*** UPDATE *** Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been lining up newspaper endorsements for Obama’s Senate seat, he took a poll to bolster his campaign, he’s been sending reporters so many press releases (from his government account, no less) touting himself for the appointment that his own wife called him a “beast” this week, and now he has a FaceBook group: Appoint Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the United States Senate. The group has 247 members and was created by Kenny Johnson, who was backed by Jackson when he ran a losing race for the Illinois House last February against a former Obama staffer, Will Burns.

It’s all getting to be a bit much.

*** UPDATE 2 *** OneMan has created a new FaceBook page: CapFax Commenter ‘Bill’ To Replace Senator Obama

Let’s all join!

*** UPDATE 3 *** Claypool backs down…

Cook County Board Commissioner Forrest Claypool said today he will not run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who has been tapped as President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff.

“I’m not going to Washington,” Claypool added, responding to speculation that he would take a post in Obama’s administration. “I’ll be staying local.”

Claypool is a former chief of staff to Mayor Richard Daley and has been in the political consulting business with David Axelrod, Obama’s top political advisor.

Claypool’s decision comes as his ally on the County Board, Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) is “seriously considering” a run for Emanuel’s 5th Congressional District seat.

*** UPDATE 4 *** Schulter says he’s in…

Forty-seventh Ward Alderman Gene Schulter said he is definitely running for Rahm Emanuel’s seat in the 5th Congressional District.

*** UPDATE 5 *** Obama resigns Sunday…

President-elect Barack Obama said today he will step down from his Senate seat effective this Sunday.

[ *** End of updates *** ]

* Valerie Jarrett says she doesn’t want Obama’s Senate seat, ending days of speculation…

Valerie Jarrett, a close friend and adviser to President-elect Barack Obama, today took herself out of the running to replace him in the U.S. Senate.

“I am not interested in the Senate seat,” Jarrett told the Tribune in an e-mail this afternoon.

* Senate President Emil Jones was evasive when asked about whether he had personally lobbied for the seat…

“It would be a great honor, you know” Jones said. “It would be a great honor.”

Pressed about his chances of getting appointed by Blagojevich, a longtime ally, Jones said: “I don’t know.”

Jones brushed aside questions about whether he had talked to Blagojevich, saying, “You think I should?… Since you asked the question, maybe I should.”

* Sen. Dick Durbin has asked for a meeting with Blagojevich, but that hasn’t happened yet…

Durbin—at IWU today to speak to a class on elections – said Obama should be replaced by someone “who understands there are 102 counties in this state.”

Durbin says he’s got some good candidates for the U.S. Senate, but the choice isn’t his…

Durbin told News 25, “There’s only one vote in this election—it’s Governor Blagojevich, and I don’t have a close personal relationship with him, but I’ve asked to meet with him and talk about this because the person he’s going to choose is someone I’ll be serving with in Washington”.

Durbin has complained before about not getting his calls returned by the governor, so we’ll see if he gets his meeting.

* Join the club, Dick…

Durbin says he hopes to give some recommendations to the governor soon, but he has “no idea” who really has Blagojevich’s ear.

* More Durbin…

“I want a colleague in the Senate who understands that there are 102 counties in this state, and all of them need help,” the Springfield Democrat said.

* Tammy Duckworth is on Durbin’s list…

“I have several names and certainly Tammy would be on that list,” said Durbin, visiting an Illinois Wesleyan University class Wednesday.

* But others want Duckworth in a different job…

A grassroots effort is underway for Barack Obama to appoint Tammy Duckworth, a veteran of the Iraq War and onetime congressional candidate, as Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs in his incoming administration.

Democratic-leaning veterans groups are pushing the appointment among activists and reporters, even launching a petition drive to get Duckworth into the administration.

“If Tammy was offered the Secretary of the VA, she’d excel at it,” said Jon Soltz, the head of the veterans group VoteVets.org and one of the leading advocates for a Duckworth appointment. “She uniquely understands the issues facing not just older generations of veterans, but our newest veterans as well.”

Indeed, Duckworth would be well situated to take on the post. Not just because she has served in Iraq (where she lost both her legs) and currently heads the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, but also because she has strong ties to Obama’s inner circle.

* Congressman Danny Davis recently expressed his interest…

“Yes, I am interested. Yes, there are people who have suggested to me that they would be supportive and that they are supportive of an effort to convince the governor to appoint me to fill that vacancy,” Davis said.

“I couldn’t think of any reason I wouldn’t be interested.”

* And in a different contest, this maneuver would be far, far tougher to do now than back in the “old” days…

Meanwhile, there’s an intriguing wrinkle in the race for Mr. Emanuel’s seat: talk that he really only wants to serve as chief of staff for two years, and wants a mere seat-warmer who would give the job back when Rahm so requests.

Mr. Emanuel’s spokeswoman terms that talk “false and ridiculous.” But at least one source, who claims to have discussed the possibility with Rahmbo personally, says he really was reluctant to give up the seat and really would like to keep his options open to reclaim it down the road.

If that talk is true, look for municipal finance banker John Borovicka, Mr. Emanuel’s chief of staff, to run for the House and for Mr. Emanuel to cut lots of Chicago-style deals to get it for him. (Mr. Borovicka, who also has never run for anything, says he’s thinking about running but has “no plans” to seek it.)

Mayor Daley helped put Emanuel in Congress, but his organization ain’t what it used to be since the Sorich patronage office prosecutions. Rahm might have talked about a place-holder, but pulling it off will be tough, especially considering all the people who are lining up to take the seat.

* Somewhat related…

* Illinois won’t get extra inauguration tickets

* Treasurer proposes Obama resolution

* Giannoulias pushes plan to recognize Obama

* Illinois senators remember Obama in their midst