Obama calls for Illinois governor to resign

PRESIDENT-elect Barack Obama called for Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich to resign yesterday, hours after the embattled governor reported for work amid charges he plotted to sell Obama’s vacant Senate seat.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president-elect agrees with other prominent politicians in Illinois and elsewhere that “under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois.”

Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday, accused of scheming to enrich himself by selling Obama’s open seat for cash or a lucrative job for himself. The governor has authority to appoint the replacement.