See the Illinois Governor Play It Like a Pit Bull: 'I will fight.' [Video]

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
by Christine Bowman

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and two criminal lawyers, Sheldon Sorosky and Sam Adam, Jr., met the press Friday afternoon in Chicago with a belligerent, defiant, blustery throwing down of the gauntlet. They denied in many reiterations that the governor had done anything at all wrong. Blagojevich himself vowed, "I will fight. I will fight. I will fight until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong." Apparently sincere in that assertion, the governor may have been saying today that, in his view, pay-to-play and a culture of back-room dealing is neither illegal nor wrong.

Veteran ABC7 political reporter Andy Shaw floated the idea that the governor could step aside temporarily, so as to better focus on his lengthy defense. Attorney Sam Adam, Jr. all but flat out rejected that idea, saying the governor would weigh that option only if he could no longer do anything at all positive to serve the people of Illinois.

"We don't know," was the response to questions about how or when the now-vacant US Senate seat previously held by President-elect Barack Obama would be filled. Currently no procedure is in the works for a special election, and only the governor has the legal authority to appoint someone to the open seat.

The attorneys impled that the Blagojevich conversations made public by US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald on December 8 uncovered no illegal acts. "Maybe there was talk," was all that attorney Sam Adam would allow.

The defense attorneys and the governor focused narrowly on the US Attorney's allegations and revelations made public the day the FBI arrested and charged the governor. That arrest appears to have been triggered by the discovery of evidence via wiretaps suggesting that the governor was prepared to auction the open US Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Significantly, a future indictment of the governor by the Department of Justice, which is expected in the coming weeks, will concern a much wider ranging, four-year investigation of corruption involving the governor and other parties. In addition to facing a likely criminal indictment, the governor and his attorneys must concurrently defend against impeachment efforts in the Illinois legislature.

Ill. Gov. Blagojevich pledges to fight, won't quit (AP)

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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