| | Burris avoids confrontation on Senate floor
 Senate-designee Roland Burris held a press conference after the secretary of the U.S. Senate informed him that he would not be seated.
Burris stated: "I presented my credentials to the secretary of the Senate and was advised that those credentials were not in order and I would not be accepted and seated and permitted on the floor. Therefore, I'm not seeking to have any type of confrontation. I will now consult with my attorneys and determine what the next step will be. Thank you all very much and God bless each and everyone of you. Thank you. My attorneys will now speak to you."
CNN reports, "Burris was surrounded by a swarm of reporters on Tuesday as he tried to join the other senators on the first day of the new Congress. Nancy Erickson, the secretary of the Senate, rejected Burris' appointment on Monday because Burris' certificate of appointment was missing the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, an aide to the secretary said. Rule 2 of the Standing Rules of the Senate states that the secretary of state must sign the certificate of election along with the governor.
"White has declined to sign the certificate, siding with some Senate Democrats who say Burris should not be seated because of the cloud over Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich," the CNN report continues.
This video is from Fox's Happening Now, broadcast Jan. 5, 2008.
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