SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois lawmakers return to the state Capitol today with plans to disarm and dislodge Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose arrest in an alleged attempt to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat has thrown state government up for grabs.
But with Republicans looking to turn the tables on Democrats who control the statehouse, and disagreement among leaders over whether to proceed with impeachment and how to handle the Senate dilemma, the only certainty on the agenda is chaos.
Blagojevich, arrested Tuesday on charges alleging that he sought bribes for everything from Obama’s Senate seat to state jobs and contracts, met with a prominent defense attorney Sunday but stayed largely out of sight.
In his absence, leading Democrats and Republicans jockeyed for position .
Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he unveiled the third in his evolving positions on the Senate seat, which the governor has sole authority to fill under state law.
Quinn said he considering legislation that would allow for a temporary appointment to the Senate to fill the Obama vacancy until a special election could be held. That’s somewhere between his first position in support of a special election and his second position that he should make the appointment if Blagojevich resigns or is tossed out through impeachment.
Quinn is still calling for his two- time running mate to resign.
Appearing with Quinn, fellow Democrat Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose father is Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party chairman, once again declined to rule out accepting an appointment to the Senate.
Appointing Madigan to Senate could give Quinn a clearer shot in the 2010 race for governor, in which she is expected to be a strong candidate with the backing of her father.
Seeking to head off a Democratic power play, Republicans came out with a campaign aimed at tying Democratic leaders to the blossoming Blagojevich scandal while ensuring that the GOP has a shot at the Senate seat through a special election.
Blagojevich met for the second straight day with criminal defense attorney Ed Genson, who told reporters he expects to be hired as the governor’s lawyer. Emerging with his wife, Patricia, from Genson’s office Sunday evening, Blagojevich ignored reporters’ shouted questions and wished everyone a merry Christmas.
