What Blagojevich did was so much milder than what former Gov. George Ryan did, Blagojevich attorney Aaron Goldstein said.

Goldstein called Ryan "The second elephant sitting in the room."

Blagojevich deserves lass than the 6 1/2 years Ryan was sentenced to -- not more -- Goldstein said. Goldstein is running through other public figures recently convicted in public corruption cases and explaining why Blagojevich's crimes were less.

Blagojevich attorney Sheldon Sorosky is running through each of the crimes Blagojevich has been convicted of and saying that none of them merits 15 years in prison.

Sorosky said President Obama on a "perfectly proper mission" to go ask Blagojevich "Would Gov. Blagojevich appoint Valerie Jarrett to the senate -- she was a fit candidate -- it was a perfectly proper legal request."

"He asked for a job in return for that," Sorosky said. "That's a fact. That crime does not call for a 15-year jail sentence... I don't know that that's anywhere near "selling a senate seat for $1.5 million.'"

Abdon M. Pallasch & Natasha Korecki