Obama Leaving Senate on Sunday

President-elect Barack Obama announced that he will resign his Senate seat effective Sunday, leaving Gov Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) to choose from among a host of willing successors for the final two years of the Democrat's term. Among the contenders for Obama's seat are two members of Congress from Chicago -- Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. and Rep. Jan Schakowsky -- and the head of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, Tammy Duckworth. All are strong supporters of Obama and have made clear they would jump at the chance to take the appointment. Other possibilities include Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a rising political star and potential rival to Blagojevich in his quest for reelection, and Illinois Senate leader Emil Jones Jr., a mentor to Obama in the mid-1990s. Chicago businesswoman Valerie Jarrett, an Obama confidante, has taken her name out of consideration.