President-elect Barack Obama says he’ll not dictate his Senate replacement, making him one of very few Illinois politicians sitting out the fight over the seat.  “There are going to be a lot of good choices out there, but it is the governor's decision to make, not mine,” Obama told reporters Friday in Chicago.

The angling over the Democratic senator’s seat, which he has not yet vacated, has intensified since his election as president. Political insiders continue to float a myriad of powerful players as possible successors, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, state Veterans' Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, state Senate President Emil Jones Jr. – and Democratic Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr., Melissa Bean, Luis Gutierrez and Jan Schakowsky.  Additionally, Obama associates say Valerie Jarrett, a close Obama adviser and family friend, may be under consideration, even as she helps direct Obama’s presidential transition team.

The choice ultimately falls to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a decision that gives the unpopular Democrat increased political capital.  Blagojevich has been besieged by by requests and lobbying for different candidates. He’s under immense political pressure to fill the seat with an African American to replace Obama, now the only black senator.