SPRINGFIELD (Illinois), Jan 30: Gov Rod Blagojevich was thrown out of office on Thursday without a single lawmaker 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 punching bag.

Mr Blagojevich, accused of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, became 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, lawmakers 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 Sen Matt Murphy, a Republican from suburban Chicago.

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

Outside his Chicago home on Thursday night, he 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. And in a joking reference to Chicago’s history of crooked politics, he reached down to a boy in the crowd of well-wishers and said: “I love you, man. You know, this is Chicago. You can vote for me. You’re old enough.”

Democratic Lt-Gov Pat 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 removed his security detail.

Mr Blagojevich, 52, had boycotted the first three days of the impeachment trial, calling the proceedings a kangaroo court. But on Thursday, he went before the Senate to beg for his job, delivering a 47-minute plea that was, by turns, defiant, humble and sentimental.

He argued, again, that he did nothing wrong, and warned that his impeachment would set a “dangerous and chilling precedent”.

The verdict brought to an end what one lawmaker branded “the freak show” in Illinois. Over the past few weeks, Mr Blagojevich found himself isolated, with almost the entire political establishment lined up against him. The crisis paralysed state government and made him and his helmet of lush, dark hair a punchline from coast to coast.

President Barack Obama pledged to give Mr Quinn his full cooperation. “Today ends a painful episode for Illinois,” he said on Thursday night in a statement. “For months, the state had been crippled by a crisis of leadership. Now that cloud has lifted.”

In a solemn scene, more than 30 lawmakers rose one by one on the Senate floor to accuse Mr Blagojevich of abusing his office and embarrassing the state. They denounced him as a hypocrite, saying he cynically tried to enrich himself and then posed as the brave protector of the poor and “wrapped himself in the constitution”.

They sprinkled their remarks with historical references, including Pearl Harbour’s “day of infamy”. They cited Abraham Lincoln, the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr and Jesus Christ as they called for the governor’s removal.—AP