On the blog Oxdown Gazette, progressive activist Ari Rabin-Havt has started a petition urging Gov. Blagojevich to tap Rep. Jan Schakowsky as Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate:
Jan is a rare commodity among Members of Congress. Not only does she know how to build power from the inside as a progressive, she also has a deep understanding of how issue campaigns are fought and won. This presents a unique opportunity – to put it simply:
Jan Schakowsky could be the next Paul Wellstone.
The magic of Paul Wellstone was not just his voting record, but his ability to use the Senate as a platform to wage progressive fights.
Meanwhile, at a news conference today, Blagojevich announced that he's going to take his time choosing Obama's successor and his search committee is going to be made up of his "senior staff members":
"The process begins today. The thinking begins today. The search begins today," Blagojevich said.
What the governor says he's looking for: someone who shares many of the Democratic ideals he and Obama share, including health care expansion, creating jobs, cutting taxes for working class people.
The governor said he hopes to have a decision made by New Year's, but there is no timeline.
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