Mar 1, 2009 10:16 pm US/Central
Sen. Roland Burris Speaks To Supporters
Burris: 'I Will Continue to Serve You'
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Sen. Roland Burris has been in the middle of a firestorm of bad publicity and calls for his resignation, but Sunday, ministers, community leaders, and residents supported Burris. .
As CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports, after days of silence, Burris addressed supporters at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church. He
told them that he's been working hard to represent them in Washington. He made no mention of the increasing calls for his resignation.
Instead, he pointed to his accomplishments, including voting for President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill. And he says he proposed legislation to recognize the slaves who built the Capitol.
Burris promised the hundreds who showed up at the church that he will keep his job on Capitol Hill.
"Let me assure you that I will continue to serve you with the fullest of my ability, and that I will never, ever let you down. I will continue to serve you with honesty and integrity. That's all I know," Burris said.
Burris' six-minute speech skipped responding to critics' claims he gave conflicting statements to a House impeachment panel.
Instead he focused on the work he's done so far and the people he says he's working for.
"I want to thank all of you tonight," Burris said. "Even though I work in Washington, this city and this state will always be home." And your prayers…have been truly amazing."
But before the spirit and praise of the service, Burris backers blasted his opponents and the media, saying news reports have created the debate.
"The senator has not changed his answers. But he is rather attempting to more fully try to respond to the question being asked; and that you all are trying to do is to make something out of nothing," said Rev. Albert Tyson of Clergy Speaks Interdenominational.
"There is some kind of game being played," U.S. Rep Bobby Rush said. "But everybody is not fooled by these games, by this technology that everybody is engaged in."
The clergy surrounding the embattled senator in faith vow to stand with him regardless of the pressure they say they face.
"We are going to pray for this senator because we believe prayer will fix it," Tyson said.
The pastors warned that public officials who have said Burris should step down shouldn't expect their support in the next election.
"We are not playing -- this seat is too important," the Rev. Janette Wilson said. "We are not going to let you force our senator to resign."
Appearing with the ministers, Rush said that people calling for Burris' ouster have "a horse in the race" to replace him as senator. And he questioned Quinn's priorities in repeatedly calling for Burris to resign, saying the governor should concentrate on getting the state in order.
And Rush said Burris did not lie about the circumstances surrounding his appointment.
"My friends don't perjure themselves," Rush said.
Dolores Chesnut, 69, a retired Cook County medical administrator, visited New Covenant Sunday to hear Burris speak. She said he had been "greatly wronged" by reporters engaging in a "media frenzy."
"People are holding him to a double standard, but he has a lot of community support," Chesnut said. "I am very supportive of Roland Burris.
Before the service, the church's pastor said Burris is the right man for his job and shouldn't resign.
"We know Senator Burris and his character and his integrity in the past has been impeccable," said Rev. Stephen Thurston of the New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church. "And we simply believe him, when he says to us – looking straight in our face, that he has done nothing inappropriate. He may not have been as clear as he possibly could, and we understand that also. But we also don't believe he's been untruthful."
Saturday, Governor Pat Quinn told CBS 2 he's known Burris for some 37 years and expects that he'll reflect on all that's happening and choose another way to serve the people of Illinois.
But supporters CBS 2 talked to Sunday believe Burris has every right to fight to keep his position.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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