“Give me a chance to call witnesses and I’ll show I did nothing wrong.”(CNN)

Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is boycotting his own impeachment proceedings... instead taking his case to the airwaves in New York.

Governor Blagojevich argues that unless he can bring his own witnesses to the impeachment proceedings, it would violate the state Constitution.

We’re tracking coverage from CNN, NBC, FOX News, ABC, and Illinois’ Herald-Review.

Appearing on NBC’s The Today Show, the Governor argues the impeachment is unfair because his peers have already made up their minds.

“You could bring 15 angels and 20 saints led by Mother Teresa to testify on my integrity and my character. It wouldn’t matter. There’s no chance whatsoever to have a fair hearing because they won’t give me a chance to bring witnesses to prove my case or even challenge the charges.” (The Today Show)

FOX News asks a Republican Senator for his reaction to Blagojevich’s claims.

“That is absolutely not true. We have bent over backward to make this a fair trial for the governor.” (FOX News)

Good Morning America’s Diane Sawyer asks Governor Blagojevich to explain the tapes that federal investigators say prove he tried to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder.

“They took snippets of conversations completely out of context and did not provide all the tapes to give them the whole story. And when the whole tapes come out, they’ll see the effort was made to have a Senator who can best represent the people of Illinois.” (Good Morning America)

Illinois’ Herald-Review invited Illinoians to comment on the corruption charges:

“When you go on a witch hunt, after long enough, you will ‘find’ a witch. He is terrible for the state of Illinois, but the House has no proof of anything other than second hand bad language.”

“I am embarrassed that he refuses to resign. This arrogance is [an] embarrassment for Illinois government!” (Central Illinois Herald-Review)

Blagojevich is expected to wrap up Monday’s media tour with an appearance on CNN’s Larry King Live, where he will take phone calls from viewers.

What sort of audience will he face on Larry King? A poll on the show’s website shows 88% of viewers think the governor is guilty of trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat.

Is Governor Rod Blagojevich getting a fair shake in the Illinois Senate? Is his media tour a PR ploy or a genuine effort to appeal to the American people? We want to hear your thoughts, so leave us a comment—and please visit our sources.

Politics News

Blagojevich's Media Tour

January 26, 2009
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich skips the first day of his impeachment trial to plead his case in the court of public opinion. Newsy.com gives you a sample of his tour - and what's being said.
   
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