ILLINOIS LEGISLATORS have taken the first step towards removing from office the state's governor, Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested last week for allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder.
The state's house speaker, Mike Madigan, yesterday established a 21-member panel comprising 12 Democrats and nine Republicans to consider impeaching the governor, who has shown no sign that he is willing to step down.
"We have given the governor six days to resign," Mr Madigan said yesterday.
"He's declined to take this opportunity to resign."
Mr Obama's spokesman said yesterday that the president-elect would release details of all contacts between his staff and the governor's office about the senate seat within a few days. Mr Obama has insisted that none of his staff were involved in any discussions about offering Mr Blagojevich an inducement to choose a particular candidate.
Prosecutors say that wiretaps on the governor's home and office recorded numerous conversations in which Mr Blagojevich discussed the prospect of winning jobs for himself and his wife and more than $1 million (€730,000) in campaign contributions as part of a deal with prospective candidates and their backers.
Republicans are pressing for a special election to fill the seat, arguing that the selection process has been tainted.
The New York Times reported yesterday that Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the assassinated president, will ask New York governor David Patterson to appoint her as Hillary Clinton's successor as senator from New York.
Mrs Clinton is due to become secretary of state in the new administration and a number of prominent New York politicians, including attorney general Andrew Cuomo, have been mentioned in connection with the New York seat.
Democratic congressman Gary Ackerman said last week that he did not know what Ms Kennedy's qualifications were, "except that she has name recognition - but so does J Lo", a reference to singer and actor Jennifer Lopez.
Meanwhile Barack Obama has chosen Nobel prize-winning physicist Stephen Chu as his energy secretary.
He has also picked Carol Browner, who headed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under former president Bill Clinton, to lead a policy council to co-ordinate climate, environment and energy issues.
The president-elect was due to announce the appointments at a press conference in Chicago last night, where he was also expected to name Lisa Jackson, chief of staff for New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, as head of the EPA.
Dr Chu runs a laboratory dedicated to renewable energy, next-generation biofuels and other technological solutions to global warming.
His predecessor in the Bush administration, Samuel Bodman, is the former chief executive of a chemical company.
Ms Jackson spent 16 years at the EPA enforcing environmental rules before becoming head of New Jersey's chief environmental agency.
After a meeting last week with former vice-president Al Gore, Mr Obama described combating global warming as "a matter of urgency and national security".
The latest cabinet appointments came as Mr Obama's transition team announced that the president-elect and vice president-elect Joe Biden will arrive in Washington for next month's inauguration by train.
Mr Obama and his family will come to Washington three days before the inauguration, starting their day-long journey with an event in Philadelphia before boarding the train and picking up Mr Biden and his family in Wilmington.
Before arriving in Washington, they will stop in Baltimore for a public event.
"We hope to include as many Americans as possible who wish to participate but can't be in Washington," said Emmett Beliveau, executive director of the presidential inaugural committee.
Up to four million people are expected to make their way to Washington for the inauguration and officials have asked foreign heads of state and government to stay away in order to avoid placing added strain on security planners.
Numerous intelligence and law enforcement agencies will be involved in providing security for the inauguration events, which include a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue after the new president is sworn in.
Hotels within a 100-mile radius of Washington are booked out and thousands of the city's residents are offering lodgings in private homes, sometimes for as much as $5,000 a night.
So many supporters have volunteered to help with the inauguration that the inaugural committee has sent an e-mail warning there is no room for more.
"Due to unprecedented interest, we will not be able to place everyone that would like to help," the committee said.
"Nor are we able to provide transportation, housing, or tickets to inaugural events for those who do volunteer."
Three out of four Americans remain satisfied with the way Mr Obama is handling the transition, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll published yesterday.
The Blagojevich scandal appears to have had little impact on the president-elect's popularity.
But only 51 per cent say Mr Obama has done enough to explain discussions his representatives may have had with Mr Blagojevich about the senate seat.