Blagoje-Watch: The Final Countdown

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 23, 2009 7:25PM

Governor Rod Blagojevich's impeachment trial gets underway on Monday and things are, what else, a hot mess. So what's going on in the World of Blago as the trial approaches?

• This morning, Blago gave his first interview since his December arrest to Don Wade and Roma on WLS 890 AM. In the interview, Blago asked for fairness, to be allowed to bring in witnesses to show, "I haven't done anything wrong and I've done, mostly, things right." He also said everything he did was "for the people," and was "part of the way the process works." Riiiiiiiiight. Blago also said that the whole point of the impeachment was taxes: "It's all about getting rid of me to raise taxes on people." He also apologized for his potty mouth, saying, "If I knew they were listening, I wouldn't have used those words." We're betting that if he knew they were listening, he wouldn't have said anything.
• This next item is just so damn ridiculous we hope it's true. The Sun-Times' representative of fine journalism, Michael Sneed, is reporting that Blago wants to appear on ABC's The View as part of a potential media blitz in his own defense. Whoopi, Barbara, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Blago? Hell, yes. I would watch this in second, if for nothing else than the hope that Sherri Shepherd gives Blago some serious sass.
• The upside of this new wave of media appearances? Hearing Blago say stupid stuff like comparing his impeachment to Pearl Harbor to the AP: "Dec. 9 to my family, to us, to me, is what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States...And just like the United States prevailed in that, we'll prevail in this."
• Prosecutor David Ellis has released his list of witnesses for the upcoming trial. And if you've listened to the WLS interview, you won't see any of the big names Blago wants, like Sen. John McCain.
• Finally, as the big day approaches, we're wondering just what in the hell is going on with Blago's defense team. Super Attorney Ed Genson has said that Blago will not mount a defense at the trial and will not file a lawsuit to delay the trial's start. It seems like the Governor and his team aren't going to fight the impeachment but do plan to fight the criminal complaint with their full force. At least, all according to Genson. Because Sam Adam says a lawsuit to delay the trial is happening. Said Genson, "I have no idea. They don't communicate with me. I have not been consulted on the impeachment decisions. I'm the only one proceeding in the Federal court....I don't disagree with what they're doing, because I don't know what they're doing." Well, sounds like everything in Blago's camp is golden.