Friday, January 23, 2009

Blagojevich...master of hyperbole and martyr for the people

Illinois' Governor Rod "Look at the Muskrat on My Head" Blagojevich is setting a new standard for shamelessness:

Illinois' embattled but defiant governor turned to the history books to describe the emotional strain on him and his family, comparing his arrest last month to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

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

And better still? He's doing it all for the people...

The governor, along with his lawyers, say the trial rules are unfair because they bar him from calling witnesses who are likely to be called in any criminal trial later.

"I'm not going to be a party to that process," he said. "That would be a violation of my oath of office. That, to me, would be an impeachable offense."

He said his decision came from what he called a "bigger principle," which he said includes due process and the right to call witnesses.

"In some respects it's an honor to fall on principle on behalf of the people," he said.

Blagojevich, wearing a black leather jacket and gripping a blue legal folder, also accused legislators of "a rush to judgment," saying they wanted him gone so they could pass tax legislation.

"The reason they're doing this is because they can't wait to get rid of me so they can raise taxes on the people of Illinois," he said. "This is as much about a tax increases as it is about anything else." -- as told to the Associated Press

The next thing we'll see is Muskrat Man re-enacting the final "drawn and quartered/freedom" scene from Braveheart in front of Wrigley Field.

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