>>>Correction: Obama's senate seat is vacant *now*. He has already resigned.
>>
>>Probably so the seat would get filled quickly and give the new Junior Senator from Illinois a little extra seniority. Doesn't look like that'll happen at this point.
>>
>>Tamar
>
>Actually, the account I read attributed it to allowing him to focus on the transition, unencumbered by Senate duties.

Makes sense to me. And since he was going to resign anyway and wasn't going to have time for the Senate, letting the seat open up and get filled sooner also makes sense. Had the governor not been such a slime, Illinois could have also benefited by a little extra seniority.

Tamar