Blagojevich: On this planet, it wasn’t wrong

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Friday that if what he’s done as Illinois governor is an impeachable offense, he’s living on the “wrong planet” and is in the “wrong place.”

Speaking to a WLS-TV reporter outside a Chicago law office, the governor said he was hired to fight for the people of Illinois and that’s what he’s been doing.

The 52-year-old Democrat is charged with scheming to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder. Federal prosecutors built their corruption case against the governor using wiretapped conversations.

Blagojevich has ignored calls to step down. He spoke Friday as the legislative committee investigating whether he should be impeached prepared to reconvene in Springfield on Monday.

The governor’s attorney, Ed Genson, said he would provide the panel with a list of 25 of Blagojevich’s accomplishments that would render the idea of impeachment ridiculous, according to WLS-TV.

Blagojevich said the wiretap recordings show him working for the people of the state.

“Even in this process, without saying too much, that was all about trying to end up with the right decision that could do the most things for the people of Illinois, and when the full truth is told, you will see precisely that,” Blagojevich said.

“If somehow that’s impeachable, then I’m on the wrong planet and I’m living in the wrong place,” he said.

The impeachment committee has yet to rule on Genson’s request to subpoena incoming Obama chief of staff Rep. Rahm Emanuel, senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and more than a dozen others, including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald has said that lawmakers’ interviews of current or former members of Blagojevich’s staff might jeopardize his criminal investigation.