Quinn sworn in; Blagojevich moves on

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he was sad but not surprised that the state Senate voted him out of office Thursday, and vowed to clear his name.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was sworn in to replace Blagojevich shortly after senators voted 59-0 to remove him from office and bar him from ever holding elective office in the state in the future. The orders were signed by Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald.

"The fight goes on," Blagojevich said outside his Ravenswood Manor home in Chicago hours after the vote. "I'm going to keep fighting to clear my name."

"I'm obviously sad and disappointed but not at all surprised by what the state Senate did today," he said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve the people of Illinois their governor for the past six years."

President Barack Obama said in a statement issued by the White House the impeachment "ends a painful episode for Illinois."

"For months, the state had been crippled by a crisis of leadership," Obama said. "Now that cloud has lifted."

Following the vote, Sen. John Cullerton said Blagojevich was unable to govern and called the impeachment "a shameful low in the proud political history of our state."

"We did not do this for political expediency, we are not settling old scores," he said. "We acted in the best interests of the people of the state of Illinois."

Cullerton said Blagojevich had "deliberately and pathologically abused his power."

Before the vote, senator after senator spoke of the solemnity of the situation and how Blagojevich betrayed the trust of Illinois' citizens in his abuse of office. Some spoke of "closing a sad chapter," feeling embarrassment and offered prayers to Blagojevich's family.

In his closing argument, House prosecutor David Ellis, chief legal counsel for the lower chamber, said the evidence presented supported the article of impeachment accusing Blagojevich of abuse of the power of his office.

In what turned out to be his last address before the Senate, Blagojevich asked lawmakers to "give him another chance" to work for Illinoisans while proclaiming his innocence.

Blagojevich's appearance before the Senate Thursday ended his long-distance criticism of the proceedings, which he called unfair on various television talk shows.

Blagojevich "does not have a constitutional right to be governor," Ellis said in rebuttal, "It is a privilege. And he has forfeited that privilege."

During his closing statement, Ellis said Blagojevich's actions during his six years in office were guided by one of three criteria -- "his legal situation, his personal situation and his political situation."

Ellis ended his summation by saying, "The governor should be removed from office."

The articles of impeachment accuse Blagojevich of a number of efforts to secure personal gain or campaign contributions in exchange for official acts. He also was arrested, but has yet to be indicted, on federal corruption charges, including accusations of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Obama.