Defiant governor names Obama replacement

December 31, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

CHICAGO (AP) — Gov. Rod Blagojevich exercised what is left of his power Tuesday with a stunning but probably futile move: appointing someone to the U.S. Senate seat federal prosecutors accuse him of trying to sell.

Senate leaders say they will not accept anyone Blagojevich appoints because of the legal cloud over him, but the governor tried to shift focus from himself to his appointee — former state Attorney General Roland Burris — as soon as he announced the pick.

“Please don’t allow the allegations against me to taint a good and honest man,” the governor said, turning to the smiling 71-year-old standing by his side. “This is about Roland Burris as a U.S. senator, not about the governor who made the appointment.”

His choice injected race into the drama surrounding the Democratic governor. Burris, the first black elected to major statewide office in Illinois, would replace President-elect Barack Obama, who had been the Senate’s only black member.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush rose at the news conference and suggested that to reject Burris was to “hang and lynch” him. That sentiment was not shared by Obama.

“Roland Burris is a good man and a fine public servant, but the Senate Democrats made it clear weeks ago that they cannot accept an appointment made by a governor who is accused of selling this very Senate seat. I agree with their decision,” the president-elect said in a statement.

Blagojevich is a confrontational politician who has resisted calls to resign, but even those who once had a good relationship with the governor could only speculate on what was behind his decision to make an appointment.

“It could range from he could prove to people that he’s still governing,” said Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross. “I don’t know if it fits into some approach he has on his defense. I think it could also be a guy that’s akin to a rabid dog in a corner who’s just going to lash out and go after anybody he can, and kind of angry at the world, and ‘I’ll show you.’”

Burris served as comptroller as well as attorney general and ran for governor three times — the last time losing to Blagojevich.

He said he has no connection to the charges against Blagojevich, who was arrested earlier this month.

Even before the announcement, which was leaked several hours before, the governor’s move ran into opposition.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who must certify the appointment, said Tuesday he will not do so. And Senate leaders reiterated that they would not accept anyone appointed by Blagojevich.

In a statement Tuesday, Senate Democrats maintained that Blagojevich should not make the appointment because doing so would be unfair to Burris and to the people of Illinois.