Obama refuses to take stand on seating Burris

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama has declined to support giving his vacated Senate seat to former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

Obama told a news conference on Wednesday that the decision on whether to allow Burris to join the Senate is one for the Senate to make.

He said he has known Burris for years and would be happy to "work with him" if he ultimately gets seated but that he can't go further than that.

Burris' appointment to take the seat that Obama has vacated has been entangled in a controversy over the fact he got his appointment from embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois.