By Ed Tibbetts

U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., is joining the chorus calling for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign.

Hare, who said Tuesday the governor should resign if the federal charges filed against him were true, sent an e-mail to constituents on Friday saying he should quit now.

“Given the unmistakable cloud of suspicion that surrounds him, Governor Blagojevich can no longer govern effectively,” Hare said in the e-mail. “I believe it is in the best interest of our state that he resigns. The Governor will have a chance to prove his innocence in the courtroom, but the citizens of Illinois cannot afford to be dragged along for the ride.”

The congressman said the charges unveiled in a court affidavit “are enough to make a person sick.”

Hare also said in the e-mail that he prefers that Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat, appoint someone to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat. If that’s not possible, Hare said, he’s “open to the idea of a special election.”

Blagojevich is accused of trying to auction off Obama’s seat.

After the governor’s arrest, some Illinois Democrats, including Sen. Dick Durbin, called for a special election. But now, Senate Democrats are urging that Quinn make the appointment.