Defiant or recklessly stubborn?

In my last post about Blagojevich, I thought to myself his behavior reminded me of Nixon, but I was not that up on my Blagojevich history to know that he is stated to have admired Nixon. The title of this post is the beginning statement in this most recent Time article, In Blago's Defiance, Echoes of an Idol, Richard Nixon.

For those of us not living in that area or who haven't spent a great deal of research time learning about the man they call "Blago" it's an interesting read. I didn't realize he had also quoted Kipling:

With state and U.S. flags behind him, Blagojevich appeared at the podium alone, rarely looking down as he addressed the media and spoke into the cameras, including a dramatic recitation of lines from a Rudyard Kipling poem: "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you and make allowance for their doubting too, if you can wait and not be tired by waiting or being lied about, don't deal in lies, or being hated, don't give way to hating." He left unsaid the poem's conclusion: "... then you'll be a man, my son."

The article raises some points about Nixon as well as gives you a small look into Blagojevich's thinking that explains a bit more to me anyway, why he hasn't stepped down and why he is continuing to fight. It doesn't mean I agree with him, I don't, but I have a better understanding of where the position is coming from now thanks to this article.

If you haven't read the whole speech transcript, which I did not until earlier, it's also online.