Breaking: Blago's chief of staff quits

Perhaps the governor will follow suit.

From CBS 2 Chicago:

Gov. Rod Blagojevich's chief of staff has resigned, a spokesman for the governor confirmed.

Governor's office spokesman Lucio Guerrero confirmed to CBS 2 Political Producer Ed Marshall Friday that John Harris had resigned.

Harris and the governor were both named in a federal complaint alleging that they attempted to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Harris was arrested with the governor on Tuesday.

Harris' resignation comes as Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan appealed to state Supreme Court to force the governor out of office — at least temporarily — and as efforts have stepped up in Springfield to impeach the governor.

Harris once served as budget director for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Is Harris "singing like a canary?" What does he know? Probably a lot.

"The governor isn't around. He's never at the Thompson Center (My note: the defacto state capitol in Chicago, since Blagovich refuses to live in Springfield). . . . Everything goes through John Harris. He's been filling the void. John Harris thinks he's the governor," one longtime observer said.

Speculation is rampant the Harris was in touch with President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief-of-staff, Rahm Emanuel, over who would fill that vacant US Senate seat.

Technorati tags: illinois Rahm Emanuel democrats Election politics Obama Barack Obama Illinois Politics corruption Blagojevich metroblogging Richard Daley