* As noted below, the governor claimed today that he wasn’t under federal investigation and engaged in a contentious back and forth with reporters. Chicago Public Radio has the audio. You must listen to this. Here’s the station’s intro to the raw audio…
Illinois Governor Blagojevich’s press conference on gas pump inspections disintegrated into a contentious confrontation with reporters asking about the on-going federal investigation of state government. The governor denied being a target.
* The fun stuff begins at about the 16 minute mark. The first question out of the box was about how Speaker Madigan’s spokesman suggested the governor was a sociopath.
* It really gets fun at the 21 minute mark. “Your questions are ridiculous!” he said. He called the Tribune “dishonest.”
He was asked if he was a target at least a couple dozen times. “I’m probably a target of Mike Madigan’s desire to keep us from passing a jobs bill and having a budget that’s balanced that helps people. If I’m a target, that’s it.”
“I’m not going to reward dishonest reporters who ask dishonest questions.”
* The same governor who vetoed all CeaseFire funding out of the state budget last year said this to reporters today: “I’m a strong supporter of CeaseFire and I believe in CeaseFire.” Oy.
* The governor claimed that two House members with city jobs told him they were worried they would lose their jobs if they voted for the capital budget.
* Phil Rogers asked: Why is it dishonest to ask you if you have been told you are a target of this investigation?
Gov. Blagojevich: “The answer is I am not, and it’s a ridiculous question and you know it’s a ridiculous question because if you carefully look at the things that have happened and you’re not just interested in sensationalizing something so you can do your big news story you wouldn’t even bother asking a question like that.”
Carlos Hernandez Gomez pointed out right afterwards: “But governor, a subject is different, a subject is anybody that is not a target.”
* Afterwards, I’m told, the governor took a TV reporter aside and berated him for not reporting on the corruption allegations about Mayor Daley and Speaker Madigan. That’ll go over well.
The governor also reportedly poked the reporter’s chest quite often during the exchange. Dignified.
* Quote of the week: “Let me tell you something, I know the truth of things and I have nothing to fear but the truth, OK?” - Rod Blagojevich at the 22:09 mark. [Thanks to a commenter.]
* Chicago Public Radio now has a story up. Go check it out. ABC7 will have raw video on its site after 5 o’clock today. Watch for Ben Bradley’s story on that site as well. He was the one confronted and poked in the chest by Blagojevich after the press bang.
* Carlos Hernandez Gomez has a blog entry on the subject entitled “I’m not a crook.”