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Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 March 2009 11:40 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 3 March 2009 11:40
From abpNews:
Calls for embattled Sen. Roland Burris to resign from the Senate are dividing his fellow Illinois Democrats along racial lines.
Burris, the only black United States senator, is under fire for conflicting statements about his relationship with disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The recently deposed governor appointed Burris to the seat formerly held by President Obama before Blagoevich was removed from office and charged with trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder.
White Democrats — including Burris’ Senate colleague Dick Durbin, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Attorney General Lisa Madigan — all want the senator to step down and allow voters to decide his replacement. African-American politicians and clergy leaders claim Burris is being held to a higher standard than the other 99 senators.