Progress Illinois

Here's the full video of the press conference in which Gov. Blagojevich announced the Burris appointment:

Transcript below.

Blagojevich's opening statement:

The people of Illinois are entitled to have two United States senators represent them in Washington, D.C.  As governor, I am required to make this appointment.  If I don't make this appointment, then the people of Illinois will be deprived of their appropriate vote and voice in the United States Senate.  Therefore, I am hear to announce my intention to appont an individual who has unquestioned integrity, extensive experience, and is a wise and distiguished senior statesman of Illinois.  This man was actually once an opponent of mine for governor. 

So I'm here today to announce that I am appointing Roland Burris as the next United States senator from Illinois.  Roland Burris is no stranger to the people of our state.  Between 1979 and 1992, he served the people of Illinois as the state's comptroller and the state's attorney general. He has had a long and distinguished career serving the people of Illinois.  He will be a great United States senator.

And now I'd like to ask everyone to one last thing: Please don't let the allegations against me taint this good and honest man.

Rep. Bobby Rush's impromptu statement:

I applaud the governor for his decision. And I would ask you to not hang or lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointor. Separate, if you will, the appointee from the appointor.  Roland Burris is worthy.  He is the only one, I believe, that can stand in the gap in these tumultuous times and gather the confidence -- restablish the confidence of the people of the State of Illinois.

As far as certification is concerned, I think the Secretary of State acted prematurely in issuing the statement.  I'm not sure whether or not he has any authority to actually certify or not. But I do know that he should be concerned about how the people of the state of Illinois will react to him not certifying this particular individual, Roland Burris, to replace the president-elect.

As far as my colleagues in the Congress, I intend -- or we intend -- to persuade them or to challenge them or to do whatever -- beg them -- whatever it may take to get them to reverse their decision. ... I don't think that any U.S. senator who is sitting in the U.S. Senate right now wants to deny one African-American from being seated in the U.S. Senate.  I don't think they want to go on record doing that.

Before leaving the room, Blagojevich hollered: "Feel free to castigate the appointor, but don't lynch the appointor.  I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing."

UPDATE: WBEZ has the full audio.