Imprisoned Blagojevich gets birthday greeting from daughter; Patti 'feeling hopeful'

A day before legal arguments are set before the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Patti Blagojevich said she is “feeling hopeful,” as her husband is seeking to overturn his conviction and 14-year sentence.

There are many milestones this week for the Blagojevich family. It marks the five-year anniversary that then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested at his Northwest Side home on allegations he tried selling then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

It’s also Blago’s birthday. He turned 57 in prison on Tuesday. The Chicago FBI later revealed it timed his arrest, in part, to not conflict with his birthday. That’s after the agency got grief for arresting Niles Mayor Nick Blase on his 78th birthday.

Patti Blagojevich, who remained in her Chicago home with her two daughters, thanked her Facebook friends for their birthday wishes for her husband, who remains in a Englewood, Colo. prison.

“Thanks for the birthday wishes for Rod, but our little girl singing happy birthday to him on the phone tonight was the one he liked the best — feeling hopeful,” wrote Patti.