Jan 23, 2009 2:58 pm US/Central
Mayor Daley Calls Blagojevich 'Cuckoo'
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Mayor Daley called Gov. Blagojevich "cuckoo" at a news conference Jan. 23, 2009, in reference to the governor's claim that state lawmakers want to get him out of the way so they can pass huge tax increases.
CBS
Responding to questions about Gov. Rod Blagojevich's claims Friday that Democratic lawmakers are trying to oust him so they can raise taxes, Mayor Richard M. Daley said the governor was "cuckoo."
He noted that he has called Blagojevich "cuckoo" once before. The earlier comment came in September, when Blagojevich questioned financial statements by the head of the Chicago Transit Authority.
"I've said 'cuckoo' once. I'll say it again," Daley said.
He chirped another "Cuckoo!" to reporters before leaving his Friday morning news conference.
Meanwhile, Blagojevich said Friday afternoon that his choice not to attend his impeachment trial in the Illinois State Senate was "not an act of defiance," but a protest against what he again characterized as a violation of constitutional civil liberties.
Blagojevich and his attorneys have said they are boycotting the impeachment trial and will not be there to participate because the rules are unfair. They restrict his calling witnesses or challenging the report prepared by at House impeachment hearings.
"To participate in a process that denies fundamental due process, and to be part of a process that doesn't allow for calling of witnesses, and worse than that, doesn't allow for me or any citizen to challenge charges that are brought against me, is a fundamental violation of the constitution," Blagojevich said. "It is a trampling of the constitution."
He said he might call White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to testify on his behalf if he were permitted to call witnesses, and claimed they would all testify he had done nothing wrong in picking a U.S. Senator to replace President Barack Obama.
Blagojevich brought up "old cowboy movies" in explaining his stance on the Senate rules, referring to a cowboy who was charged with stealing a horse the Old West. A fellow cowboy wanted to hang the thief, but another cowboy warned him he needed a fair trial, Blagojevich said.
"Under these rules, I'm not even getting a fair trial. They're just hanging me… and they're hanging the 12 million people of Illinois who twice elected a governor," Blagojevich said.
On WLS radio, Blagojevich insisted he hasn't done anything wrong. He also said the General Assembly is bullying him out of the way so that they can pass "huge" increases on income and gas taxes. He said the next governor will be less likely to disagree with legislators out of fear of being removed from office in the same manner.
"The fix is in – they've even put a date where the trial is going to end. How can you do that if you're going to be fair?" Blagojevich said. "They decided, again, make it quick, make it fast, pretend like, to the best of your ability, there's some fairness to it. And then Pat Quinn's the governor, and they start raising taxes on you guys. That's what's going to happen."
Blagojevich also claimed that both Democrats and Republicans in the state General Assembly, including Senate President John Cullerton, want to raise taxes and were certain to do so the minute the governor left office.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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