Blago: I'm Like A Frank Capra Character

Claims On Early Show He's Fighting For What's Right Against All Odds, Knowing He'll Almost Certainly Be Booted From Office

(CBS)  Rod Blagojevich insists he's only doing what's right.

The embattled Illinois governor said on The Early Show Tuesday he's in the second day of a media blitz rather than attending his impeachment trial in the Illinois State Senate because he knows the lawmakers will kick him out of office, so he's bringing his case to the court of public opinion, instead.

"If present trends continue," Blagojevich said, "I'll be out of work in the not-too-distant future. I'm not delusional in terms of what my likelihood of success is to convince those senators to give me a fair trial.

" ... It's more important than me. It's about the people who twice elected me. You can't throw a governor out without giving that governor a chance to show he did nothing wrong. That's what they're doing. It's a dangerous precedent.

"But if you're asking me do I see myself like a modern-day Frank Capra movie, and I'm the Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper character, a guy idealistically trying to do what's right for people, fighting a system, and then be pushed back? Yeah, I see myself that way."

Blagojevich faces federal charges of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat President Obama was vacating in Illinois.

When co-anchor Harry Smith said, "It's been suggested the real reason you're here talking to people, talking beyond the impeachment hearings, is the fact that you're trying to soften up the (future) jury pool for when your federal trial starts," Blagojevich called it "a cynical interpretation. I'd like the senators to change the rules, give me a chance to bring in all the tapes and bring in witnesses so I can prove my innocence."

He repeatedly called it unfair that state senators wouldn't allow him to fuly air the tapes of his wiretapped conversations. Doing so, he claimed, would show why snippets released by federal prosecutors were taken out of context and misleading.

Co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez repeatedly tried to get Blagojevich to explain why he didn't challenge in court the state senators' refusal to allow him to call witnesses he asserts would prove his innocence on the seat-selling charges. He said his lawyers had looked exhaustively for a legal precedent supporting such a move, but couldn't find any.

His media tour, Blagojevich said, "is all about trying to do the best I can to persuade those senators to change their rules. We tried to talk to them. They've made a decision. It's a very strong political process. And unfortunately, again, there's a big principle involved, throwing out a governor elected twice by the people without giving that governor a chance to be able to bring witnesses in and prove his innocence and to bring charges that they are prevented from proving up. It's just so fundamentally unconstitutional and wrong."

Which witnesses would he call in the senate trial, if given the chance?

"I want to bring (former Illinois) congressman (and current chief of staff to President Obama) Rahm Emanuel, who said on 'Face the Nation' on your network a little over a week ago that there was nothing inappropriate in his conversations with me about a Senate pick. I want to bring Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. I want to bring Valerie Jarrett, a high-ranking official in the Obama administration. We requested that in the (Illinois) house. They denied it. I want to bring in U.S. senators I talked to. I want to bring in everybody and anybody that I talked to about the U.S. Senate seat who would show and prove that I did nothing wrong and I was doing everything ultimately to get to a position where I did right by the people."

Blagojevich admitted he hasn't heard from many supporters in the world of politics. "You know, during times like this there's a saying Dr. (Martin Luther) King had. 'In the end, we remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.' It's a very lonely period. When things like this happen, people tend to be afraid to talk to you."

Blagojevich continued to insist state lawmakers are after him because of all the good he's done for the little guy.

Asked by co-anchor Julie Chen if quitting was an option even at this late date, Blagojevich responded, "No. I said consistently I won't resign for two reasons. One, I did nothing wrong and therefore I won't acknowledge anything that I didn't do. Had I did something wrong, I'd have met my responsibilities and I would have resigned. That would have been my responsibility. Secondly, most importantly, I'm not going to resign. I have two little girls. And they're hearing a lot of bad things about their dad.

"For me to resign would be to basically say that they shouldn't feel their dad is an honest man, and I don't want be in a position where they should be ashamed of their father. So I'll fight to the very end.

"It's a very difficult time for our family, and my wife and I, we got them a little puppy during the Christmas holiday, something I was resisting for the last couple years. But when all this happened, it was a therapeutic thing for our girls. They love their little puppy, and I think she's helping them through this."

[endrepubs]

When your ego gets to be as big as your hairdo, you start to think of yourself as a bigger than life figure. Blago is basking in the notoriety of all this. He will milk it for everything he can get. Hopefully he can bask in jail.

[regats-2009]

TexHillHole posted - "Isn''t Blago a Republican? I thought for sure he was a Republican. I''m pretty sure Blago is a stanch Republican."

Not clear what you meant... staunch Republican? or stench republican?

Actually, he''s a Democrat - who can stink almost as badly as the repugnant right - Cheney, Rove, Palin and,the most odiferous of the lot, George Warmonger Bush for example.

[regats-2009]

This character is full of crapa.

[yongamerica]

He is a Republican dressed in a Democrats hairpiece. He is not on trial, this impeachment process is not being conducted in a court of law. His real trial is in the near future.

[rubyp1]

Blah blah Blag - - is a Democrat - - of course ! !

TexHillHole posted - - "Isn''''''''t Blago a Republican? I thought for sure he was a Republican. I''''''''m pretty sure Blago is a stanch Republican."

Excuse your ignorance - - the "hill" in your name should be a**.

[rubyp1]

TexHillHole posted - - "Isn''''t Blago a Republican? I thought for sure he was a Republican. I''''m pretty sure Blago is a stanch Republican."

Excuse your ignorance - - the "hill" in your name should be a**.


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Posted by

[kansas1946]

I think the guy is missing a few marbles. He sounds nuts! Jimmy Stewart??????

[judydehn7]

If he''s looking for sympathy, he''ll find it in the dictionary between s**t and siphylus.

[judydehn7]

If he''s looking for sympathy, he''ll find it in the dictionary between s**t and siphylus.

[boatdocster]

Anyone else notice that in all of the articles written about Blago the word "Democratic" or "Democrat" is not used......

Coincidence or bias.....

Posted by opedanderson at 12:01 PM : Jan 27, 2009

Bias, just like Fox News (NOISE) being "Fair and Balanced"...

[sir1150]

The interview of the Governor this morning was horrible!

[lochlan-2009]

I love this guy. While I guarantee he is as crooked as any other politician out there, especially any from Chicago, the best thing about him is that the power players have chosen to hang him out to dry for whatever it was he did, or most likely didn''t do. I would guess that he had his own agenda for who got the seat, and why, planned all along, and the DLC had a different agenda. They told him no, he said yes, and they sent allegations to the press, with whatever, real and made up. (If this is the case, than all our representatives phones and offices are tapped to be used accordingly). The great thing about this guy is, he is in a position to expose, with a trumpet, everyones dirty laundry (and you all know, there is a lot of dirty laundry in our government). With any luck they''ll back this guy into a corner, and, in a fit of rage, all the illegal and corrupt activity of the government elite will spew out for all to see.


Keeping my fingers crossed. Go get ''em guys.

[jfrance5]

This is an example of Chicago politics at it''s finest. The powers to be needed a scapegoat to fill up the tabloids and feed the media. This clown was too stupid to see it coming. Guys like this think all they have to do is tiptoe through the tulips and nobody will be any wiser. He realy believes he is going to talk his way out of this. He most likely will end up in the ''penal'' system where he will be much better appreciated if he grows the hair a bit longer. I''m sure there are a lot of upstanding citizens in that arena that will be more than happy to take him under their wing and teach him the proper behaviors and duties that are awaiting a little cutey pie like this guy. In the ''end'' it couldn''t happen to a nicer guy. At least he will be wildly popular in his new habitat not totally unlike this political days. In the end he will probably be able to service the people again, simply in a different fashion. After all when somebody has been "servicing" the people as well as he has, why should''t it continue?

[plplearecrzy]

I''m sorry but he is an idio. Legal remedies ARE available to him and to say otherwise is preposterous. Typical politician!

[sdemaggie]

You''ve gotta love Illinois politics. This is the best show running!

[rittergirl44]

Gee endeavor 40, are there no dishonest power hungry Democrats? They only block every good thig that tries to pass in the Senate. Did Kennedy''s father buy his election? Shall I go on? They are all crooks. Blago is being punished for being a dumb crook. That''s how it works. don''t get caught.

[opedanderson]

Anyone else notice that in all of the articles written about Blago the word "Democratic" or "Democrat" is not used......

Coincidence or bias.....

[andie52]

Blago was arrested too soon. I think Blago will wriggle out of a charge of selling BHO''s seat. He was spinning and venting but not really "conspiring".(Unless there''s another bombshell we don''t know about.) Blago will go down on the rest but probably not on this one.

[edward1975-2009]

Gotta get those appearance fees now that he and that fould-mouthed wife of his are both outta jobs. Sure he will look just fine in a prison jumpsuit that he will be sporting for the next few years.

[gangesdak]

I do not think that Blago has done anything other than what other politicians do. There is no need for the "holier than thou" attitudes against Blago. If Blago is not allowed to get his day in court it will be unjust. I wish him the best.