Jackson Jr.: 'I did nothing wrong'
CHICAGO, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., said Wednesday he has done nothing improper regarding President-elect Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat.
"I've done nothing wrong," Jackson said from Washington. "I am confident we have engaged in no wrong-doing. The facts are going to bear themselves out and our state is going to be the better for it."
In affidavits released by U.S. prosecutors in Tuesday's arrest of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the governor is quoted on wiretaps telling an aide that an unnamed contender for the Senate open seat had offered him up to $1 million to be named. Officials accused Blagojevich of, among other things, shopping the seat to whichever Democratic contender could funnel the most benefits to him.
Jackson, son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson, is "Senate Candidate No. 5" mentioned by the FBI in arrest warrants for Illinois' governor, sources told ABC News. Jackson told the broadcaster he was contacted by federal prosecutors who he said "asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process."
Jackson's attorney said Wednesday the congressman was not a target of the investigation.
"This is a very serious matter that is going to restore confidence -- at the end of this process -- in the government of Illinois that is that is long overdue," Jackson said.
Obama calls on Blagojevich to step down
CHICAGO, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has joined the loud chorus calling for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign in the wake of corruption charges.
Robert Gibbs, incoming White House press secretary, said Obama agrees with others "that under the current circumstances it is difficult for the governor to effectively do his job and serve the people of Illinois," The Washington Post reported.
A federal complaint accused Blagojevich of trying to sell or barter Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat for his personal and financial gain, among other things. Blagojevich has denied the accusations.
Gibbs said Obama thinks the Illinois General Assembly should take over the matter of selecting a new U.S. senator from Illinois. The Legislature, with the House expected to convene next week, should "consider the issue and put in place a process to select a new senator that will have the trust and confidence of the people of Illinois," Gibbs said.
After the news of the indictment and arrest Tuesday, Obama said he was "saddened and sobered" by the news, but stopped short of calling for Blagojevich's resignation. The Obama transition team worked to distance itself from Blagojevich, with whom relations were strained.
Business as usual for Blagojevich
CHICAGO, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, charged with multiple counts of corruption, went to work as usual at the state office building in Chicago Wednesday.
Blagojevich waved but didn't speak to reporters staking out his home as he left to go to his Chicago office.
Blagojevich Tuesday was arrested, accused in a federal complaint of, among other things, trying to sell or barter President-elect Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat for his personal and financial gain.
Blagojevich, who celebrated his 52nd birthday Wednesday, said he is innocent of the charges and said he does not intend to resign, despite calls to do so from Obama, state lawmakers, the state attorney general and newspapers throughout the state, among others.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a possible 2010 gubernatorial candidate, said she was prepared to force Blagojevich out under a state Supreme Court rule if necessary, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
"The attorney general is prepared to take action but believes the Legislature should have a reasonable time to act," Madigan spokeswoman Natalie Bauer said, without specifying a timeline for Blagojevich to resign or for lawmakers to act on impeachment before the attorney general becomes involved.
Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., all called for impeachment. In a statement, House Speaker Michael Madigan, the attorney general's father, said he was "prepared to discuss the suggestions of the House Republican leader," but didn't commit to an impeachment resolution.
If Blagojevich steps down, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would take over. On Tuesday, Quinn urged the governor to "do the right thing and step aside."
The Governor's Press Office issued a statement saying state-run services would not be affected by the allegations or arrest.
British to pull troops from Iraq in 2009
LONDON, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The withdrawal of British troops from Iraq is expected to begin in March and end by the summer of 2009, a Defense Ministry official said.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to outline the timetable to pull out Britain's 4,000 troops after a six-year presence in the Mideast country, The Times of London reported Wednesday.
A Defense Ministry source warned that the withdrawal program depended on security conditions in southern Iraq, where the British forces are located.
The official said about 400 British personnel will remain in the country during the summer, The Times of London said. The troops will make way for several thousand U.S. soldiers who would move into the British base at Basra airport.
The timing of the withdrawal depends on the arrival of a U.S. military brigade that will set up at the airport base, the Defense source said.
A few British units will be pulled out in March, the officials said, with the withdrawal speeding up as U.S. troops -- estimated to be between 4,000 and 5,000 -- begin to deploy in southern Iraq.
Special Air Services squadrons operating from Baghdad on counter-terrorist missions are expected to be transferred to Afghanistan, the Times reported.
Mass. ACLU blasts detainees' treatment
BOSTON, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Most illegal immigrants detained in Massachusetts are non-violent offenders often subjected to harsh conditions and official neglect, civil libertarians say.
The American Civil Liberties Union says its research of conditions for 800 immigrants housed in county jails revealed inadequate medical care, harassment, overcrowding, as well as neglect and failure to oversee the detainees' conditions, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.
The ACLU says it interviewed 40 detainees and corresponded with more than 30 others, spoke with dozens of advocates and lawyers and reviewed hundreds of government documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
"There's no one watching over them, so there's no real incentive to make sure that the immigration detainees' rights are protected," said Laura Rotolo, staff attorney at the ACLU of Massachusetts and the lead researcher of the 22-month investigation. "They are not protecting people's fundamental rights."
"We take all allegations about conditions of confinement very seriously," ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier told the Globe, saying the agency follows federal guidelines to ensure that immigrants are treated humanely.
Man loses entire family in jet crash
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The family destroyed by the crash of a Navy jet on their San Diego home moved into the house near the end of a Miramar Air Station runway just a month ago.
The only survivor, Don Yoon, 37, was at work when his wife, two daughters and mother-in-law died. The South Korean immigrant visited the charred remains of his house Tuesday with relatives, his minister and other members of his church, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
"Nobody expected such a horrible thing to happen, especially right here," a sobbing Yoon told reporters.
Yoon and his wife, Youngmi Lee, bought the house and moved a month after their second daughter was born.
Investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash. A Navy pilot on a training flight from the carrier Abraham Lincoln suffered only minor injuries after ejecting from his F/A-18D Hornet.
Questions include why the pilot, after one engine malfunctioned, decided to head to Miramar instead of taking the over-water approach to the North Island Naval Air Station. Another is what went wrong that prompted him to ditch instead of landing with one engine.
