In my opinion, Obama should have done this yesterday. We are going to have to get used to his cautiousness. He doesn’t like to act until he has all the facts, which is better than going off half cocked like Bush. Robert Gibbs confirms the demand:
CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama is calling for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday.
Gibbs said Obama agrees with other prominent politicians that “under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois.”
Obama also wants a special election:
In response to questions from The Associated Press, Gibbs said Obama believes the Illinois legislature should consider a special election to fill the seat. Gibbs said the hope is to put a process in place to select a new senator who will have the trust and confidence of the people of Illinois.
Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous “Senate Candidate #5” whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News. […]Jackson Jr. said this morning he was contacted yesterday by federal prosecutors in Chicago who he said “asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process.”
Jackson Jr. said “I don’t know” when asked if he was Candidate #5, but said he was told “I am not a target of this investigation.”
Jackson Jr. said he agreed to talk with federal investigators “as quickly as possible” after he consults with a lawyer.
The Congressman, a son of the famed civil rights leader, denied that anyone had been authorized to make payments or promises to the Governor on his behalf.