The Senate blocks Burris

Scandal plagued Governor Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to replace Obama in the Senate. Having previously said he would refuse to seat any appointment by the governor, Harry Reid followed through on his threat. Today the Secretary of the Senate refused to certify Burris.

Roland Burris was denied entry to the U.S. Senate Tuesday morning, when the Secretary of the Senate said his credentials were not in order.

But as CBS 2’s Joanie Lum reports, Burris’ attorneys say he is still looking for ways to take the seat.

Burris, who introduced himself as the ”junior senator from state of Illinois,” told reporters outside the Capitol in Washington: “I presented my credentials to the Secretary of the Senate and was advised that my credentials are not are in order, and I will not be accepted, and will not be seated, and will not be permitted on the floor,” Burris said. “Therefore, I am not seeking to have any kind of confrontation. I will consult with my attorneys on what my next step will be.”

Burris obviously didn’t do anything wrong, but he had to realize when he accepted the appointment from Blagojevich that he would be at the center of a storm. I’m not sure why he didn’t turn it down just as Congressman Danny Davis did.  I agree with David Freddoso’s take:

Despite his respectable reputation for previous service, Burris chose to participate in a farcical appointment process that has helped Blagojevich re-assert his legitimacy in the face of grave political scandal.

On top of accepting this farcical appointment, he also went down to Washington to create a scene. All he did was allow himself to be used as a tool for Blagojevich.