From the Associated Press:
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is blaming his low approval rating on the nation's slumping economy.
The governor says his 13 percent job approval rating is unrelated to the federal corruption investigation that's been swirling around his administration.
Blagojevich contends that he'd easily win if he were running for governor in the upcoming election, and he predicts it will be a banner Democratic year with Barack Obama at the top of the ticket.
At a news conference in Blue Island, Blagojevich continued to deflect questions about the federal investigation. The governor says it isn't unusual for politicians to be scrutinized.
Blagojevich's approval rating is based on a survey of registered voters released by the Chicago Tribune this week.
Blagojevich said he didn't believe he had done anything to earn such a dismal approval rating and reiterated his confidence in his own re-election, should he seek a third term, the Tribune reports:
He said he was confident that if he was on the ballot today that he'd "win by 10 points or better."
Blagojevich refused to answer directly if he would seek a third term in 2010 but said he "trusts the people to get it right," noting that he hasn't lost an election.
"I love the people of Illinois more today than I did before," Blagojevich said. "And if it's a case of unrequited love at this point, I'll just have to work extra hard to get them to love me again."