Durbin: Keep Fitzgerald as US attorney

Yesterday I posted an entry regarding Governor Rod Blagojevich not returning Sen. Dick Durbin's calls.

"Blago," who is being investigated by the office of Patrick Fitzgerald, might be wishing he was more courteous to his fellow Democrat.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Friday that he will recommend another term for corruption-busting federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald if he wants to stay on as Chicago's U.S. attorney.

Durbin told a news conference that he first wants to sit down with Fitzgerald and ask him what he wants to do. Asked if he would recommend that President-elect Barack Obama renominate Fitzgerald, Durbin said: "Yes."

"I think he has done an extraordinary job as U.S. attorney; I have the greatest confidence in him," Durbin said. "I want to do what he wants to do, I want to support what he wants to do, and I won’t presume what that is."

Fitzgerald has aggressively prosecuted state and city officials for corruption. The previous governor, George Ryan, is serving a 6 1/2-year term for racketeering, and Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration is under investigation.

It was Fitzgerald's office that sucessfully prosecuted Barack Obama's longtime friend and fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

Obama has pledged not to fire Fitzgerald, but there is speculation that the president-elect might "promote" him to a similar position in his native New York, or perhaps "kick him upstairs" to a job with the Justice Department in Washington.

Durbin's endorsement of "Fitzmas" could mean that he'll stay in Chicago well past Christmas.

I've been pretty hostile to Durbin over the years, but he's right-on-the-money regarding Fitzgerald.

Over the objections of Illinois' political establishment, the New Yorker was brought to Chicago at the recommendation of Obama's predecessor in the Senate, Republican Peter Fitzgerald (no relation).

Technorati tags: politics Blagojevich illinois Democrats Illinois Politics Durbin Obama Barack ObamaGeorge Ryan Patrick Fitzgerald Tony Rezko Peter fitzgerald