Crain's Chicago Business reports:
The state's top two legislative leaders Tuesday said they will move fast to seize control of the process of selecting a replacement for Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, taking that power away from Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
In separate statements, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones said they will call a special legislative session next week to repeal the state law that now gives the governor the power to fill Mr. Obama's seat. Both said they will press instead for a special election to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Obama's term.
"I am prepared to convene the House next Monday to change state law to provide for a special election for the U.S. Senate replacement," Mr. Madigan said. "I would urge U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin to take note of this action."
In addition, Durbin urged the Illinois state House and Senate to settle on a special election that could withstand a Blagojevich veto.
One potential Senate pick said Tuesday that he doesn't want the job if it's "tainted" by the scandal surround Blagojevich.
ABC News reports:
Rep. Danny Davis -- who has been actively lobbying for an appointment to the Senate -- said Tuesday that he doesn't want the job if it's "tainted" by the allegations leveled at Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Davis, D-Ill., stopped short of saying he wouldn't accept the appointment to fill the remaining two years of President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat, pointing out that Blagojevich hasn't been indicted on any crimes, much less convicted...
"Obviously the process is tainted and people [who want the seat] would have to think twice and would want to think twice about what would happen to them, especially if they were running for re-election," Davis said. "I wouldn't want a tainted job, but there is still going to be the need for the state of Illinois to have a second senator."
Davis said he hopes Blagojevich is cleared of wrongdoing, notwithstanding the damaging quotes contained in the criminal complaint.
"I'm hoping that it's not how it looks. It looks terrible. It looks bad. I mean I've read the information and the allegations and they're hard to believe," Davis said. "You know, Gov. Blagojevich has a way sometimes of talking where he's sort of joking saying things, and who knows? I mean it may be a part of that, though I'm not suggesting that it is or that it actually looks that way."
A spokesman for another potential contender, Tammy Duckworth, claimed that she had not discussed the position with Blagojevich, according to the Associated Press:
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth hasn't met or spoken with Gov. Rod Blagojevich about replacing President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate, a spokeswoman for Duckworth said.
Check Huffpost's Rod Blagojevich BigNews Page for up-to-the-minute updates on the Blagojevich charges.