ROLAND BURRIS: NOT JUST AN ILLINOIS SENATE SEAT FILLER

His lawyer said he wouldn't, the DNC said he shouldn't, and the Senate leaders said he couldn't. But today, Illinois Governor Blajovich has ended the speculation, and appointed long time Illinois politician Roland Burris to fill the vacant seat left by President-elect Barack Obama.

Burris, an Illinois public servant for over 30 years, during which he has enjoyed the respect and confidence of the Illinois electorate, all those he has served with. Burris has an enviable resume as a ground breaking African-American, arguably leading the way for those African Americans to follow, not the least of which is our current president-elect. Here are the highlights of Mr. Burris' political career.....

After graduating from law school, he became the first African-American National Bank Examiner for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for the U.S. Treasury Department.

From 1973 to 1977, he was appointed by Illinois Governor Dan Walker as Director of the Department of Central Management Services.

He was National Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Operation PUSH from January to October 1977. He was in private law practice from October 1977 to January 1979.

From 1979 to 1991, Burris was elected to the office of Comptroller of Illinois. He was the first African American to be elected to a statewide office in the state of Illinois. He was elected to an unprecedented three terms.

From 1991 to 1995, he was Attorney General for the State of Illinois, where he headed over 500 lawyers. There, he was the second African American elected to the office of Attorney General in the United States.

He has been in private law practice since 1995, when he lost in a bid to become Governor (and additional attempts in subsequent years), and in 1996, Mayor of Chicago.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has responded to the announcement by saying that the Senate will not seat Burris, citing Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution, which states that "Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members". However, the United States Supreme Court ruling of Powell v. McCormack suggests the Senate may not be able to prevent Burris from being seated. If Burris is seated, the Senate could opt to expel him, but it would take a two-thirds vote.

Since Barack Obama was only the fourth African American to serve in the U.S. Senate since reconstruction, I highly doubt that they will find one-third of the Senate to refuse to seat Mr. Burris, much less the required two-thirds. In my opinion, to do so would be political suicide.

When was the last time the Senate refused to seat a member? 1947, when Mississippi Democrat Theodore Bilbo was accused of corruption and bribery. And Roland Burris ain't no Bilbo.