CBS 2's Mike Flannery sorted through the speculation about Obama's U.S. Senate replacement last night and offered up some interesting -- and unsourced -- developments. According to Flannery, the top three names on Gov. Blagojevich's shortlist are Tammy Duckworth, Emil Jones, and Rep. Luis Gutierrez. He further reported that former 10th District congressional candidate Dan Seals is perhaps being considered and that sources "all but rule out Jesse Jackson Jr." as a potential pick. Finally, Attorney General Lisa Madigan distanced herself from the process. Watch it:
Meanwhile, Sen. Dick Durbin indicated yesterday that he's hoping to meet with Blagojevich to discuss the matter today:
“If I could meet with the governor — and we’re trying to set that up right now — I want to keep it confidential between us,” Durbin said. “(Planning a meeting) has been a little more difficult than I thought, but I think we’re going to be able to do it tomorrow.”
Durbin said some of his picks are not on the lists circulating through the media. His main concerns, he said, are finding someone who can represent all of Illinois’ 102 counties and can work well with him in Washington, D.C.
By all accounts, Durbin and Blagojevich have an icy, distant relationship, so it will be interesting to see if this meeting actually occurs.
(H/T HuffPo Chicago)
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