The Illinois Republican Party has begun to campaign for a special election to fill President-elect Obama's vacant Senate seat. The campaign includes a new website -- FriendsofBlago.com -- TV advertising, and live calls to voters.

The state GOP's campaign comes after Democrats shifted their calls from a special election (as Sen. Dick Durbin called for) to Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn taking over and appointing the next senator. Quinn, among the many to propose he appoint the next senator, said last week that a special election would take too long, leaving the seat open for months. It would also, of course, leave the seat vulnerable to Republican takeover.

Here is the TV ad, "People's Seat," set to begin airing today on cable TV around the state: