Burris won't seek election to Senate in 2010

Apparently reading the writing on the wall, embattled Sen. Roland Burris is set to announce today that he will not seek election to the post he was handed by ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democratic source tells the Daily Herald.

While Burris' shrinking group of supporters will be disappointed, so too will be some of his biggest critics - Republicans.

"Burris would have been the gift that keeps on giving to Republicans," said Kent Redfield, political professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. "The commercials write themselves."

Burris' own party elite, including Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, have been pushing him to resign or at least not seek election.

After taking the appointment against the advice of party leaders, the 71-year-old has been dogged by allegations he lied to the public when he originally said he didn't lobby Blagojevich for the post as Barack Obama took the White House.

Blagojevich was arrested on charges including that he tried to sell the appointment for campaign cash. Burris took the appointment when others who were more popular than him wouldn't as Blagojevich refused to step down following the December arrest.

Once begrudgingly seated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Burris conceded he had been lobbying for months for the post at the same time he was trying to raise money for and personally donating to the governor.

The controversy sparked a U.S. Senate ethics panel inquiry, which is ongoing. A wiretapped phone call was then made public of Burris talking with the governor's brother about the appointment and fundraising.

All of that was sure to be a focal point of the Senate Democratic primary if Burris decided to run. Plus, the former attorney general's presence threatened to cause a racial divide as most of his base remained in Chicago's black community.

Even if Burris didn't survive the primary, as few political observers expected he would, the battle would have only reminded voters about the whole Blagojevich debacle and the party's failure to remove Burris from office.

"He would have been just like a piñata for Republicans," Redfield said.

But many GOP brass are reluctant to admit they wanted to see Burris stick around after having bashed him for so long.

Pat Brady, Republican National Committeeman from Illinois and St. Charles resident, said Thursday it is good for the state that Burris doesn't run again. And he contends other Democratic candidates will make good piñatas too.

"There will be plenty of differences we will be able to point out," he said.

A lot is at stake.

National Democratic leaders were fearful Burris would sink their chances at maintaining their Senate dominance, which now stands at a 60-vote supermajority.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was even summoned to the Obama White House last month as the president's political strategists lobbied her to make a Senate bid.

Madigan has been seen as the strongest Democratic contender in the state, but she announced Wednesday she will only seek a third term to her current office come next year.

Meanwhile, the field on both sides of the aisle is likely to come into picture over the coming weeks. Petitions are set to be circulated next month for February's primary.

Republican leaders have been supportive of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park, who GOP sources say began calling around to signal his intention of running on Wednesday.

On the Democratic side, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Chicago Urban League CEO Cheryle Jackson and Merchandise Mart boss Chris Kennedy are all exploring a bid.

Burris, most recently a lobbyist, has scheduled a news conference to make a "major announcement" at 2 p.m. today in Chicago's South Loop area, according to his office.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Audio</h2> <ul class="audio"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=4&type=audio&item=47">Burris, Rob Blagojevich phone call </a></li> </ul> <h2>Related documents</h2> <ul class="morePdf"> <li><a href="/pdf/526order.pdf">Court order to disclose Burris call</a></li> <li><a href="/pdf/526motion.pdf">Motion to disclose Burris call</a></li> </ul> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=305981">Roland Burris retrospective </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>