Blagojevich dismissed impeachment charges, attacked Illinois House

Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) responded flippantly to the State House of Representatives over their vote for his impeachment, and accused the state body of trying to oust him for several years.

Blagojevich avoided talking about the criminal accusations against him, and instead proceeded to rail against the house, charging that they had stood in the way of progress.

“[I was] engaged in a struggle with the House to get things done for the people,” said Blagojevich during a press conference in which the Governor was surrounded by citizens that he claimed to have claimed to have aided throughout his term.

Blagojevich rapidly listed his legislative attempts and accomplishments, steps that he described as the true reasons for the impeachment vote. Among these were health care reform, the creation of an easier prescription drug program (a move that Blagojevich said was made on the recommendation of former Illinois Rep. and soon to be Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel), a low cost cancer detection program, and property tax relief. After listing each he asked, rhetorically, if it should be considered an impeachable act.

The Governor, who has been accused of trying to sell President Elect Obama’s Senate seat, said that he was confident he would be exonerated and ended his press conference by reciting a poem by British Poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, saying “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

Blagojevich did not take any questions, although those in attendance prompted him to throughout his speech.