Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says that in choosing a successor for Barack Obama’s Senate seat, one of the names on his list was extremely familiar to the public: Oprah Winfrey.

“She seemed to be someone who had helped Barack Obama in a significant way to become president,” the embattled politico – whose impeachment trial started today for his allegedly attempting to sell Obama’s vacated Senate seat to the highest bidder – told Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America.

The governor, 52, was eventually dissuaded, he said, because “she probably wouldn’t take it, [and] if I offered it to her how do you make sure it doesn’t look like a gimmick?” reports ABC News.

TAGS: Illinois, Oprah Winfrey, senator

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