Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Sunday that the U.S. Senate has the legal authority to block Roland Burris, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s appointment to replace President-elect Barack Obama, from taking office.

Blagojevich, who has been charged with trying to sell Obama’s now vacant Senate seat, defied the demands of Obama, Reid and other Democrats who asked him to forego naming a replacement because of the cloud that would hang over the selection.

Speaking on “Meet The Press” Sunday, Reid said that the U.S. Constitution gives senators the power to "determine who sits in the Senate, and the House determines who sits in the House. So there's clearly legal authority for us to do whatever we want to do. This goes back for generations."  Reid said that Blagojevich's appointment of former Attorney General Roland Burris is unworthy by association.

"There is a cloud over Blagojevich, and at this stage, over the state of Illinois. As long as Blagojevich has done the appointing, it's really a tainted appointment," he said. "The state of Illinois deserves a vote in the U.S. Senate. ... It's too bad Blagojevich has diverted attention from the real issue."

Reid also reiterated his call for the troubled Illinois governor to relinquish his position, saying, “He should do the right thing and step down.” If that were to occur, Pat Quinn, the lieutenant governor of Illinois, would take over as governor and decide who would replace Obama in the Senate.