Blagojevich: Lawmakers Want Me Out To Raise Taxes

From WBBM News Radio 780

CHICAGO (CBS/AP) - Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Friday morning that state legislators are trying to get him out of office quickly so that they can raise taxes.

Blagojevich spoke for more than 40 minutes on a local Chicago radio show early Friday, a day after the station's program director offered him a radio show if he resigns. The governor says he's done nothing wrong and has no intention of stepping down.

Blagojevich has been impeached by the state House and faces an impeachment trial in the Senate starting Monday that could end with his removal.

He says as soon as he's gone, state lawmakers will pass a "huge" income tax increase.

On Thursday, Blagojevich and his attorney Sam Adam Jr. spoke with CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine. They say they will not be at the impeachment trial when it begins.

"To deny due process to any citizen, however high or low that citizen might be, and do a rush to judgment (and) not give me a chance to have witnesses is wrong," Blagojevich said. "I'm not going to be a party to something like that, and whatever the consequences are to me, I'll face those, because the larger issues at stake is the fundamental rights citizens in our country."

"We'd love to work with them and have rules fair, so we can aggressively who that I've done nothing wrong, and have done about everything right," the governor added.

Blagojevich argued that without proper procedures for impeachments, any future state executive can get railroaded.

"He'll be so afraid of taking on the Legislature, to stand in the way of raising taxes or fighting to provide health care for children as I've done, because he's afraid the legislature can do what … they're about to try to do to me," Blagojevich said.

Asked about lawmakers' explanation that they cannot call witnesses because it could jeopardize the criminal case against Blagojevich, the governor responded: "It's very simple, then take criminal allegations out (of the impeachment trial). Allow the U.S. attorney to prosecute that case in court of law. I can't wait to have my day in court to prove my innocence."

Asked if he has considered stepping aside temporarily or resigning outright, Blagojevich said: "Put me aside … It's whether or not a legislature can have an illegal, farce impeachment process to throw government out."

In a separate interview, Blagojevich compared his arrest to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

"Dec. 9 to my family, to us, to me, is what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States," Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It was a complete surprise, completely unexpected. And just like the United States prevailed in that, we'll prevail in this."

Blagojevich is still considering going to court to block the impeachment trial, but he's also appealing to the public for support.