Burris ‘Upbeat’ Despite Calls for His Resignation

Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) declared himself “upbeat” and “busy being a senator” Wednesday, a day after Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) suggested he resign from the chamber.

Burris, in the Senate to speak out about the District of Columbia voting rights bill, brushed off a reporter’s question about whether he was distracted.

“I’m too busy being a senator,” Burris said. “I’m upbeat. I’m proud of the president’s speech, I’m busy going from here to there, and I’m hard at work for the taxpayers of Illinois. There’s no distraction here.”

Durbin held a 59-minute meeting with Burris and privately and publicly called on him to resign for inconsistent explanations about his appointment by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Durbin said Burris told him he would not resign and he has not decided whether to run for re-election in 2010.

– J. Taylor Rushing