Democrats in the House met yesterday and aired “differences of opinion on the best way to proceed” with a special election for Obama’s seat, Brown said. The differences could not be overcome so a vote on taking the decision away from Blagojevich was “deferred for now,” he said.
They’re now facing criticism from state and national Republicans, who accuse Democrats of propping up the guv to preserve the Democratic lock on the Senate seat.
“Shame on you,” Representative William Black, deputy leader of Republicans in the House, shouted during a debate in the state capitol building in Springfield. “We had an opportunity to limit the power of this governor and you refused.”
The move puts the body at odds with calls from Obama himself and other national Democrats to hold a special election. RNC Chair Mike Duncan, with an eye on his run for reelection, let loose on the state Dems:
“It’s extremely disappointing that Democratic leaders in Illinois are ignoring bipartisan calls for a special election to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat. Considering the scandal surrounding Governor Rod Blagojevich’s administration, a special election is the only way to credibly fill the seat. I hope that Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan puts good government before partisan politics, and will heed Senator Durbin’s call for a special election.”
County clerks in Illinois are complaining about the extra dough needed to run a special election, but are hopeful that a special election would coincide with scheduled state elections, with a primary on Feb. 24 and an April 7 general election. Those are the dates put forward in draft legislation:
“This is not something that’s being welcomed by a lot of county clerks from a financial standpoint, because we’re not the only county in this situation,” Aiello said of a special election. Madison County Clerk Mark Von Nida said that even though money might be a problem, the need for a special election is indisputable. “It’s necessary,” Von Nida said. “The next part of that is to be mindful of the expense.”
