The 71-year-old first black Attorney General of Illinois, Roland Burris, has suddenly landed himself in the midst of the ongoing controversy surrounding the defamed Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich - he is the governor's pick for filling the Senate seat that President-elect Barack Obama has vacated!

Blagojevich made the announcement about his official selection of Burris at a press conference on Tuesday, and said: "I'm absolutely confident and certain that the US Senate is going to seat a man of Roland Burris's unquestioned integrity, extensive experience and his long history of public service. This is about Roland Burris as a US senator, not about the governor who makes the appointment."

However, the Democrats, Obama inclusive, opine that the scandal-plagued Blagojevich is not in a position to make such an appointment to the Senate seat he allegedly tried to sell for money. Even Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid and other Democratic leaders and Senate Republicans do not desire to seat Burris.

Meanwhile, Burris, trying to disassociate the matter of the legitimacy of his appointment from the Blagojevich scandal, said that for taking possession of his lawful seat, he was prepared to take on top Democrats. He requested the Illinois Supreme Court to press upon Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State, to certify his appointment.

Talking to ABC News, Burris said that his appointment is a legal one, and there are no legal grounds to prevent him from taking his seat. About the opposition, Burris said: "I think the other individuals will come around to realize that they cannot stand in violation of the United States Constitution."