The 44th President of The United States of America - Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.

In full accord with The United States Constitution, the part we all know, we once again witnessed a peaceful transfer of power.

This is a feat that NO other country has ever been able to do for as long as we have. For over 200 years we have been witnesses to what many other Republics can still only hope to achieve.

We also were witnesses to the centuries-old traditions of pomp and ceremony of which such an astounding achievement is worthy.

Do not let this event pass without realizing the profound significance.

Do not be lulled into a sleep induced by how well we do this wonderful, peaceful transition.

History tells us it will not last.

We must remain ever vigilant.

Ever ready to preserve such greatness; for it is greatness that allows us such an event to be peaceful.

President-Elect Barack H. Obama

Despite how uninformed or uninterested the Obama camp was with The United States Constitution, with all of their attempts to pretend otherwise, there was no President-Elect until the votes of the Electors of the Several States were tabulated and certified.
As directed in Article II Section 1:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

and
Amendment 12:

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;

The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;

The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed

The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed

As President of The Senate, Vice-President Cheney announced

"Pursuant to the Constitution and laws of the United States, the Senate and House of Representatives are meeting in joint session to verify the certificates and count the votes of the electors of the several states,"

VP Cheney then opened and presented, in alphabetical order, the certificates of the electoral votes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Each certificate was read by two members of The Senate; Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Robert F. Bennett, R-UT, and two members of the House; Robert A. Brady, D-PA, and Vernon J. Ehlers, R-MI.

After the reading of the certificates, which were without objections, the vote totals were read:

Barack H. Obama/Joseph R. Biden, Jr. - 365

John S. McCain/Sarah L. Palin - 173

Congratulations and Godspeed, Mr. President-Elect Barack H. Obama and Mr. Vice-President-Elect Joseph R. Biden

United States Senate blocks seating of Constitutionally Qualified Senator

The United States Senate has determined that the Constitutionally appointed Senator Burris does not meet their standards.
However, The United States Constitution has spelled out the necessary qualifications in Article I Section 3:

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

Mr Burris is 71 years of age.
Mr Burris is a citizen of the United States.
Mr Burris is an Inhabitant of The State of Illinois.

So far Mr Burris has met all qualifications.

The Senate is not basing their standards on The United States Constitution.
While it is true that

Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members

Those qualifications are fully met, as we have already seen.

The Senate is basing their standard on a technicality that is in The Senates rulebook. They require the Secretary of State of The Senator's State to sign his credentials.
A seemingly reasonable point considering that each State of the Union has such a requirement to legally determine their own elections.
One thing, though, is very different here. Senator Burris was not elected. Senator Burris was appointed to The Senate in full accord with Illinois State law and The 17th Amendment to The United States Constitution

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

Illinois State law does not require any Secretary of State signature, nor does The United States Constitution.

There is absolutely no Constitutional basis for the exclusion of Senator Burris.