Can Burris pick favor Illinois governor?

January 1, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

A black lawmaker said it’s not enough to help Blagojevich.

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s choice of a veteran black politician to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat could be a shrewd move, potentially helping win over black lawmakers eyeballing his impeachment and perhaps even jurors in his corruption case.

But is the appointment enough to save the embattled two-term Democrat in the face of nearly universal opposition?

“There’s no empathy for him because he’s done a good thing,” said state Sen. Donne Trotter, a black Democrat from Chicago who would vote whether to convict Blagojevich if the Illinois House impeached him.

Blagojevich’s surprising appointment of Roland Burris was officially rejected by Secretary of State Jesse White as expected Wednesday. Burris responded by filing paperwork asking the Illinois Supreme Court to force White to certify his appointment.

Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, asked a judge for another three months to indict Blagojevich, saying they have “thousands” of intercepted phone calls and “multiple” people to assess. A 90-day extension would give prosecutors until April 7.

Burris said he planned to show up in Washington when new members are sworn in Tuesday and ask to be seated as the Senate’s lone black. He said he would not cause a scene if he’s turned away, as Democratic leaders have promised to do.

“That is not my style. I am not seeking to be confrontational,” the former Illinois attorney general and comptroller said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“I’m not in any way seeking to play the race card in this situation,” he said. “Under no circumstances.”

But in a round of interviews on morning news shows and cable networks, Burris didn’t exactly shy away from the race issue. He would not speculate on whether Blagojevich was currying favor with blacks by naming an African-American to replace Obama, and he didn’t think the seat necessarily had to be filled by another black lawmaker.

“It is a fact: There are no African-Americans in the United States Senate,” he said on NBC’s “Today.” “Is it racism that is taking place? That’s a question that someone may raise.”

In Washington, Senate Democratic officials spent New Year’s Eve reviewing procedures that haven’t been used in decades in anticipation of Burris’ arrival on Tuesday. They also were searching for a way to defuse the dispute, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

They expected to make a motion to refer Burris’ credentials to the Rules Committee for a review, then to deny Burris floor privileges until the investigation is completed.