Rod Blagojevich Trial Begins

(AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

The Rod Blagojevich saga has sometimes seemed like a circus, but according to Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald, the time had come to get down to "solemn and serious business."

Fitzgerald this afternoon opened the Illinois Senate trial of the governor, who has been accused of corruption, including the effective sale of Barack Obama's former Senate seat. The embattled governor has already been impeached by the Illinois house; if two-thirds of the state's senators vote to convict him, he will be removed from office. The Senate can also vote to ban Blagojevich from elected office in the state.

Blagojevich is boycotting the trial, arguing that the rules are stacked against him. He is not, however, boycotting the national media; the governor has already appeared on "The View" and "Good Morning America" today, and will be on Fox News this afternoon and Larry King Live this evening.

"I'm here in New York because I can't get a fair hearing in Illinois, the state Senate in Illinois," Blagojevich said today, according to the Associated Press. "They've decided, with rules that are fixed, that don't allow me as a governor the right to be able to bring in witnesses to prove that I've done nothing wrong."

On GMA and The View, the governor said he had considered Oprah Winfrey for the Senate seat to which he ultimately appointed Roland Burris; he was worried that she would turn down such an offer, however, and might not even take his call. (Winfrey later said if she had seen Blagojevich make the claim this morning while working out, she "probably would have fallen off the treadmill." She said she believed she could be senator but is not interested in the job.)

On The View, one of the hosts told Blagojevich she'd heard he did an impression of Richard Nixon; pressed for an "I am not a crook," the governor refused.

[davidcrisp]

Hey! How about stop making fun of this guy (I am talking to the media) and respect his right to due process. This isn''t Communist China! There is no evidence up to this point. The Fed''s case is vague and weak, Chicago''s mayor publicly calls him cuckoo before he has had his day in court and the media displays him as crazy, all the while suggesting he is guilty. Would you like to be treated like that before you have your chance in court to prove your innocence? Compared to Alaska''s governor, who is worse when it comes to being different? Blagojevich is innocent until those who acused him can cough up some real evidence but saying they have it isn''t evidence. It is hearsay. By the way, there is no evidence; watch and learn. If we have to discredit someone so strongly, he is probably a threat and innocent we are trying to hide something. Beware of liars.

[newslink]

This man is insane. Why don''t he admit it and quit it. And stop torturing the people of his state. With his babble.And just Get over it. Next time remember, Loose lips sinks Ships......