In defiance of U.S. senators who said they would not seat his pick, Gov. Rod Blagojevich today selected former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to succeed President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate.

Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate despite strong opposition. (Photo: Paul Beaty / AP)

    Blagojevich praised Burris for his "unquestioned integrity" and "extensive experience," calling him a senior statesman.

    "Please don't allow the allegations against me to taint this good and honest man," Blagojevich said.

    Burris, who accepted the appointment, said he would next deal with the U.S. Senate's statement that it would not seat him.

    "Faced with these challenges and challenged with these crises, it is incomprehensible that the people of the great state of Illinois will enter the 111th Congress short handed," Burris said. "We need leadership in Washington."

    Burris said he spoke with Blagojevich Sunday night.

    "I was asked if he would appoint me would I accept and the answer is yes," said Burris, who offered no comment on the governor's legal situation.

    Blagojevich said he moved to appoint Burris after the General Assembly declined to approve legislation for a special election to find a new U.S. senator.

    "To not fill the vacancy would be to deprive the people of Illinois of their appropriate voice" in the U.S. Senate, Blagojevich said.

    Burris said he accepted the appointment because the nation is at a crossroads.

    "Faced with these challenges and challenged with these crises, it is incomprehensible that the people of the great state of Illinois will enter the 111th Congress short handed. "We need leadership in Washington."

    "I have faith in the record that I have forged over the last four decades. I accept this appointment," Burris said.

    Blagojevich's news conference came less than an hour after U.S. Senate Democratic leadership issued a statement saying the Senate will not seat anyone the governor chooses to fill Illinois' vacant Senate post. The statement also is signed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who has repeatedly urged Blagojevich not to name a replacement for the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

    "This is not about Mr. Burris; it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell this United States Senate seat," the statement read. "Anyone appointed by Gov. Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois and, as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic Caucus."

    The decision was made during a 10-minute conference call that included Reid, Durbin and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), as well as representatives of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). There was little discussion and no dissent in reaching the position, a Senate aide said.

    "The goal was to get this statement out before Blagojevich made his announcement," the Senate source said.

    Reid previously warned Blagojevich, following the governor's Dec. 9 arrest, that Senate Democrats would not seat any appointment he made. Reid's warning was contained in a letter signed by all 50 sitting Democratic senators.

    Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago said there's "no rhyme or reason" Burris should not be seated in the Senate. He pointed out that the Senate currently has no African-Americans following Obama's election to the presidency. Rush said he plans to lobby the Senate to seat Burris.

    Federal authorities, citing secret wiretap recordings, allege Blagojevich sought a Cabinet position, an ambassadorship or a high-paying job from the incoming Obama administration in exchange for naming a candidate favored by Obama to the vacancy. An internal report by the Obama transition team found no offers of any quid pro quo in conversations held by incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and Blagojevich and the governor's staff regarding the seat.

    Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White also said he would not certify Burris if Blagojevich chose him.

    "As I have previously stated publicly, I cannot co-sign a document that certifies any appointment by Rod Blagojevich for the vacant United States Senate seat from Illinois," White said in a statement. "Although I have respect for former Attorney General Roland Burris, because of the current cloud of controversy surrounding the governor, I cannot accept the document."

    Burris left his downtown consulting office about 1:15 p.m., getting congratulatory hugs from several employees. But Burris refused comment when asked whether he was going to accept the appointment after word that Senate Democratic leadership would not seat him.

    Shortly after Obama's Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in the Senate appointment but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. In the days following Blagojevich's arrest - and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment - Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor's support.

    Though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama's replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he's never lost to a Republican.

    Blagojevich's criminal defense attorney Ed Genson had said Blagojevich would not name a Senate successor to Obama. The governor had indicated he agreed with other Illinois politicians that the best option might be a special election to fill Obama's seat. But state lawmakers did not take up the necessary legislation.

    Burris has given more than $20,000 to Blagojevich's campaign fund on his own and through his consulting and law firms, state campaign finance records show. Burris' consulting company received about $290,000 in state contracts with the Illinois Department of Transportation a few years ago, according to state comptroller records.

    Burris became the first African-American to win statewide office in 1978, when he won the first of his three terms as comptroller. But Burris repeatedly stalled in his quest for bigger political office. He failed in three consecutive runs for governor - 1994, 1998 and 2002, when he ran against Blagojevich - in the Democratic primaries.

    A special state House committee is weighing whether to recommend impeaching Blagojevich, and a leading member of the panel today called the news "incredibly ill-advised."

    Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said he believed his colleagues on the panel "will take the position that the timing is so wrong as to put a cloud over the appointment."

    "It certainly wouldn't be a legal cloud," Lang said. "It would be more of a political cloud."

    Rep. Jim Durkin, the Republican spokesman on the impeachment panel, said he is drafting a letter to Burris calling for him to reject the appointment.

    "I think the governor can do what he wants, but I think that Roland Burris should not accept it," Durkin said. "He left government under a good standing, and this is not a way to re-enter it. If he does accept it, I will take any means necessary to have him testify before the special (impeachment) committee."

    Durkin, citing the federal probe into Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell the Senate seat, said the matter is at the heart of the impeachment investigation and the federal criminal charges against the governor. Durkin said he wants to know when Burris talked to the governor or any of his aides about the Senate appointment, what was discussed and what, if any, material was submitted.

    "If he does accept this," Durkin said, "I want to know the circumstances on which his name rose to the top in the last 24 hours."

    Durkin said he knew of nothing that Burris had done improper, noting "he's a good and decent man."

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