Blagojevich Responds To Impeachment: No Surprise (WATCH)

Gov. Rod Blagojevich called the Illinois House's decision to impeach him a "foregone conclusion" and blamed it on lawmakers' years-long battle against him.

"This is not something that came as a complete surprise to me," Blagojevich said at Friday news conference in downtown Chicago. "From the very moment of my re-election I've been engaged in a struggle with the House to get things done for people," he said. "The House has stood in the way of letting that happen."

The governor spoke just hours after the House voted to impeach him 114-1, the first time in the state's history the body has moved to impeach a sitting governor. Blagojevich was out jogging in his North Side neighborhood while the vote was taking place in Springfield.

With senior citizens, a man in a wheelchair, a crying baby and a Humboldt Park teen who had liver surgery assembled behind him on the podium, Blagojevich sought to portray his impeachment as vindictive payback for fighting on behalf of needy citizens.

He was impeached, he said, "because I've done things to fight for families who are here with me today," citing his efforts to expand health care, reduce prescription drug costs and cut taxes.

"The House is impeaching me for that? Is that an impeachable offense?"

Blagojevich admonished lawmakers to follow the Golden Rule and, as at his first press conference following his arrest on federal corruption charges, Blagojevich recited portions of a poem: Alfred Tennyson's Ulysses. He said he had been inspired to memorize it after Ted Kennedy read part of it at the 1980 Democratic Convention.

Watch:

Comments

[newentropian]

i might be the only person in the country rooting for blagojevich . only because he is the personification of the system and yet there is such an outcry about HIS behavior . what about the rest of the corporatocracy ? bill clinton's $100 million in "speaking engagements" . no problem , not for the corporate media anyway . blagojevich is reall small potatoes when in comes to the real and legal corruption in this country !

[ChiProgressive]

I do have to say, though, that while a crook, Rod Blagojevich has been a friend to the poor and disenfranchised of Illinois. With the exception of trying to extort campaign contributions from the state's Children's hospitals,

Blagojevich has worked hard to provide insurance coverage to all children across the great state of Illinois. Some of the people standing with him on stage were familiar to me.

They staged a protest in favor of the governor a few weeks ago, in part thanking him for the good work he has done to make sure that Children's Memorial Hospital gave their son a liver transplant.

[KNadine]

I wonder what the results would be in Blago was given a drug test?? This guy is dusty-lol

[berrycooda]

Can't wait until his lawyer starts talking...­..

Wonder what is supposed to be there that hasn't been discussed yet to the public.

Blagojevich seems pretty smug for some reason....
Put him along with most of the other politicians and I wonder where he would
be in line.....

I doubt if he would be first in line.....j­ust one of the first ones that Illinois is trying to get
out of office....­PRONTO.

Will all the honest politicians please stand up ????
Oops....on­ly a few.....

[NWRICK]

His lawyer did talk. He said Blago would NOT appoint anyone to Obamas senate seat.
The smugness, I think, comes from a mental disorder

[Badfickle]

Blago is smug because he's a sociopath.

[weathered1]

Go away already.

[GoogleMaster]

What else could the man say? When like a little kid you're caught red-handed with your hand in the cookie jar you have to say something even if you have to quote Shakespeare. Perhaps Blago should have quoted Homer Simpson instead. Doing that he could have at least gotten a few laughs at the press conference. A guy behind him with a snare drum and cymbol could have done the rimshots.

[odan]

Blago, R ezko, A yers, all the crazies from Chicago. If only there was something linking these losers together, if only we could find one guy tied to all of them. Hmmmmm?

[Chicago1968]

You must be talking about Adam, or god himself.
ahh all of a sudden you are connected to the 3 of them.

[ROCKETSENSE]

Blago = Poster Child for Political Corruption

Blago = Poster Child for Crooks and Liars

Blago = Poster Child for How to be a Weasel

Blago = Poster Child for Stupidity

Blago = Poster Child for the Dog and Pony Show

Blago = Poster Child for It wasn't Me - It was My Evil Twin Brother

Blago = Poster Child for Blame it on the Media

Blago = Poster Child on How to Be a Fruitcake

[NWRICK]

Sometimes, when trying to be cute, one may come off as foolish.
Just sayin'

[Pennsanic]

Kevin Bacon?

[concernvoter]

Blago, Elvis left the building. Why can't you leave? Your legend will be remembered in Illinois when you are outer sight, outer mind.

[Elderlady]

What amuses, and amazes me is that no story about Rod Blagojevich --- on this blog -- contains a headline which doesn't use the words "bizarre" "strange" " insane" which are, truth be told, all editorial comments.

Just because the guy is paranoid, doesn't mean that somebody isn't out to get him.

[NWRICK]

I can't help but wonder if maybe Blago has an undiagnosed condition. Can anything else explain his post-arrest comments and actions?

[lizbiz07]

Does he ever take a breath?

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

From the ridiculous to the sublime... and back.

[drgschwartz]

Does anybody think this is new politics. Bill Richardson in NM facing the old pay for play. And are people too young to remember when old Joe Kennedy bought the senate seat for his son John Fitzgerald. The difference is Gov was taped. O Lord if all these political types were taped, what quid pro quo would be revealed. The Governor has still got a few aces. I think the Illinois vote is so lopsided it is akin to a lynch mob.

[Mygirl]

I wonder why those people on stage let him used them for a Backdrop.

[medusa08]

Wow, this guy rivals W in his talent for living in a parallel universe.

[Karlp]

How do such sociopaths get to be leaders? America, take a look at yourself. This is about us. How can we be so duped to put these kinds of people into office? Have we no powers of discernment? Are we all so pathological ourselves we don't recognize it? Blag's demise should be an indictment on us all. Same on us: pathological liars and blind ignorants all.

[Rogan]

"Are we all so pathological ourselves we don't recognize it?"

You got it. At least: that's what I thought back in the early zeroes, when many Americans still "supported" President Bush, and I was still wondering how anyone could have voted for such an obvious liar and reprobate, to begin with...