Impeached Blagojevich compares himself to Gandhi

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, facing a senate trial on corruption and malpractice charges, on Tuesday drew parallels with Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr saying he tried to bring perspective into his arrest last year by thinking about the leaders.

Referring to his December 9 arrest, Blagojevich told the NBC's Today show, "...the day unfolded and I had a whole bunch of thoughts... my children, and my wife and then I thought about Mandela, Dr King, Gandhi and tried to put some perspective in all of this and that is what I am doing now."

He added he has not prepared himself for the possibility of prison. The interview was one of the many TV shows Blagojevich appeared on Tuesday in New York even as the Illinois Senate began his impeachment trial. He is giving the trial a miss, instead fighting his case on national television and appearing on TV shows throughout the day proclaiming his innocence.

He reiterated that he has done no wrong and not getting a fair trial in Illinois in shows like ABC's The View and Good Morning America. He is also scheduled to appear on CNN's Larry King Live on Tuesday night.

Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI in December last year on criminal charges, including that he tried to sell the senate seat vacated by president Barack Obama. The Illinois senate began the impeachment trial in Springfield on whether to throw the governor out of the office.

A defiant Blagojevich said he would not participate in the trial as it was a sham and unfair and did not give him a chance to bring in witnesses.

"I know the fix is in and I will soon join the unfortunate people in this country who are losing their jobs," he said.