A U.S. Congressman from Chicago isn’t being shy about wanting a promotion to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat. We report from our West Side bureau.
Democratic Representative Luis Gutiérrez has helped lead a legislative struggle -- unsuccessful, so far -- to provide millions of undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.
The Puerto Rican descendent says he and Governor Rod Blagojevich are on the same page on the issue. It’s the governor who gets to appoint Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate. Gutiérrez says he’s meeting with Blagojevich about the post next week.
GUTIERREZ: We’re good friends. We’ve been allies in this fight for comprehensive immigration reform and for the defense of immigrants. We’ll have that conversation.
Blagojevich’s office hasn’t confirmed that the two have an appointment.
Others on the governor’s list for Obama’s job include U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Jesse Jackson Jr., and Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth. The term lasts through 2010.
I’m Chip Mitchell, Chicago Public Radio.