The dawn of a new age for America descended into procedural farce yesterday, riven by the politics of racial division and old-style corruption on which Barack Obama had hoped to turn the page.

As leaden skies poured freezing rain down on Washington the man chosen to replace the President-elect in the Senate was turned away from the US Capitol amid scenes of uproar and utter chaos.

Roland Burris has been appointed to fill the vacancy by Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Governor, who was recorded by the FBI allegedly seeking to sell the seat to the highest bidder.

Democratic leaders, backed by Mr Obama, say that they will not accept any appointment tainted by association with Mr Blagojevich. But Mr Burris, who would be the only African-American in the 100-strong Senate, insists that he has a legal right — “ordained by God” — to the seat.

Surrounded by a frantic scrum of reporters and camera crews with police screaming “make a way” and “get back on the sidewalk”, Mr Burris arrived at the gates of the Capitol yesterday morning.

He was greeted by the Sergeant-at-Arms Terrence Gainer and escorted to the Senate secretary’s offices, where he presented his credentials from the Governor. For the second time this week these were rejected and Mr Burris was denied the right to be sworn in with other senators for the opening of the 111th session of Congress.

Outside Mr Burris declared that although he had wished to avoid “any type of confrontation” the Senate secretary had informed him that the credentials “are not in order and will not be accepted”.

Timothy Wright, his lawyer, then told the impromptu press conference: “We were not allowed to be placed in the record books. We were not allowed to proceed to the floor for purposes of taking oath. All of which we think was improperly done and is against the law of this land.” He added that options, including a possible court challenge, were being considered and that Mr Burris planned to remain in Washington until his position had been resolved.

The dispute has not only revived memories of the corrupt machine politics in Mr Obama’s home town of Chicago that the President-elect would prefer to be forgotten, but also stirred some of the bitter racial tensions that have long since scarred the city.

Mr Obama was only the fifth black Senator in US history. Many African-American leaders in Chicago’s south side — where Mr Obama once worked as a community activist — regard the decision to bar Mr Burris as evidence that politics has not changed as much as the election of a black president might have suggested.

Congressman Bobby Rush, who roundly defeated Mr Obama in a primary race eight years ago, declared that the US Senate was the “last bastion of plantation politics”.

Such claims have been reinforced by disclosures that Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, had urged Mr Blagojevich against appointing other black candidates to the vacant seat because he doubted that they would win a state-wide election.

In recent days there have been hints that an uneasy Senate leadership might yet be willing to negotiate over Mr Burris’s position. Most legal experts believe that the lack of the Illinois Secretary of State’s signature on Mr Burris’s credentials — the basis on which he is being barred — has no basis in constitutional law.

Diane Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, last night broke ranks with Democratic colleagues by backing Mr Burris's claims.

"If you don't seat Mr Burris, it has ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America," she said. "Mr Burris is a senior, experienced politician. I am hopeful that this will be settled."

Yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony was also haunted by other absentees. Al Franken, who appears to have edged ahead by 225 votes after a much contested recount in Minnesota, has not been allowed to take the seat pending a legal challenge from the Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.

Hillary Clinton’s New York seat remains vacant with Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the assassinated President, favourite to be chosen as her replacement.

Joe Biden, however, the Vice-President-elect whose cavalcade delayed Mr Burris’s press conference, was sworn in again as Delaware’s Senator. It is unclear why he chose to do so when a replacement has already been chosen.

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