Democratic leaders chart path for seating Burris

Washington: Roland Burris, an also-ran for most of his career in Illinois politics, is on the verge of winning a showdown in Washington which pitted him against the leaders of the US Senate and the president-elect.

Democratic leaders on Wednesday laid out a path for Burris to join the Senate, a sharp reversal after both they and President-elect Barack Obama last week said his selection to fill Obama's former seat was tainted because he was appointed by embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

After meeting on Wednesday with Burris, who is a Democrat and a former attorney general of Illinois, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Majority Whip, Dick Durbin said the Senate would consider seating Burris if his appointment is certified by the Illinois secretary of state and the testimony he was due to deliver yesterday - in Springfield before a panel of legislators investigating Blagojevich - revealed no impropriety in the process during which Burris was appointed.

Appointment examined

The Senate's Rules and Administration Committee would then examine the appointment, and the full Senate is likely to then vote on whether to seat Burris, Reid said.

Senate Republicans have signalled they will not oppose the appointment. "We're going to do the best we can to make sure that the state of Illinois has two senators, not one senator," Reid told reporters outside his office after a session with Burris and Durbin.