Blago is about to speak to the press…. should be entertaining.
Ok, he says he is innocent, won’t resign, won’t admit any wrongdoing, is going to ‘fight fight fight’ to prove his innocence.
Attacks the prosecutors, says he wants to prove his innocence but he can’t do it yet (shades of Nixon’s secret plan to end the war). Quotes Kipling, well actually somewhat misquotes Kipling to suit his own purposes but what the heck he probably has plans to buy Kipling in trade for a government job.
Says nothing about the Obama Senate seat.
Basically goes with the standard ‘I am innocent until proven guilty, etc’ line.
Says he wants to thank all those who support him and believe he is innocent (seems to me he could have done that person by person, wouldn’t take long).
So, probably no Senator from Illinois in January.
We also get to see an impeachment trial up close and personal. Absent any new evidence of his innocence, the only issue is how many (if any) legislators vote against impeachment and conviction. This of course will take time because the new legislature convenes in January so they will have to wait till then to start and even when the outcome is pretty much a foregone conclusion it takes time.
On the political side this could prove interesting if when the Senate convenes in January that there are two vacant seats in Illinois and Minnesota (word is that there is increasing doubt as to whether that race will be decided by January 5th). The ratio of members in the body as a whole determines the ratio of D’s and R’s on the committees and subcommittees.
The difference between 57 seats and 59 seats could mean the difference between a 2 or 3 seat margin on the committees.