Politics

CHICAGO (CBS) ― After expressing public doubts about Roland Burris's political future, Sen. Dick Durbin now wants a face-to-face meeting with his embattled colleague. CBS 2 has learned Durbin hopes to meet Burris as early as Tuesday. CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports that as Sen. Burris was still boycotting reporters, potential Republican challengers were declaring Burris a political embarrassment.

"Roland Burris, if he wants to, will continue to be the senator from our state," said U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk. "One who is uniquely unable to accomplish anything."

Despite the scorn of critics such as North Shore Congressman Mark Kirk, Sen. Burris showed every sign of continuing to fight today – even though he stayed largely out of sight.

A source close to Sen. Burris said he spent at least part of the day working in his Senate office. Another source says he spent part of the day meeting with lawyers, not least about that potential perjury investigation he's facing in Sangamon County, and the concurrent U.S. Senate Ethics Committee review.

One measure of how isolated politically Burris is: a former paid consultant to Burris denounced his former client's "PR fiasco."

"I need to let folks know that I have not been involved in the decisions that have led to the public relations fiasco over the past week. In fact, I actively counseled his team to take very different actions, to no avail," wrote D.C.-based Political Consultant Bud Jackson.

Other top Democrats are feeling heat. After calling on Burris to resign, the state Capitol's Springfield Journal-Register newspaper declared in a follow-up editorial:

"Durbin and Obama must write an end to this surreal story. It's up to Burris's closest colleagues to close out this sad sequel."

Especially sad, according to another potential Republican candidate, because of the worldwide ridicule Illinois must endure.

"And now we have a United States senator who has become a national punchline," said U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam.

As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, on Sunday, the Better Government Association called for Burris' resignation.

Burris spokesman Jim O'Connor says the senator is in Chicago now but plans to be in Washington on Tuesday for the joint session of Congress. It will be Burris' first appearance in the nation's capital since he acknowledged trying to raise money for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich while seeking the Senate appointment.

Burris reportedly met with federal investigators over the weekend and was questioned about former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but Burris is not a target of that investigation.

Meanwhile, the Senate Ethics Committee will reportedly begin looking at Burris' actions to see if they amount to what the Senate would call misconduct.

Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky wants the Senate Ethics Committee to act fast. The panel has started a preliminary inquiry on Burris that may look into the events leading up to his appointment and his testimony about those events.

But political analyst Paul Green says that committee probably won't make any decisions soon.

"It could take forever," he said. "Or it could be done very quickly."

And during that time, the committee has several options. It's possible that action could be as mild as issuing Burris a letter of admonition -- or a warning. But Green says that's just a slap on the wrist.

The Senate Ethics panel did issue such a letter to former Sen. Larry Craig last year. Craig was charged with soliciting sex in an airport restroom in Minneapolis.

Or the panel could go as far as sending the matter to the full Senate for the most severe form of chastisement -- expulsion from the senate. Green thinks that's unlikely in Burris' case.

"What all of this hullaballoo has done, it has almost made it impossible for him to run in the 2010 Democratic primary next February," he said. "It would be almost impossible. There would have to be seven people running and him for him to have a chance of winning the nomination because of all this bad publicity."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared Monday that he "will work with" Burris as long as Burris remains a senator.

Burris told friends today that the law is on his side - that the Sangamon County State's Attorney has no reason to charge him with perjury for failing to tell the whole truth to an Illinois House committee.

CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery, CBS 2's Joanie Lum and Pamela Jones, and the Associated Press, contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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