Source: blogywoodbabes.blogspot.com
Illinois Senate ousts Blagojevich from office on corruption charges. The Illinois Senate voted unanimously to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office Thursday despite his claim that he has "done absolutely nothing wrong." Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will become governor. Blagojevich delivered closing arguments in his impeachment trial Thursday saying "give me a chance to be able to let the truth come out." This day mark the end to the political career of one of the most awesome dude in the history of American politics. Blago is even more awesome than Bill Clinton at his best. The best is when he compared himself to Martin Luther King, Jr., Mandela, and Ghandi in New York a few days ago. But something tell me this impeachment and removal will not be the end of his awesome entertainment.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich told lawmakers on Wednesday he wants to deliver a closing argument at his impeachment trial where he faces likely removal from office amid charges he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.
"The governor wishes to file an appearance to give a closing argument, not to testify or submit himself to cross-examination," John Cullerton, the state Senate president, told fellow senators in the state capital, Springfield.
The senators, acting as a jury after the second-term Democrat's impeachment by the Illinois House, were widely expected to vote on Thursday to find Blagojevich guilty of abuse of power and oust him from office. Under the rules of the trial, Blagojevich would have to be allowed to speak.
Asked about rumors that Blagojevich might resign before he could be voted out of office, his spokesman Lucio Guerrero said, "to my knowledge, the governor does not plan on resigning."
Blagojevich has denied wrongdoing and branded his impeachment an act of political vengeance and part of an effort to raise taxes. He has boycotted the trial that began on Monday, attempting to upstage the often dry proceedings by doing a flurry of media interviews in New York.
He maintained the impeachment trial rules did not allow either side to prove or disprove criminal charges against him. Witnesses and most of the recordings of FBI wiretaps that could shed light on the case were kept out at the request of prosecutors.
On the fourth day of the trial he had boycotted, Blagojevich spoke after House prosecutor David Ellis said the governor is guilty of "a pattern of abuse of power."Blagojevich, a lawyer, said he hoped the Senate would reconsider rules that prevent him from calling witnesses who might testify in a criminal case against him.
"How can you throw a governor out of office" without allowing him to present evidence or call witnesses, Blagojevich said angrily on Thursday in front of the State Senate. He said no criminal activity has been proved and said he was "clamoring and begging and pleading" for an opportunity to challenge the allegations against him.
"I'm appealing to you and your sense of fairness," he said.
Senators who spoke after Blagojevich's speech said they were unmoved by his claims of innocence.
"He did not present any evidence to contradict the sworn statements under oath," said Sen. William Haine, a Democrat.
Republicans were harsher. Despite Blagojevich's "spellbinding performance," said Sen. Dale Righter, the governor is a "devious, cynical, crass and corrupt politician … someone from whom the people of this state must be protected."
Blagojevich, a two-term Democrat, said he is innocent of each of the 13 counts in an article of impeachment approved by the Illinois House.
One count accuses him of unilaterally expanding a state health care program without the consent of the General Assembly. "How is it an impeachable offense to protect low-income parents from losing their health care?" he asked.
Another count says Blagojevich bought $2.6 million of flu vaccines that were never used. He said the money hasn't been paid and asked, "How can you throw a governor out of office who is acting to protect the lives of infants and senior citizens?"
He noted that the deal was made in his first term, yet he was re-elected in 2006. Addressing the charge that he imported prescription drugs from Canada, a move ruled illegal by the federal government, Blagojevich said, "If you're impeaching me" for doing so, the governors of Wisconsin, Kansas and Vermont also should be removed from office because they did the same thing.
In a series of TV interviews during the week, Blagojevich said the proceeding was fixed and unfair.
"There hasn't been a single piece of information that proves any wrongdoing," Blagojevich said. "How can you throw a governor out of office with insufficient and incomplete evidence?"
Blagojevich asked senators Thursday to consider extending the impeachment process to allow him to call witnesses.
"I'm here to appeal … to your sense of fairness, your sense of responsibility and to the truth," he said. "Give me a chance to show my innocence."
Blagojevich appealed for senators' compassion, describing his pain and loneliness and the shame felt by his two daughters.
"If I felt I did something wrong, I would have resigned in December," he said. "I wouldn't put my family through this, I wouldn't put you through this and most importantly I wouldn't put the people of Illinois through this."
He concluded his 50-minute speech by pleading, "Give me a chance to stay here, so we can roll up our sleeves and continue to do good things for people."
Blagojevich left the Capitol immediately after his presentation, taking a state plane home to Chicago for perhaps the last time.
Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal corruption and bribery charges, including assertions that he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.
In three days of testimony, senators heard excerpts of federal wiretaps in which Blagojevich demanded campaign contributions in exchange for signing legislation diverting a portion of casino revenue to the horse-racing industry.
The tapes were played again Thursday as lawmakers sat silently in the packed Senate chamber.
This week, senators also heard FBI Special Agent Daniel Cain attest to the authenticity of the covert recordings and testimony about Blagojevich's alleged abuse of power.
Milorad "Rod" R. Blagojevich (born December 10, 1956 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) was the 40th Governor of the U.S. State of Illinois, from 2003 to 2009. He was impeached on January 14, 2009, convicted & removed from office on January 29, 2009 due to corruption and misconduct in office. He previously represented parts of Chicago in the U.S. Congress, and was elected governor in 2002 and is a member of the Democratic Party.
Blagojevich was the second Serbian American to be elected governor of any state of the United States, after George Voinovich of Ohio. He was the first Democrat to be elected Governor of Illinois in 30 years (since Daniel Walker in 1972). Blagojevich has struggled annually to pass legislation and budgets, often opposed by many members of his own party (which controls the Illinois General Assembly) who perennially disagree with him over budget and other issues. He has been the target of multiple federal investigations and has historically low approval ratings within Illinois; Rasmussen called him "America's Least Popular Governor."
Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges in early December 2008. The Illinois House of Representatives voted in January 2009 to impeach Blagojevich by a 114-1 vote, the first time such an action has been taken against a governor of Illinois. The corruption charges involved conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. The Justice Department complaint alleges that the governor conspired to commit several "pay-to-play" schemes, including attempting to sell President Barack Obama's vacated United States Senate seat to the highest bidder. On January 29, 2009, he was convicted by the Illinois State Senate.
