Durbin: Hold a special election for Obama's Senate seat
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is calling for a special election to fill Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. Technically, Ill Gov. Rod Blagojevich still has the authority to appoint someone, but Durbin said, "No appointment by this Governor could produce a credible replacement."
In the wake of Blagojevich's arrest today on federal corruption charges, Durbin called this "a sad day for Illinois."
"If the allegations in the criminal complaint against Governor Blagojevich are proven true, he has clearly abused the public trust," Durbin said.
A statement from the Illinois Governor's office this afternoon says today's allegations will not impact the state's services, duties or function.
"Families will continue to receive health care, seniors and persons with disabilities the support and services they need, the hundreds of thousands of unemployed Illinoisans will still receive assistance. Our state will continue to ensure health, safety, and economic stability for the citizens of Illinois," the statement said.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/packages/2008/blagojevich/">Complete coverage of Blagojevich investigation</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>