A Special Election, Barack

Open letter to President-Elect Barack Obama, Senator Reid, and Senator McConnell

Illinois Republican Leaders including Congressman John Shimkus, House Republican Leader Tom Cross, Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, ILGOP Chairman Andy McKenna, and Illinois Republican County Chairman's Association President Randy Pollard today released the following open letter to President-Elect Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to demand a special election to fill Illinois' vacant senate seat.

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January 2, 2009

President-Elect Barack Obama
230 South Dearborn
Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60604

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

President-Elect Obama, Leader Reid, Leader McConnell:

On Tuesday, December 31, 2008, 22 days after his arrest, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attempted to fill the vacancy of President-Elect Barack Obama’s United States Senate seat with former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

Immediately following Governor Blagojevich’s arrest on December 9th, Senator Dick Durbin proposed a special election to fill Senator Obama’s seat, a move that would have stripped Governor Blagojevich of his senate appointment power.

Illinois Republicans joined this call for a special election, as did prominent Democrats including Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President Emil Jones, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Because the Illinois General Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Madigan and President Jones, failed to follow through on their promise for a vote on a special election and other prominent Democrat supporters stood silently, Illinois now finds itself in the midst of, yet, another constitutional crisis.

A bi-partisan group of Republicans and Democrats in Illinois and Washington D.C. have made it clear that this appointment is unacceptable and that they will do everything in their power to ensure Mr. Burris will not be seated as Illinois’ next U.S. Senator.

In light of this unified rejection, the people of Illinois must have faith that their United States Senator is free of the Blagojevich taint that has embarrassed our state and the only way to ensure that is to fill the senate vacancy via a special election.

We strongly urge you to demand that House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones convene the Illinois Legislature next week to pass special election legislation.

The only way to solve this crisis legally and constitutionally, as quickly as possible, and prevent disgraced Governor Blagojevich from picking our U.S. Senator is to schedule a special election for U.S. Senate and let the people of Illinois decide once and for all.

Democrats this week scheduled a public hearing of the House Elections and Campaign Reform Committee for January 12th, the proper venue to address special election legislation. This meeting, however, could have happened prior to Governor Blagojevich’s senate appointment and needs to happen immediately for the people of Illinois to have a voice in their government.

Illinois Democrats’ failure to strip Governor Blagojevich of his senate appointment power has created a constitutional crisis that will encompass many months and leave the people without a U.S. Senator at a point when this country is facing some of the most serious issues of our time.

All across Illinois, Republicans and Democrats agree that Governor Blagojevich’s appointment should not stand. The national embarrassment and crisis can be solved by passing a special election and giving the people a voice in choosing their next U.S. Senator.

Let’s not make the same mistake twice.

For the sake of the people, our state, and our future, please call Speaker Madigan and President Jones now and demand they pass special election legislation.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus
House Republican Leader Tom Cross
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna
Illinois Republican County Chairman's Association President Randy Pollard

UPDATE:NLPC Says Barack Obama Invited Blagojevich Appointment of Roland Burris by Backing Off Call for Special Election

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Dec. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today reacted to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris to Barack Obama's Senate seat by saying:

"It's getting more difficult for Barack Obama to extricate himself from the political mess in Illinois. Obama and other leading Democrats should have stuck to their calls for a special election to fill his Senate seat, instead of reverting to a brokered process. It only invited this kind of shenanigans from Blagojevich.

"It is hard to see how Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris has less credibility or moral standing than one brokered by other Illinois politicians. They all come out of the same corrupt culture that includes both parties.

"Much of the initial media coverage of Blagojevich missed the point. I don't believe was he was out of control or some sort of lone wolf. I believe his intercepted conversations are typical of politicians in Illinois and other states.

"The media focus on Obama's Senate seat is justified but it is obscuring equally important information from the FBI affidavit, namely the role of Obama's political sponsor Tony Rezko as Blagojevich's bagman. I doubt Rezko had one set of ethical standards when Obama was in the room, and another when he was with Blagojevich."

NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.