Burris, his aides and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) have suggested that Democratic leaders are not recognizing Blagojevich’s pick because he is black.

“If you embarrass someone in public and cause a scene one day, your meeting with that person typically doesn’t go well the next day,” one senior aide said. “How can he expect to be a respected legislator who will get help with his agenda if he’s using threats and lawsuits to force his way into the chamber?”…

Meanwhile, a senior Democratic aide said efforts by Rush to win support for Burris behind the scenes seem to have met with limited success, as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) does not appear to be rallying behind Burris. One aide said Rush’s use of racial rhetoric at Burris’s press conference last month hurt the effort more than it helped.

“There is a sense that Rush is largely alone,” the aide said. “He kind of sealed his fate with his incendiary talk.”