Rod Blagojevich, governor of the Midwestern state of Illinois, gained national attention recently by signing an executive order forbidding pharmacists from refusing to fill women's prescriptions for emergency medications to prevent pregnancy.
'The Daily Show,' a news parody with a heavy dose of political satire, sent 'correspondent' Jason Jones for an interview with Blagojevich. Neither Blagojevich nor, apparently, his aides realized that it wasn't a serious programme.
'It was going to be an interview on contraceptives,' he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week. 'That's all I knew about it.'
During the segment, which aired February 11, Jones introduced Blagojevich as 'Governor Blago, Blagaaaa ... Governor Smith.'
At first, Blagojevich explained the issue and told Jones, 'I think it's important for your listeners to know that we're not talking about medicine that terminates pregnancies, we're talking about ...'
He was interrupted as Jones shot back, 'I'll be in charge of what my listeners get to hear.'
Blagojevich smiled awkwardly, looked at one of his aides off- camera and asked, 'Is he teasing me, or is that legit?'
The interview continued with the interviewer trying to get Blagojevich to role play a pharmacy scenario involving 'a hot 17- year-old', and later calling him 'the gay governor.'
Blagojevich told the Post-Dispatch that he wondered during the incident how his aides could have allowed the interview.
