Blagojevich: 'I am not guilty'

CHICAGO, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich emphatically declared his innocence of official criminal wrongdoing Friday, vowing to fight the accusations.

"I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job and I will fight this thing every step of the way," Blagojevich said of federal accusations of corruption, including an allegation that he tried to peddle President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat.

"I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath," the governor said in a brief news conference. "I've done nothing wrong and I'm not going to quit a job that the people hired me to do."

Blagojevich said he wouldn't "do what my accusers and political enemies have been doing" by talking about the case "in 30-second sound bites."

He said he was "dying to answer these charges" and would do so in the "appropriate forum" of a courtroom, where "I am absolutely certain that I will be vindicated."

He asked Illinoisans to "please reserve judgment" about him and afford him the same rights as they would expect if they were accused of wrongdoing.

He also thanked his supporters for their good thoughts, prayers and kindnesses.

"It's kinda lonely right now." he said. "But I have on my side the most powerful ally there is, and that's the truth."

Sam Adams, a member of Blagojevich's defense team, said the governor would not resign unless the situation becomes such that it would be detrimental to the state, Chicago media reported. If that happens, people could look for a resignation "when it's time for the Easter bunny."

Adams also said Blagojevich would not appoint Obama's successor.

California's Solis Obama's pick for Labor

CHICAGO, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis, California's first female Hispanic state senator, was named Friday as President-elect Barack Obama's choice to head the Labor Department.

Saying the U.S. Department of Labor hasn't lived up to its role as an advocate for workers or an arbiter of fairness in labor issues for eight years, Obama said Solis' leadership would mean the department "will once again stand up for working families."

"I'm confident about that because Hilda has always been an advocate for everyday people," Obama said during a news conference in Chicago.

Solis was elected to Congress in 2000, and sits on the House Energy and Commerce committee, the Natural Resources committee, the select committee on energy independence and global warming, and the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

Solis said if her nomination is approved by the Senate, "I'll work to strengthen our unions and support every American in our nation's diverse workforce."

She also would work to reinvest in workforce training, enforcing federal labor laws and strengthening regulations to protect workers.

"Through these and other efforts," Solis said, "We can help strengthen one of America's greatest assets -- its labor force."

Ex-Dallas mayor picked for U.S. trade rep

CHICAGO, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Ron Kirk, the first African-American mayor of Dallas, was asked by President-elect Barack Obama to be the U.S. trade representative.

"As a leader, negotiator and principled proponent of trade," Obama said Friday during a news conference in Chicago, "Ron will help make sure that any agreement I sign as president protects the rights of all workers, promotes the interests of all Americans, strengthens American businesses and preserves the planet we all share."

The U.S. trade representative, which carries the title of ambassador, is responsible for developing and recommending U.S. trade policy to the president and conducting trade negotiations, among other things.

"I believe that trade can help us create jobs at home and encourage development abroad," Kirk said. "And like President-elect Obama, I believe a values-driven agenda that stays true to our commitment to America's workers and environmental sustainability is not only consistent with a pro-trade agenda, but it's also necessary for its success."

Kirk originally was thought to be a front-runner to lead the Transportation Department, but that post was offered to retiring Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill.

Franken takes lead for first time in Minn.

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Former "Saturday Night Live" star Al Franken pulled into the lead Friday for the first time in his battle to unseat U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota.

The State Canvassing Board, examining disputed ballots to try to get "voter intent," allowed enough ballots challenged by Coleman's team to give Franken a lead of about 250 by mid-morning, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. Coleman began the day with a tiny lead after hundreds of challenged ballots were reviewed Thursday.

Both Franken and Coleman have promised to go to court if the other one is declared the winner. With more than 2.8 million ballots cast on Nov. 4, the candidates have never been separated by more than a few hundred votes, although Coleman had held on to a lead until Friday.

The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Franken camp on Thursday in a dispute about absentee ballots, saying that those that had been improperly rejected must be counted.

Coleman won a close race in 2002 against former Vice President Walter Mondale after Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in a campaign crash. Franken, who grew up in Minnesota, became famous as a writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live" and went on to write several books of political humor.

Israel warns Russia against missile sale

MOSCOW, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Israeli defense official Amos Gilad, on a visit to Moscow, warned Russia Friday against selling arms to Iran.

Gilad, head of the Diplomatic Security Bureau in the Israeli Defense Ministry, responded to a question about a proposed Russian sale of S-300 air defense missiles, Interfax reported.

"The deliveries of dangerous armaments to our enemies won't serve the interests of peace and, for instance, can help Iran wipe Israel off the face of earth," Gilad said. "So we expect Russia to demonstrate responsibility on the issue."

Gilad denied any secret pact that would bar Israel from arms sales to Georgia and Russia from sales to Iran.

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported the proposed S-300 missile sale earlier this week. Novosti cited sources and also quoted a Russian official who said that the sale would make the region more stable.

The S-300, an anti-aircraft missile, would give Iran more ability to withstand an Israeli air strike on its nuclear facilities, the Jerusalem Post said.

Bones identified as Caylee Anthony's

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The bones found near her grandparents' house have been identified as the remains of missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony, officials said Friday.

The Orange County sheriff's office made the announcement at an afternoon news conference, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Scientists at the FBI lab in Virginia matched the DNA to Caylee's, Orange County Medical Examiner Jan Garavaglia said. She added that the the bones showed no sign of trauma before death.

"The manner of death in this case is homicide," she said. "The cause of death will be listed as homicide by undetermined means."

Casey Anthony, Caylee's mother, is being held in the county jail on a murder charge. Officials said that she was notified of the lab findings just before the news conference.

Also Friday, Capt. Angelo Nieves said that the county sheriff's department is investigating reports that a meter reader whose tip led to the discovery of the remains had suggested a search of the area as early as August.

Nieves said that other sources had also pointed to the area, but a "cursory search" turned up nothing, CNN reported. He said that the area was flooded during the summer, hindering investigators.

Caylee, 2, vanished in June. Her mother reported her missing a month later, claiming she had been kidnapped by a babysitter.

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