Durbin wants special election to replace Obama
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/12/09/art.durbin.gi.jpg caption="Durbin is calling for a new election to replace Obama."](CNN) - Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday he wants a special election called to fill President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat.
At a press conference with reporters on Capitol Hill, Durbin said he wants the Illinois legislature to act quickly to pass a law setting a special election in light of news Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been charged with seeking financial gain over the appointment.
Currently Blagojevich has the sole authority to select Obama's successor, and is still able to do so unless he resigns or is impeached from office.
"No appointment by this governor under these circumstances could produce a credible replacement," Durbin said.
In the press conference with reporters, Durbin also defended his state, saying the vast majority of politicians in Illinois are honest.
"I believe that the overwhelming majority of politicians in Illinois and outside are honest, hard-working people in both political parties," he said. "There will always be exceptions in both political parties who – when given the opportunity to use power – misuse it."
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A good Republican? All are sleaze balls. All a Republican is going to do is borrow and borrow and borrow to spend money we dont have...
I agree
As a citizen of Illinois, you get used to basic, general corruption and city dealing because there is no way to stop it. Dealing for a federal office is a completely different matter. Did G-Rod learn nothing from our old Governor?
Obama can pay for the special election with the $750M he raised to buy the presidency.
The dysfunctional and illegitimate Republican party of Illinois doesn't even have a viable candidate they can put foward.
Blago can share a prison cell with the former Republican governor of Illinois, George Ryan.
Shocked! A corrupt Illinois politician? No way. Perhaps, investigators should look further into one Mr. Rezko and a sweet land deal with one Mr. Obama. Now, there's change we can be deceived in.
Before we have elections, we need to know the full background of this investigation. Other names need to be released. As Obama is based in Chicago and lot of these local politicians are interlinked with each other, the full truth of the issue should be out.
Stop dragging Obama into this.
And yes, they should have a special election.
Please, like he's the only one. Let's throw Palin in jail first for firing that guy first before we throw out Blago.
Durbin is a great Senator...
Obama was a great Senator...
Blagojevich is a scumbag...
Mark, B'ham., Al said hopefully a "good republican" will be elected. Well, Mark, seeing as you're all the way down in Alabama, maybe you didn't know that Blagojevich replaced a Republican who was just as crooked. So, it seems, the problem isn't that simple (as good old republicans always want it to be). I'm not defending the Governor, but let's not act like a republican is the answer.
Let the people of Illinois vote!
Alas! So many Republicans without corruption amongst them! Not. Let us not forget Randy Duke Cunningham–the King of Slime.
Jason said, "Why should the republicans, independents, green party etc…have to pay for a special election as a result of the liberal obama circle of corruption that brough down this mess?"
Ahhhh, I was waiting for the slippery-slope idiot to chime in! Thanks, you made my day!
IL NEEDS term-limits at all level of the government to remind politicians of their duties. This is the first step toward achieving harmony.
I agree with Durbin.
This is the typical chicago politics.
The dirtiest politics, corrupted governor, corrupted detriot mayor.
This is the audacity of HOPE.
Is this the change american people want/vote for?
Please elect Jesse Jackson Jr.
Republicans are desperate to get Republican senators in office now. Go cry a river somewhere else.
A special election makes sense under the curcumstances that exits. It would be the only way to have a person serve who would not be under a cloud of suspecion. I just does not make any sense for the Ill Governor to have done this – if he did – it is a sad day for our political system.
I hope Mark's comment was made with tongue-in-cheek , considering that the preceding Republican governor is also sitting in prison, convicted of bribery schemes. These two characters have done a lot of damage to Illinois' political image. Wait till we see what Obama does to it!
Nothing has changed in Chicago and Lake County politics since the days of John Daily. It has always been corrupt and ill considerate of even WWII disabled veterans. Ask my Father-in-Law; oh he died.
Yes an election is what we need. Another $650 million can be raised and the seat can be bought regardless of the action taken.
a good republican, what's that???? seriously.
To Jason, Rules, et al.
Grow up. This is a sitting second term governor. You don't even know your kids are looking at porn on your home computer. Why is it the president elect is responsible for everyone he knows or has met?
This is a sad day here in Chicago. Fitzgerald is a straight shooter and I know he will do his thing with the utmost integrity.
A special election is the only way to bring a level of integrity to the process.
So it seems all those around Obama from Illinois are corrupt...yet we're to simply believe he isn't? Where are the records of the millions of cash donations under 200$ that Obama refuses to release? The fact that his website didn't do a basic factcheck on credit card donations to make sure the names/addresses were real? A huge sum of his donations were from fraudulent sources, and he knows this, he expected it, was probably guaranteed it, and that is why he opted out of public financing.