Not only is Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich trying to compare his experience to those of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi during his impeachment trial, but he also says he considered picking daytime talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey for the open Senate seat.

Yes, you heard us right. We said Oprah.

Blagojevich – who is being charged with trying to sell Barack Obama’s open Senate seat — told ABC’s "Good Morning America" that the idea of nominating Oprah to the seat was an interesting one and was brought to him by a friend. "She seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way …" Blago said. "She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators."

It’s not clear whether Blago ever actually talked to Oprah about the job. For all we know, it could be just another media ploy by a scandal-scarred politician. In the end, Blagojevich appointed former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris to the vacant seat.

Blago’s media blitz – he also appeared on CNN’s "Larry King Show," among others – came just hours before his impeachment trial was set to get under way in Illinois. The governor, however, won’t be there. The Illinois House already voted 117-1 to impeach Blago, with none other than his own sister-in-law casting the lone "no" vote. He said "the fix is in" for him. So, does he fear prison? "I know what the truth is," says Blago, who maintains his innocence and insists the feds "took snippets of conversations completely out of context." He also told NBC News that the impeachment proceedings resemble little more than a kangaroo court. His fight, he claims, represents a much more important battle.  "I’m standing for a much bigger principle," he said. "I’m telling them, ‘If you want to throw me out of office then I’d be willing to sacrifice myself for the principle that everyone is entitled to a fair trial in America.’"

Good luck, Blago. We hope you’re lining up some job interviews elsewhere …

Here’s video of Blago’s interview on "Good Morning America":