SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - In the latest turn this morning in the roller-coaster ride involving criminally charged Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, it’s starting to look as if the U.S. Senate will seat Blagojevich’s Senate appointee, Democrat Roland Burris, after all (see latest story, here).

This has prompted a frantic bit of last-minute media lobbying by the Illinois Republican Party, which has viewed this whole Democratic debacle as a chance to get its foot in the door of that vacant Senate seat (formerly under President-elect Barack Obama).

The state GOP has been trying for weeks to get state and national Dems to go back to their initial plan of holding an open special election for the seat, instead of letting Blagojevich or some other Democrat appoint it. If the Senate seats Burris, of course, the possibility of a special election is gone.

As the Burris story rolled out in Washington this morning, my email (and, I assume, that of other reporters covering Springfield) has been inundated by notes from Illinois Republican Party officials trying to keep alive the idea of a special election.

One note, from state party Chairman Andy McKenna,  calls on Democratic Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn to “keep his promise” to seek a special election (in fact, that’s just one of numerous positions Quinn has taken on the issue) and warns that it’s his “first test of leadership.” Another note lists suggested questions for reporters to ask about whether some kind of improper deal was cut between Burris and Senate leaders.

The Illinois House impeachment committee considering charges against Blagojevich meets at 3 p.m.  today. Burris is expected to testify before the committee tomorrow.