Adventures in Blago-Sitting: Ellis Offers Rebuttal

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 29, 2009 7:20PM

Following Gov. Blagojevich's long-winded, rambling defense earlier this morning, lead prosecutor David Ellis (pictured right) has offered his rebuttal. A fiery Ellis started, "I can't give a speech like the Governor...when the cameras are on, [he] can give a pretty good speech." And with that, he launched into the Blagojevich we heard away from the cameras and on the wiretap tapes.

Using the Governor's own words against him, Ellis pointed to the transcripts to show that Blagojevich didn't care about "the little man." Ellis also pointed to the fact that Blagojevich refused to testify and that he "talked more about the case with Barbara Walters on The View" then he did during the trial. Stating, "It should be rare, it is rare, it always will be...Everybody in this room is taking this seriously. But why do we have impeachment? We have it to protect the people of this state...[He] only talks about himself, not the people..." Ellis argued that being the Governor is "a privilege, not a right and he has abused that privilege." Stopping several times to catch his breath, Ellis implored the Senate to vote for removal.

And with that, the case is over and both parties have recessed for caucuses and will reconvene at 2:15 pm, presumably to discuss deliberations or, possibly, to vote on removal.