Illinois jeweler sells 'U.S. Senate seats'

PEORIA, Ill., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate seats are for sale in Illinois, says a Peoria jeweler who is producing necklace charms in the shape of the Senate's chairs.

In a parody of the legal predicament faced by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, accused of trying to "sell" the vacant Senate seat of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in exchange for campaign cash and personal favors, Brad Pettet of Pettet Jewelry Designs says his ¾-inch "Senate seats" are buyable for between $35 and $175, Gatehouse News Service reported Monday.

"The whole point of this is to have a little bit of fun," Pettet told the news service. "People say they are embarrassed to be from Illinois. I'm not embarrassed. It's Chicago politics. You ought to be used to it by now."

Pettet said the necklace and bracelet charms sell in sterling silver for $35 each, in 14-karat gold for $175 each and in platinum, which he said will go at market prices.