(Image source: Chicago Tribune)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

14 years in federal prison for the man convicted of trying to sell President Obama’s vacated Senate seat.

Despite telling a judge he’s “unbelievably sorry” for his “terrible mistakes,” former Illinois sGovernor Rod Blagojevich is going to jail.

US District Judge James Zagel said -- like the jury -- he didn’t believe Blagojevich when he said he didn’t know his actions were illegal. WGN has the verdict.

“14 years...he’ll get 168 months. … He has to serve 85 percent of his sentence. He’ll serve 11 years and 9 months. ...he really didn’t have that much emotion. He looked dazed to me. …The judge made it really clear his main reason was he eroded the public trust.”

A little background -- in June of this year, a jury found Blagojevich guilty of corruption charges, including that he tried to sell President Obama’s vacated Senate seat.

Many analysts noted Blagojevich’s tearful plea to the judge and admission of guilt marked a departure for the defense. The former governor had adamantly proclaimed his innocence in previous public appearances.

Here he is in 2008 -- video courtesy of CNN.

“I’m here to tell you right off the bat, that I’m not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. … I will fight, I will fight, I will fight, until I take my last breath.”

Prosecutors had asked for 15-20 years, so that 14-year sentence is pretty close to what they wanted.

But WFLD notes, it’s more than double the 6 ½ year sentence handed down to Blagojevich’s predecessor, George Ryan, who was convicted in 2006 of corruption involving the sale of government licenses and contracts.

“Governor Ryan was an example of a current era of corrupt political leadership when he was secretary of state. Anybody in public office should have learned that lesson. Clearly Governor Blagojevich did not. He pays a heavier price for having not learned it. Which is pretty much what the judge said this morning.”

Some think the sentence was a bit overboard.

Cable news contributor Goldie Taylor took to Twitter, saying “Blago gets 14, Conrad Murray gets 4. … Doesn’t seem right.”

But in a state that’s seen more than its fair share of politicians convicted for corruption, WBBM wonders -- could Blagojevich’s sentence serve as a deterrent? An analyst tells the CBS-affiliate...

"No is the answer to that question. There have been so many Chicago and Illinois politicians off to prison with no indication that they had in any way been deterred by the sentencing of politicians prior to their sentencing.”

According to the Chicago Tribune, he won’t have to report to federal prison until mid-February.