Blagojevich Unfazed By Impeachment

Illinois Gov. Accuses House Of Impeaching Him Because Of Health Care Initiatives, "Confident" He Will Be Exonerated

(CBS/AP)  Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached Friday by Illinois lawmakers furious that he turned state government into a "freak show," setting the stage for an unprecedented trial in the state Senate that could get him thrown out of office.

The 114-1 vote in the Illinois House came exactly a month after Blagojevich's arrest on charges that included trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat. The debate took less than 90 minutes, and not a single legislator rose in defense of the governor, who was jogging in the snow in Chicago.

Later, a defiant Blagojevich insisted again that he committed no crime, and declared: "I'm going to fight every step of the way."

CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds reports that Blagojevich portrayed himself as a champion of the downtrodden caught in a power struggle with the legislature - sounding almost like a man running for a third term.

"The things we did for people have literally saved lives. I don't think those are impeachable offenses," Blagojevich said.

He said he was a victim of political payback by the House for his efforts to extend health care and other relief to the ordinary people of Illinois.

"The causes of the impeachment are because I've done things to fight for families," the 52-year-old Democrat said at an extraordinary news conference where he surrounded himself with some of the people he claimed to have helped, including a man in a wheelchair and a transplant recipient. He took no questions.

Blagojevich becomes the first U.S. governor in more than 20 years to be impeached. Arizona's Evan Mecham was impeached, convicted and removed from office in 1988 for trying to thwart an investigation into a death threat allegedly made by an aide.

No other Illinois governor has ever been impeached, despite the state's storied history of graft. Blagojevich's immediate predecessor, George Ryan, is behind bars for corruption, and two earlier governors also went to prison.

The Senate trial is set to begin Jan. 26. While impeachment in the House required only a simple majority, or 60 votes, a two-thirds vote would be needed for conviction in the 59-member Senate.

During the House debate, lawmakers complained that Blagojevich had made a laughingstock out of the state.

"It's our duty to clean up the mess and stop the freak show that's become Illinois government," said Democratic Rep. Jack Franks.

Rep. Monique Davis, a Democrat, said: "If the governor walked down that aisle today, how many of us would fall over ourselves to greet him? I think we'd hold our heads down in shame. We wanted him, we elected him, we supported him and he's disgraced us."

The criminal case against the governor included charges he tried to sell the Senate seat for campaign cash or a plum for himself or his wife, and pressured people into making campaign contributions.

The impeachment case was based on the criminal charges plus other allegations - that Blagojevich expanded a health care program without authority, that he circumvented hiring laws to give jobs to political allies, that he spent millions on flu vaccine that he knew couldn't be brought into the country.

Blagojevich did not testify before the House impeachment committee and has not offered an explanation for the criminal charges.

"His silence in this grave matter is deafening," said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat.

Rep. Elga Jefferies voted "present." Rep. Milton Patterson, also a Chicago Democrat, voted against impeachment. Patterson said later that he was not defending anyone, but that he read the impeachment committee's report and wasn't comfortable voting against the governor.

"I went by my own gut feeling; it's as simple as that," he said. "If the government is going to indict him, let them go ahead and do that. That's their job, and I'm doing my job."

After returning from his jog, Blagojevich said his situation reminded him of the short story "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner," about a petty criminal who takes up running. "And that's what this is, by the way, a long-distance run," he said.

Later, at the news conference, Blagojevich portrayed the impeachment vote as another round in a long struggle with the House, which he said had repeatedly thwarted his efforts to help real people instead of "special interests and lobbyists."

He ended the news conference by reciting a few lines from the poem "Ulysses" by Lord Alfred Tennyson, ending with: "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

"When you saw him stand up there and reciting that Tennyson poem, you began to wonder if maybe he was going to lay the ground work for pleading insanity in this case," said CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer. "But this is some serious business here and now that it looks like he's going to be removed and after you saw that vote, it's almost certain that he will be."

After his arrest, Blagojevich defied practically the entire political establishment by appointing someone to the Senate, former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. That provoked a furor as state and federal officials struggled over whether to seat Burris.

On Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Burris' paperwork was valid and that Illinois' secretary of state did not have to sign his appointment. But that may not be sufficient for Burris to take his seat: Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the Senate will not accept Burris without the signature.

"(Democrats) don't think this person, any person that Blagojevich would appoint, to be a strong candidate in two years," Schieffer said.

The Illinois Senate is working to draft rules for the impeachment trial. The state constitution does not specify what is an impeachable offense and does not lay out a standard for conviction, other than that senators must "do justice according to law." The chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court will preside.

[pirmin3]

Book him Danno!!

[antoniof123]

Good get rid of this guy let his last act be that appointment.

[william_lerd]

Lets see, he abused his powers by expanding healthcare to those in need and buying flu vaccine when there was none a few years back and Bush denied it being brought into the country so people wouldnt die of the flu. GOD WHAT AN EMBARRASSMENT THE LEGISLATURE IS IF THIS IS ALL THEY GOT!

[judyann915]

The Gov. didn''t do anything wrong. How dare you all judge him before he has been convicted in a court of law. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The Gov. is going to come out of this mess smelling like a rose! GO GOV! DON''T EVER QUIT!

[klewt]

I want to know who the one person was who voted against this guy''s impeachment.

[mbourn2]

The Gov. didn''''t do anything wrong. How dare you all judge him before he has been convicted in a court of law. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The Gov. is going to come out of this mess smelling like a rose! GO GOV! DON''''T EVER QUIT!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by judyann915

These are to completely different processes with two different standards of proof. Whether or not state legislature deems him unfit for office and impeaches him has nothing to do with whether he is convicted of a crime and goes to jail.

[shortestfuse]

Bye bye, Blago!

[shortestfuse]

The Gov. is going to come out of this mess smelling like a rose!

Posted by judyann915

He smells of something, but it sure ain''t no rose!

[credibility2]

Before a lot of you put your dancing shoes on and run wild in the street doing the happy dance, the IL Senate must also vote on the impeachment issue. Even if impeached, it still doesn''t mean Blagojevich will be found guilty of anything. He''s still innocent. I live in IL and the Dems especially have corrupted the entire political process. The state, and especially Chicago, are worse than the 1920s era of the Mafia. The only thing missing between now and then are the weapons. Any politician that comes out of the Chicago system is corrupt; period!

[noaanhc]

This man is burnt toast,he is all done.

[hatesthecolt]

Blago didn''''t do anything wrong, even if they find him guilty. This whole case is just stupidity and a waste of taxpayer money.

Posted by Eliphord

How do you figure that? The feds had to have been able to make out a basic case in order to get the arrest warrant. You are right that he has not yet been convicted, but I don''t believe for a second that they don''t already have some pretty substantial evidence and not just for the pay-for-play. Fitzgerald is no dummy... if there was enough there for the warrant, there''s enough to convict.

[afsc30574]

They wouldn''t impeach him if they thought it would have led to an election instead of an appointment. The Democrats were afraid to put that seat up for a vote.

[ballpen1]

After a 114-1 vote the senate should as well take a hard look at the "1", maybe he got something to hide... Mr. Patterson''s argument is very naive at best. Does this man understand anything about politics?

[specialty8]

I quess we know who Obamas first pardon will be,after all he the Obamas did prosper from Blago.

[soapyrub]

Comedians are going to miss the bleeping S**thead. I''ve never laughed so hard at this bleeping freak show!!!!

[ballpen1]

Posted by judyann915 at 12:13 PM : Jan 09, 2009

On principle i have to agree with you, but the transcripts of his conversations are available and i reserve the right to form an opinion on a man based on what he says.

[cessna172_]

Good afternoon,

1st they have him (Blagojevich) on a federal wire tap & he has already admitted it''s his voice .

2nd to be placed on Federal wire taps you need a warrant signed by a judge to conduct this .

An agent with the FBI won''t jeapordize his/her credentials without the piece of paper giving them authority .
Otherwise this steps right back to Watergate with the domino affect, apparently Jackson was assisting the Government (FBI) with this investigation !

I do think this is very unfortunate for the Govenor however he made his bed & now its time to sleep in the big house .

I wonder how he''s going to like his pension ceased !

[cessna172_]

On the other hand is he being set-up or simply dillusional ?

Since Jackson was assisting the FBI, I''ll take the 2nd theory !

[edward1975-2009]

It''s taken far too long for this to occur. Blago is just short of the same crooked dealings that have plagued Chicago during both Daley''s reign. Let''s restore some honor to Springfield and do the right thing.

[soapyrub]

It''s amazing the sore loosers that keep popping up on these posts who bring Obama into this. Obama kept Blaga at a safe distance knowing how toxic he was. Illinois is the 18th most corrupt state - Alaska rants in the top 3 along with Louisianna and N. Dakota??. Lest we forget - Illinois is the land of Lincoln, our greatest president by any measure.

[rob416]

I am no supporter of Illinois Governor Blagojevich if the charges that lead to his arrest are true. The fact is he has not yet been inditied on the charges, therfore a trial has yet to take place. What happened to "incident until proven guilty". I though according to our Constitution that was the case.

So many times in the Nation when someone is charged with a crime they are automatically considered guilty. When the Governor appointed Burris to fill Obama''s Senate seat, Burris should have been sworn in with the rest of the new US Senators. Why, because his appointment was made by a legally sitting Governor and that is the process in our Nation of how a Senate seat is filled if vacated before the end of a term. Instead inside and outside of Illnois all the way to Washington, DC Blagojevich has already been trialed and convicted.

[hatesthecolt]

soapyrub, yes I noticed the same thing but am trying to ignore them. It''s crazy that they are so desperate to bring the man down that they will try to tie him to any Democrat, even one universally reviled within the Party.

[honestabe8]

"How dare you all judge him before he has been convicted in a court of law" judyann915

So, people are not supposed to form opinions until the legal proceedings have concluded?

[hatesthecolt]

If oOama, who worked with Blago, believes he is innocent, why hasn''''t he stepped up and said anything?

Posted by peace4321

He DID; he gave an accounting of his contacts with Blagojevich. It was enough for everyone but the most rabid opponents and those of you will never be satisfied.

[beth.cornell]

I am a Republican, that said. I believe that OBama stayed away from Blagojevich when he came to the US Senate for this purpose to stay clean. I believe him when he said he had nothing to do with "picking" his successor to the Senate when Elected President. He doesn''t like what is happening in his home state. I thinks OBama should just stay clear of this and continue with getting his new Administration in order.

[shortestfuse]

"How dare you all judge him before he has been convicted in a court of law" judyann915

So, people are not supposed to form opinions until the legal proceedings have concluded?

Posted by HonestAbe8

You should be aware that judyann915 is a Blagobot.

[sharednotion]

At least Nixon finally realized when it was time to quit. Blagojevich may insist on playing this out to the bitter end.

[mjlewis6]

Hmmm. Absent an overt act and a series of offers either personal or conveyed to potential appointees....the impeachment will not be sustained with a state senatorial conviction.

Besides, what ELECTED or APPOINTED US Senator can refrain from perjury when asked if he has a separate deal with backers, lobbyists, special interests, etc. for his office to pursue when in Washington?

Let''s put all their feet to the switch Saudi style and see who confesses. Don''t forget VP Cheney who has claimed in court papers that he is NOT a member of the Executive Branch of Government....he should get the WATERBOARD treatment until he confesses.

[txlakeside]

Nixon was smarter than the swarmy blago ... any person who hears the tapes and thinks he is innocent is dumb as dirt! People are not just accusing him of being a crook. He was taped and convicted himself ... dumb A

[tawpdawg111]

Wouldn''t it be something if Bush''s lackey from the justice department was simply on a political witch-hunt and couldn''t actually prove any legal wrongdoing?

They wouldn''t REALLY do such a thing.........would they?

[txlakeside]

Hey poor losers ... Obama won ... get over it and stop your crybaby moaning! LOL! Being Black Obama has been the most investigated man on Earth the last 2 years! Get over your racism, your hatred and just let it go! Geesh ... what a bunch of whining crybabies!

[truth_police]

"Rep. Milton Patterson, a Chicago Democrat, made the sole vote against impeaching Blagojevich," according to this article. Now there''s one airhead, moron highly-suspect incompetent who needs to be voted out of office next time around. In defense of his lone vote against impeachment Patterson said "I have no firsthand knowledge of any of the evidence." Hey ... idiot ... that''s what the impeachment trial is all about. Presenting the evidence for impeachment. You were simply voting on whether there was sufficient reason to believe an impeachment trial should be held. How can any elected official be so grotesquely incompetent that they do not even know what the voting is for? Rep. Milton Patterson absolutely needs to go in his next election cycle bid. Sordid episodes like this Blago scandal have a way of flushing out other incoherent nincompoops and incompetents along the way. Say good-bye Mr. Patterson.

[tawpdawg111]

Nixon was smarter than the swarmy blago ... any person who hears the tapes and thinks he is innocent is dumb as dirt! People are not just accusing him of being a crook. He was taped and convicted himself ... dumb A

Posted by txlakeside at 01:17 PM : Jan 09, 2009
.................

Please post a link or tell me how I, too, can listen to these tapes and be privy to the information you have.

I am one of these crazy dudes who doesn''t believe something til he sees it.

[ms1-1-1]

114-1 to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich

I say give him a chance he has to agree to re-do CHARM SCHOOL ... man o man what is this world comming too, hey what happened to my check I send in $500,000 so I could be the senator, well I''m waiting?

[vcofreason]

Hey poor losers ... Obama won ... get over it and stop your crybaby moaning! LOL! Being Black Obama has been the most investigated man on Earth the last 2 years! Get over your racism, your hatred and just let it go! Geesh ... what a bunch of whining crybabies!

Posted by txlakeside at 01:20 PM
-------------------
I didn''t vote for either of them, so I''m certainly not a loser, but if you think Obama is black, you REALLY need to look at a photo of him with his mama. She''s as white as a saltine. A white child has two white parents, a black child has two black parents. A child of mixed race can have many different racial components to his/her makeup. What is SO HARD about this?

[ms1-1-1]

txlakeside

... illegal wiretapping is just that illegal and NOT ADMISSIBLE IN ANY COURT...

it''s like me recording you saying to your mistress awe babe a little higher... then giving it to your wife...illegal without your knowledge your being illegally taped, hey come to think of it CHEATERs does that already?

[trapbreaker]

By a vote of 114 to 1 pretty much says what the Illinois House feels about it.

[ms1-1-1]

By a vote of 114 to 1 pretty much says what the Illinois House feels about it.
--------------------------
Posted by Trapbreaker at 01:30 PM : Jan 09, 2009


HERE is the REAL tragedy ... his wife now has to make the mortgage payments... neither will be employed by next week, man and seriously I like the guy, you think he was well liked to win his seat in the first place, but hey only in United States of AMerica...

[bobnjersey]

[I didn''''t vote for either of them, so I''''m certainly not a loser, but if you think Obama is black, you REALLY need to look at a photo of him with his mama. She''''s as white as a saltine. A white child has two white parents, a black child has two black parents. A child of mixed race can have many different racial components to his/her makeup. What is SO HARD about this? ]
[Posted by VcofReason at 01:26 PM : Jan 09, 2009]

if you look at a picture with his mother you should see a white woman standing with a black man. if you see it any other way ... you''re splitting hairs.

[william_lerd]

How do you figure that? The feds had to have been able to make out a basic case in order to get the arrest warrant. You are right that he has not yet been convicted, but I don''''t believe for a second that they don''''t already have some pretty substantial evidence and not just for the pay-for-play. Fitzgerald is no dummy... if there was enough there for the warrant, there''''s enough to convict.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by hatesthecolt
===========================
If they had the evidence, they would have gone to a grand jury, which they have not.

[auscross1277]

if you look at a picture with his mother you should see a white woman standing with a black man. if you see it any other way ... you''''re splitting hairs.
Posted by bobnjersey at 01:44 PM : Jan 09, 2009
*** And if you look at Amnesty Mccain''s record in the senate, you will see that Amnesty Mccain cares more about illegal latinos... then he actually cares about Americans like you and me... Obama is no God, but he sure is heck is alot better than Amnesty McCain!

[gmcnally2]

I didn''''''''t vote for either of them, so I''''''''m certainly not a loser, but if you think Obama is black, you REALLY need to look at a photo of him with his mama. She''''''''s as white as a saltine. A white child has two white parents, a black child has two black parents. A child of mixed race can have many different racial components to his/her makeup. What is SO HARD about this? ]
[Posted by VcofReason at 01:26 PM : Jan 09, 2009]

if you look at a picture with his mother you should see a white woman standing with a black man. if you see it any other way ... you''''re splitting hairs.


I still wonder if he was elected President of an African country if he would be their first white President?

[youwontlkit]

What are you so afraid of at CBS? Have to keep track of everybody who does not agree with your view? Name,zip code, gee talk about the patriot act. Or is it really a way to try and keep people from expressing their true opinions. typical liberal bias from one end of the org.to the other.

[hatesthecolt]

they had the evidence, they would have gone to a grand jury, which they have not.

Posted by william_lerd

Not yet anyway. But he''s not required to go to a grand jury; it''s just one option.

[roscoe2400-2009]

HERE is the REAL tragedy ... his wife now has to make the mortgage payments... neither will be employed by next week, man and seriously I like the guy, you think he was well liked to win his seat in the first place, but hey only in United States of AMerica...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ms1-1-1 at 01:35 PM : Jan 09, 2009

Did you read the transcripts made public by the prosecutor? Did you read the parts where is wife was caught on tape also?? She''s as guilty as she is and may very well face charges also! If knew how involved she was, I doubt you''d have the same opionion.

[misssuzq]

That was fast!

How come it was not so easy when we wanted to impeach Clinton?

[hatesthecolt]

This thing with race is getting ridiculous. US Census Dept. allows individuals to self-report. Guess what that means: OBAMA GETS TO DECIDE. I don''t know what he selfreported as, and honestly it doesn''t matter, but I am willing to bet he reported as Black or Black AND White (which IS an option). So all of you arguing over what your opinion is? IRRELEVANT!!

[hatesthecolt]

How come it was not so easy when we wanted to impeach Clinton?

Posted by MissSuZQ

1. WE didn''t want to impeach Clinton.
2. HE wasn''t under indictment for anything, and certainly no High Crimes and Misdemeanors; all they had was some allegations about lying about ***.

[ballpen1]

Posted by youwontlkit at 02:07 PM : Jan 09, 2009

Since you posted you registered. Now you complain, therefor you probably lied about zipcode and email. So it will be bye-bye "youwontlkit" shortly. Better luck next time, you security "expert"...

[roscoe2400-2009]

they had the evidence, they would have gone to a grand jury, which they have not.

Posted by william_lerd

An impeachment is legislative process designed to remove an official from office. It is distinct and different from a legal criminal process pursued in the courts. The impeachment process does not follow the rules of evidence as is required in a court of law. The legislature can impeach even though there is no violation of law. A simple vote for impeachment is all that is required to move the process forward. The legislature can impeach an office holder for virtually any reason they so choose--- if they don''t like his haircut---and enough of the legislature votes for impeachment--- he''s gone.

It''s up to the Federal proscutor to pursue the criminal complaints in the courts of law.