Blagojevich dishes dirt on those who ousted him

[February 12, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich is lashing out at the Illinois lawmakers who removed him from office, calling them drunkards and adulterers who don't know how to do their jobs.

Blagojevich's former colleagues and close associates are laughing off the latest comments as those of a desperate man -- but he could make people nervous if he starts naming names as federal prosecutors prepare to indict him on corruption charges.

"At some point he's going to realize how much trouble he's in and the way the federal sentencing works now, the best way to reduce your own sentence is to cooperate against someone else," said Chicago defense attorney John Beal.

Blagojevich, impeached and ousted last month in the wake of federal corruption charges, seems open to spilling in a book at least some of what he saw during his two terms in the state's highest office.

"I've got my crayons ready, I'm ready to write it. I'd like to tell those stories," Blagojevich said during a Wednesday interview on WLS Radio's "The Don and Roma Morning Show."

Blagojevich said he wants to point out "the phoniness and hypocrisy" of the politicians who run state government.

"A bunch of them are cheating on their spouses, a lot of them drink in excess, very few of them know what's going on, they just take their marching orders from legislative leaders," Blagojevich said.

As salacious as Blagojevich's comments may be, what ultimately will matter is whether he can tell prosecutors about illegality in state government, Beal said.

"Feeding them a lot of gossip doesn't get you anywhere," he said.

Lawmakers brushed off Blagojevich's latest remarks.

"We're watching a guy destroy himself in front of our eyes," said Democratic state Rep. John D'Amico of Chicago.

Blagojevich, who toured national media outlets to defend himself instead of attending the start of his impeachment trial last month, was in New York City again Wednesday for a live appearance on Fox News with talk show host Sean Hannity.

Hannity told Blagojevich that interviewers have been too easy on him.

The once-powerful Chicago Democrat warmed up on the morning airwaves in his hometown.

He unleashed biting criticism of everyone from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to state lawmakers who hold other government jobs and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton for driving a Jaguar and working in what Blagojevich called a "politically connected" law firm.

Cullerton didn't want to talk about Blagojevich on his way into Senate chambers Wednesday in Springfield and hadn't heard what the governor had to say.

"He doesn't want to engage in a public sound bite battle between a guy who used to be governor, who doesn't have a lot else to do right now, clearly," Cullerton spokesman Toby Trimmer said.

Blagojevich is charged in a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors Dec. 9 with plotting to sell President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat, illegally squeezing businesses for campaign money and pressuring the Chicago Tribune to fire editorial writers who at the time were calling for his impeachment.

On Wednesday, he accused Madigan of buying off lawmakers to do what he wants by appointing them to committee posts so they earn extra pay. He dished about a legislative leader trying to clean up after another lawmaker who had had an affair. And he complained about lawmakers taking marching orders from Daley.

"He's just a very confused and troubled human being," said Madigan spokesman Steve Brown, who dismissed the notion of being concerned about what tales Blagojevich might have to tell.

"He'll just make things up as he's done," Brown said.

A message seeking comment was left with a Daley spokeswoman.

On the radio, Blagojevich also called out state Reps. Joe Lyons and D'Amico for holding government jobs besides their work as state lawmakers, what Blagojevich calls "double-dippers." D'Amico works for the Chicago Department of Water and Lyons works for Cook County government, but those agencies don't pay them for days they work as legislators.

"It's a desperate man saying desperate things," Lyons said.

[Associated Press; By DEANNA BELLANDI]

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