* ABC’s Good Morning America has been promoting its Monday Blagojevich interview as the governor’s first television sitdown of his new national publicity blitz. But the governor then gave NBC the scoop, and they threw a bunch of softballs and aired part of the interview this morning…
Blagojevich, wearing a blue ivy league shirt, told NBC’s Amy Robach that he has not prepared mentally for possibly going to prison. The impeachment was triggered by Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest on criminal charges, including trying to auction off President Obama’s vacant senate seat.
As Dec. 9 unfolded, Blagojevich told NBC, “I thought about Mandela, Dr. King and Gandhi and tried to put some perspective to all this and that is what I am doing now.”
Blagojevich is not going to participate in his defense because he says the rules are rigged against him. He will not be in Springfield for his trial; instead he will be doing nationally televised interviews.
The governor told NBC that the state Senate trial will be so unfair, he could bring in “15 angels and 20 saints led by Mother Theresa” to testify on his behalf and “it wouldn’t matter.”
This interview is exactly why I do not like to cooperate with the national media. Ugh.
* Ed Genson quit the Blagojevich case just in time, apparently. Can our governor get any more disgusting? Ugh…
llinois’ embattled governor has hired the same public relations firm that represents former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson.
That decision by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to use the Tampa-based Publicity Agency comes amid a media blitz that’ll include appearances Monday on ABC-TV’s “The View” and “Good Morning, America.”
He’s also appearing on Larry King Live on Monday night. More here.
The press release announcing this revolting development is here…
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Hires Outside PR Firm
The Publicity Agency, the publicity/PR firm that specializes in dealing with the media in high-profile news events, will coordinate media interviews and handle media calls and requests for Gov. Blagojevich that are outside the scope of his job as governor.
The role of publicist Glenn Selig is to look out for Mr. Peterson’s interests in the court of public opinion. To that end, Glenn has secured interviews with Today, Good Morning America, Larry King Live and the Associated Press.
And Selig has done such a good job that just about everybody now believes Drew Peterson is pure and innocent. Yeah. Right. I’m sure Selig will do wonders for Blagojevich. Why, just give it a couple of days and Blagojevich’s approval ratings will shoot right through the roof. I’m sure.
While the search for Stacy Peterson continues, Drew Peterson has been busy exchanging romantic e-mails on a chat room claiming he is going to be set up with a disgraced pop star. […]
In April he writes, “Guess who I might get a date with as a publicity stunt? Britney Spears…a night on the town in Chicago.”
Peterson’s publicist Glen Selig says that Peterson did exchange emails with the woman, but says it was all innocent flirting and the in the end Ashley wanted more — which Drew couldn’t give her.
“No, he is not going to be set-up with Britney Spears. I mean he’s Drew, he’s a jokester,” Selig says. [emphasis added]
Maybe Selig can set Rod up with Britney instead. Rod’s quite the jokester as well, after all. Selling Barack’s US Senate seat? Just a misunderstood prank.
Oy.
* More Selig in action…
* Related…
* Newly released subpoenas that Gov. Blagojevich fought to keep secret show federal prosecutors are looking at potential criminal wrongdoing that would go beyond charges he already faces — involving everything from state road contracts awarded to campaign donors to his wife Patti’s real estate dealings… The most intense round of grand jury subpoenas came during October 2005, when the governor’s office was hit 17 times for hiring records. At that time, as Blagojevich was preparing to embark on his 2006 re-election campaign, the administration acknowledged receiving only four subpoenas.
* “The truth is the truth, and those [tapes] will speak for themselves,” Blagojevich told host Cliff Kelley.
* Sneed hears that Illinois first lady Patti Blagojevich, who was abruptly fired from her job at the Chicago Christian Industrial League last week, wants her year’s salary paid in full.
* Blagojevich: “I’m not even getting a fair trial.” Press conference transcript
* Supreme Court weighs appeal by Daley’s former patronage chief - Robert Sorich challenges conviction for “honest services fraud,” testing federal corruption law
