BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

As the Illinois State Senate resumed the first impeachment trial against a U.S. governor in more than 20 years, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was in New York City starring in a media blitz aimed more toward keeping him out of jail than in his job.

As he made the rounds at the CBS Early Show, The View, Good Morning America, and Larry King Live, Gov. Blagojevich used the media megaphone to aggressively reinforce the messages he' s been sending since news first broke of a federal investigation into charges that he tried to sell President Obama' s former U.S. Senate seat.

Blagojevich said he believes the trial is a "kangaroo court" and that "the fix is in." He wants the full FBI tapes that led to bribery charges released - saying they will clear his name if heard in their full context. And he wants Americans to know just how deeply he and his family have been hurt by the events of the last few months.

As far as his impeachment is concerned, this communications offensive likely hurts more than it helps. And yet, the PR road trip may be the only effective tactic Blagojevich has left if he wants to influence the jury pool and survive a likely criminal trial. By staying in Illinois to face the legislature, he would have been forced to play the role of villain. But by traveling to New York and chatting with the national media, he had a chance to portray himself as a victim.

As I said in a CBS News interview last night, Gov. Blagojevich is clearly trying to create reasonable doubt in people' s minds - and that strategy may prove to be effective when his criminal trial begins at some point in the near future. The fact is that potential jurors and judges are, in fact, influenced by what they read, hear, and see in the media - and what they have seen is a man aggressively asserting his innocence.

As more facts of the case come to light, even Gov. Blagojevich' s best efforts may not be enough to save him. Indeed, without any allies to reinforce his message, his cause may be lost. But, right now, he is doing his best to present the American public another side of the story - one of which is playing out on the front pages, while the other has been relegated to a sideshow in the Illinois General Assembly.

Gov. Blagojevich is making the most of the bully pulpit while he' s got it - and even though his tenure as Illinois Governor is probably over, he might just redeem himself yet.