CHICAGO (AP) - Ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich says he's “blacker than Barack Obama” and tells Esquire magazine that he was a real person in a political arena dominated by phonies.

Blagojevich, referring to the president as “this guy,” says Obama, a fellow Democrat from Illinois, was elected based simply on hope.

“What the (expletive)? Everything he's saying's on the teleprompter,” Blagojevich told the magazine for a story in its February issue, which hits newsstands Jan. 19.

“I'm blacker than Barack Obama. I shined shoes. I grew up in a five-room apartment. My father had a little laundromat in a black community not far from where we lived,” said Blagojevich, who is white. “I saw it all growing up.”

The White House refused to comment.

On January 10^th 2010, Blagojevich apologized for what he called a poor choice of words and said he's sorry if his comments in the magazine offended anyone. He told WLS Radio in Chicago that it was a “stupid thing to say.”

The twice-elected Democrat was impeached and removed from office last year after federal prosecutors arrested him on corruption charges that included trying to sell Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. He has pleaded not guilty.

Blagojevich is appearing on the reality TV show “Celebrity Apprentice” with Donald Trump this spring and his trial is expected to start later this year.

CHICAGO (AP) - Ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (blah-GOY'-uh-vich) is apologizing for what he calls a poor choice of words during a magazine interview in which he claims he's “blacker than Barack Obama.”

Blagojevich says he's sorry if he offended anyone. He told WLS Radio in Chicago on Monday that it was a “stupid thing to say.”

In the interview with Esquire, Blagojevich said he grew up in a small apartment, shined shoes as a boy and that his father ran a laundry in a black neighborhood.

The interview is in the February issue of Esquire, which hits newsstands Jan. 19.

The White House refused to comment on Blagojevich's statements in the interview.

By Deanna Bellandi - Associated Press Writer