Blagojevich insists he's done nothing wrong

As the Illinois State Senate moves into its second day of impeachment hearings against embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich, the governor himself continues his media tour and insists he's done nothing wrong.

"I'm still not giving up hope," the governor said in an interview with the Associated Press, insisting "the truth will come out" if given a chance. He asked the Illinois State Senate to allow him to call witnesses and bring in witnesses in his defense at the trial now going on in Springfield that he's boycotting. "What are you afraid of?" the governor asked rhetorically.

The governor's defiant stance comes as the Illinois Senate is scheduled to listen to audio tapes today of the governor's conversations that were secretly recorded by federal investigators who have charged Blagojevich with corruption-related offenses. Still, the governor took to the airwaves Monday and Tuesday, with 11 scheduled television interviews on Tuesday alone, according to CNN.

Portraying his case as a matter of basic rights, Blagojevich asked his state's lawmakers to "let me have the same basic right as every citizen in America." The governor suggested the legislature's actions would have a chilling effect on other governors who stand up to their legislatures and warned that convicting him would set a "dangerous precedent."

"If they can deny a governor who was elected twice by the people of Illinois that fundamental right, then they can deny that to you and to any other citizen in America," he said.