Gutierrez talks with gov. about Obama's Senate seat

SPRINGFIELD _ U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez said Tuesday he would serve only two years if named to the Senate even though Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to appoint someone who would run for a full six-year term.

The difference would seem to eliminate Gutierrez as a possible replacement for Barack Obama, who resigned his Senate seat after being elected president.

But neither Gutierrez nor Blagojevich would go that far in statements after meeting in Chicago.

Gutierrez said he is "honored and gratified to be considered so seriously," while a spokesman said the governor thinks Gutierrez "would make an excellent senator."

The decision on who will replace Obama rests entirely in Blagojevich's hands. The Chicago Democrat can choose anyone who meets the constitutional requirements: An Illinois resident at least 30 years old who has been a U.S. citizen for nine years.

Blagojevich has said little about his criteria for choosing a replacement, and he hasn't publicly ruled out appointing someone who would simply serve out the rest of Obama's term and then step aside.

But others, such as Sen. Dick Durbin, have urged Blagojevich to pick someone who will use those two years to prepare for seeking a full term.

Gutierrez said that's the direction Blagojevich wants to go.

"Gov. Blagojevich shared with me today that he was very interested in me as a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat, but that his preference is to appoint someone who will run for a full term in 2010," he said.

"I want to spend the next two years serving my constituents and fighting for immigrants, not as a candidate for re-election to the U.S Senate," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat, just won a ninth term in the House, where he has focused on immigration issues. He considered challenging Chicago Mayor Richard Daley last year but decided to stay in the House after Democrats won control there, giving him more influence.

Durbin said he and Blagojevich discussed roughly 20 potential Obama replacements during a brief telephone call Monday. Durbin wouldn't comment on who he recommended for the job.

Among the names most often mentioned are U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., U.S. Rep. Janice Schakowsky and Tammy Duckworth, head of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs.