Gutierrez out of the running for Obama's Senate seat

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) on Tuesday all but took himself out of the running to replace Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.

Gutierrez met with Gov. Blagojevich and told the governor he would like to be a "caretaker" senator for the next two years working to get comprehensive immigration reform passed in the Senate instead of fund-raising to get re-elected to the Senate in 2010, Gutierrez said.

But Blagojevich said he was looking for someone who wanted the post long-term, Gutierrez said. "It's basically over -- unless he calls me back," Gutierrez said.

-- Abdon M. Pallasch