Gov. Blagojevich: 'I will fight' until 'my last breath'

Gov. Rod Blagojevich came out swinging Friday, pledging his innocence, refusing to resign and defying the "political lynch mob" he sees as trying to take him out.

"I will fight. I will fight. I will fight until I take my last breath," he told reporters in his first comments addressing his arrest last week on sweeping corruption charges. "I have done nothing wrong and I'm not going to quit a job the people hired me to do because of false accusations and a political lynch mob."

Blagojevich didn't take questions or address the specific federal charges against him, which included trying to trade a U.S. Senate seat and state business for campaign cash and a high-paying job. Federal prosecutors say they have it all on tape.

"I'm dying to show you how innocent I am," the governor said, but added that he would only do so in the courts.

The governor also took a familiar posture, portraying himself as the good guy in a fight against conspirators trying to derail his work to help the poor and uninsured.

"Now I know there are some powerful forces aligned against me," he said during his short statement. "It is kind of lonely right now. But I have on my side the most powerful ally there is and it is the truth. And besides, I have the personal knowledge that I have not done anything wrong."

The defiance in the face of calls for resignation only energized state officials working to oust him from office.

A state Senate panel met Friday to discuss rules for his impeachment trial as House lawmakers waited to hear if prosecutors will let them question federal witnesses and listen to wire taps to bolster their case.

Yet, Blagojevich's attorneys appeared to open the door, just a slight crack, to a possible voluntary resignation if the governor decides the state is "suffering" with him as CEO.

"This is the answer (Blagojevich) gave me - if it doesn't work out, if it is too hard, if the people of Illinois suffer, he will step aside," said attorney Sam Adam Jr. after taking the podium following Blagojevich's remarks.

But Adam refused to detail how Blagojevich would determine whether staying in office is hurting residents. He also said the governor would be able to handle both his state responsibilities and his defense.

"He can do it and he will," Adam said.

State officials say Illinois residents are already suffering.

The state budget has a shortfall of more than $2 billion. A massive backlog of bills is causing schools and hospitals to go months without state payments.

It is now costing more to borrow money because banks don't have faith in the state government, officials say. And what they claim is Blagojevich's inability to lead is creating a power vacuum while the state teeters on the verge of economic calamity.

"We are in big trouble now," said House Republican leader Tom Cross of Oswego. "How are we going to find our way to get out of that hole when we can't govern?"

Cross predicted no state business would get done until Blagojevich is removed, which could take weeks, if not months, through the impeachment process.

"His ability to lead is completely gone," Cross said. "No one has faith in him. No one trusts him and if you don't have that, you can't govern."

Blagojevich has attempted to show he can still run the state. He has shown up to his office repeatedly in downtown Chicago since his arrest on Dec. 9. He has also signed and vetoed legislation. Late Friday, he granted pardons to 22 individuals seeking clemency from his office.

Shortly after the much-anticipated news conference, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn took the podium and raised the specter of a terrorist attack in a plea for the governor to step aside under a constitutional provision that would allow him to keep his title and possibly his paycheck.

"The people of Illinois are entitled to a governor who can act on their behalf, particularly in the area of public safety in these perilous times," Quinn said. "(The state) is in jeopardy right now, there is no doubt."

The governor's verbose defense and refusal to step down Friday came as little surprise to many top state officials.

"The governor is a fighter," Quinn said. "Anyone who has witnessed his public life knows he is that kind of person."

While Blagojevich didn't tout his multiple health care proposals during his brief statements, his attorneys repeatedly invoked them.

"He is not going to apologize for fighting for sick children," Adam said. "He is not going to apologize for making sure that senior citizens get prescription drugs."

As for the criminal charges, Adam said he could not answer questions because he hasn't heard the alleged secret recordings of the governor conspiring to trade large campaign contributions for state business, pressure Chicago Tribune executives to fire editors in exchange for state help selling Wrigley Field or exchange a U.S. Senate appointment for campaign cash or a high-paying job.

He implied the case was trumped up, calling the criminal complaint full of "15-second snippets that an agent sitting in an office somewhere pulls out."

"I can't answer. I don't know. I will tell you what," Adam said. "Give us what we need and we can answer your questions."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=259481">Transcript of Blagojevich's statement <span class="date">[12/19/08]</span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=284">Blagojevich press conference </a></li> </ul> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/packages/2008/blagojevich/">Complete coverage of Blagojevich investigation</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>