Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich made a good defense witness — in theory, says a University of Illinois law professor.

Blagojevich, convicted Monday in federal court of 17 counts involving corruption, did himself no service with all of his political skills when confronted with tapes of himself trying to sell President Obama's U.S. Senate seat.

"I see what I say here, but that's not what I meant," Blagojevich told jurors.

He was also forced to admit he was a convicted liar.

UI law Professor Andrew Leipold, an expert on criminal law and the federal judicial process, said he would probably have gone with the ex-governor as a witness were he defending him in court.

"I didn't think it was mistake for the defense to put the governor on," Leipold said. "I incorrectly thought he would make a good witness. Unlike most defendants, here's a guy with some skills of speaking and persuasion."

Leipold said he wasn't sure whether that testimony was what sunk Blagojevich.

"The facts were really bad," the professor said. "He had to explain things that were pretty clear on tape."

Read more in Tuesday's News-Gazette.