Gov. on radio show: I acted for good of the people, state
Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Friday that everything he's done as governor has been for the good of the state and "in the best interest of the people."
Speaking for more than 40 minutes on WLS-AM, Blagojevich said he couldn't discuss specifics of the federal corruption charges against him -- but insisted he hasn't done anything wrong.
"What I did and what I was doing and all the rest was in the best interest of the people," Blagojevich said. "And it was, of course, part of a political process that is not that inconsistent with the way the process works.
"At the end of the day, it was all about trying to do the right thing for the people of Illinois."
Blagojevich initially shied away from the media after his Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges, including allegations he tried to schemed to benefit from his power to name President Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate.
His arrest triggered impeachment proceedings, and the House voted almost unanimously to send his case to the Senate for a trial that could remove him from office.
With the trial looming, the two-term Democrat seems to have turned to public relations, addressing reporters at least twice Thursday, including an exclusive interview with The Associated Press as he waited outside of his lawyer's office. He also planned a news conference Friday afternoon.
During his interview on WLS, Blagojevich sidestepped questions about reports that he's looking to appear on ABC's "The View" program next week, when his Senate trial is to be under way.
The governor and his legal team have refused to participate that begins Monday, saying the Senate's rules are unfair in part because they bar testimony from anyone federal prosecutors say would jeopardize the criminal corruption trial against the governor -- meaning Blagojevich can't call just anyone he'd like.
Blagojevich repeated his claim Friday that state legislators are trying to get him out of office quickly so that they can pass "huge" increases on income and gas taxes. He said the next governor will be less likely to disagree with legislators out of fear of being removed from office in the same manner.
Blagojevich also took issue with media reports characterizing him as "defiant" for not stepping down in the wake of the charges against him. He said defending himself against false accusations does not amount to defiance.
"If I did something wrong, I would've resigned, that would've been my responsibility to the people, but I didn't," he said. "It isn't defiant ... to stand up for what the truth is and what's right."