Tricky

Blagojevich Spars With Prosecutor

First cross examination in case.

The first cross examination of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich got off to a good start, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar asking, "You are a convicted liar, correct?" Blagojevich answered yes, but proceeded to dance around every other question in the hour-long grilling. After a hung jury convicted Blagojevich last year on just one count-lying to the FBI-the government decided to drop the racketeering charges and the charges agaisnt the former governor's brother. They're now focusing on Blagojevich's plan to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat. In his testimony this week, Blagojevich said he wanted to appoint Attorney General Lisa Madigan to the seat in exchange for the approval of her father, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, for a public-works bill and health-care legislation.