Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is ‘Senate Candidate 5’ in Blagojevich criminal complaint  —  Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is “Senate Candidate 5,” who — through an emissary — allegedly offered to raise money for Gov. Blagojevich in return for being appointed as Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate, sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times.

Breaking: Senate Dems ask Blago to quit  —  The office of Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, is circulating a letter Wednesday to the Senate Democratic Caucus for signatures that recommends Gov. Rod Blagojevich resign and under no circumstances make an appointment to fill Illinois' vacant Senate seat.

Obama Picks Team to Guide Energy Agenda  —  President-elect Barack Obama has picked a Nobel laureate, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator, and officials from New Jersey and Los Angeles to run his energy and environmental initiatives, putting heft into roles likely …

In scandal, risks for Obama  —  At first blush, Barack Obama comes out of the Rod Blagojevich scandal smelling like a rose.  The prosecutor at a news conference seemed to give the president-elect a seal of approval, and the Illinois governor himself was caught on tape complaining that Obama was not interested in crooked schemes.

Specter seeks to slow down Holder confirmation  —  Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, wants to slow down the process of confirming Eric Holder attorney general, citing lingering concerns about the nominee's role in the 2001 pardon of Marc Rich.