US governor removed from office by state senate

US governor Rod Blagojevich was thrown out of office without a single politician coming to his defence, brought down by a government-for-sale scandal that stretched from Chicago to Capitol Hill and turned the foul-mouthed politician into a national punchline.

Mr Blagojevich, accused of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, becomes the first US governor in more than 20 years to be removed by impeachment.

After a four-day trial, the Illinois Senate voted 59-0 to convict him of abuse of power, automatically ousting the second-term Democrat.

In a second, identical vote, politicians further barred Mr Blagojevich from ever holding public office in the state again.

“He failed the test of character. He is beneath the dignity of the state of Illinois. He is no longer worthy to be our governor,” said Senator Matt Murphy, a Republican from suburban Chicago.

Earlier Thursday, Mr Blagojevich came to the Senate to make a last-minute plea to save his job, warning politicians that they were about to set a “dangerous” and “chilling” precedent.

Mr Blagojevich’s troubles are not over. Federal prosecutors are drawing up an indictment against him on corruption charges.

Outside his Chicago home, Mr Blagojevich vowed to “keep fighting to clear my name,” and added: “Give me a chance to show you that I haven’t let you down.”

“I love the people of Illinois today more than I ever have before,” he said.

Democratic Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn, one of Mr Blagojevich’s critics, was promptly sworn in as governor and said he would work to “restore the faith of the people of Illinois in the integrity of their government”.

Mr Blagojevich’s name and picture were promptly stripped from the state’s official website, and his photo was removed from a display at the Capitol entrance. Mr Quinn also cancelled Mr Blagojevich’s security detail.

Mr Blagojevich, 52, had boycotted the first three days of the impeachment trial, calling the proceedings a kangaroo court.

But eventually he went before the Senate to beg for his job, delivering a 47-minute plea that was, by turns, defiant, humble and sentimental.

President Obama pledged to give Mr Quinn his full cooperation.

“Today ends a painful episode for Illinois,” Mr Obama said in a statement. “For months, the state had been crippled by a crisis of leadership. Now that cloud has lifted.”