed the Illinois people didn't deserve to be punished again" by having the Senate seat remain vacant for an extended period of time.

"It's always darkest before the dawn," he said. "I believe the dawn is here and brighter days are ahead for the state of Illinois."

Mr. Reid and Mr. Durbin said that, barring an objection from the chamber's Republicans, "we expect Senator-designee Burris to be sworn in and formally seated later this week."