Obama: Staff not involved in Senate seat deals

updated 7:35 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2008

CHICAGO - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich kissed his wife, rode in his state SUV to the office and sat down at his desk Thursday behind a bust of Lincoln and an American flag to portray "a return to normalcy." It was anything but.

An extraordinary drama built through the day in Chicago as the political establishment of Illinois and the nation lined up against him.

While the governor was working — his spokesman would not say on exactly what — President-elect Barack Obama told a news conference just a couple of blocks away that Blagojevich should go. Obama said he was "appalled and disappointed" over allegations that Blagojevich tried to sell his vacant U.S. Senate seat and insisted there was no involvement by himself or his staff.

Obama, speaking directly for the first time on the scandal that has distracted from his otherwise smooth transition, said he was "appalled" by the allegations.

"What I'm absolutely certain about is that our office had no involvement in any dealmaking around my Senate seat. That I'm absolutely certain of," he said. "That would be a violation of everything that this campaign has been about. And that's not how we do business."

Nothing in the federal complaint suggests any wrongdoing by Obama or his staff. But the accusations against Blagojevich are an unwelcome distraction to Obama's transition, bringing fresh attention to some of the unsavory characters that have connections, however distant, to Obama and to questions of whether he can follow through on his message of change and clean government.

Aiming to put to rest any questions about involvement by any of his staff, Obama said he never spoke to Blagojevich about the choosing of his successor. He also for the first time addressed the issue of whether his transition staff had any contacts.

"I am confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat," Obama said. "I think the materials released by the U.S. attorney reflect that fact." As to whether any aides were involved in Blagojevich's alleged dealmaking schemes, he said he was "absolutely certain" they were not.

Obama called again on Blagojevich to resign.

8 percent approval rating
Blagojevich's approval rating dropped to an all-time low of 8 percent, and friends and foes alike feared if they don't act swiftly to get rid of him, he might commit some kind of political mischief.

Slideshow   Under a cloud A look at Gov. Blagojevich’s career and the recent charges against him. more photos

"The governor is in office, and he needs to be removed from office," Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said. "It is an urgent matter. Illinois is in crisis."

The governor showed no signs of buckling to growing demands that he quit or be removed after his arrest Tuesday on corruption charges alleging that he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder.

At the same time, Illinois lawmakers were organizing impeachment efforts, and the state attorney general said that if the governor were not impeached, she would seek a court order finding him unfit to serve.

Blagojevich's mood: 'Upbeat'
The governor spent the day at his wooden desk, reviewing budget issues and talking to his closest aides.

Video   Once again, scandal heats up the Windy City Dec. 11: The state of Illinois is no stranger to political corruption. NBC's Lee Cowan reports. Nightly News

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero described the governor's mood as "upbeat" and "positive" and said "there's a sense of trying to return to normalcy." He said he knew of no decision about Blagojevich's political future or what the governor might do with the Obama seat.

Blagojevich's next move was the subject of great speculation in Illinois and around the country. Some observers wondered whether he might be seeking a deal with prosecutors to use the governor's office as a bargaining chip, possibly agreeing to step down in exchange for leniency.

But there was also worry that the governor might still pick a senator or even appoint himself to the job.

His refusal to step down has struck some as odd given the fact that wiretaps portrayed him as bored with his job, saying he was "struggling financially" and did "not want to be governor for the next two years."

But staying in office provides a financial benefit amid the turmoil: He continues to draw a $177,000-a-year salary.

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