SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich lashed out at the Springfield press corps Friday, repeatedly calling them "sharks" while comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln.

The Chicago Democrat, making a rare appearance in the capital city to open the Illinois State Fair, defended his administration's handling of alleged corruption in state hiring.

But he would not take personal responsibility for the woes that have tainted his first term in office, instead blaming disgruntled state workers and the media for much of the problems he faces.

"I just feel good about how we do things. You guys, take a look at the real facts and get the real story," Blagojevich testily told reporters.

The questions were posed because U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is investigating "very serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" within the administration.

The administration has fired two workers it says developed a scheme that improperly allowed politically connected job candidates to apply and reapply for state jobs.

The allegations come as Blagojevich is in the midst of a re-election battle against Republican state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

Asked whether he was aware if his office had not, as of 2004, imposed a "blind" hiring system that would keep politics out of the hiring process, a clearly irate Blagojevich said he has other things to worry about.

"Do you think I get up every single day wasting my time doing that? I get up trying to get health care done for people, education funding, create jobs, stuff that people care about," Blagojevich said.

Asked whether his own office broke hiring rules, the governor said, "I'm not involved in those things."

Rather, he said he's left the job of policing hiring to his inspector general's office and said that he would not take credit or blame for the hiring problems.

"Look, I'm modest. You want me to pat myself on the back? I'm not going to do that," he said.

Later, however, the governor compared himself to Lincoln during the Civil War, saying there have been "ups and downs" as he's attempted to reverse 26 years of Republican dominance in the governor's office.

"Not every military initiative from the Union Army was successful. It took awhile to kind of get that together and get it right. But the whole purpose of what they were trying to do was absolutely right, keeping the country together and then emancipating the slaves and providing freedom to millions and millions of people," Blagojevich said.

The governor's remarks drew a sharp retort from the Topinka camp.

"This governor ran for office as a reformer with a promise to clean up state government. He needs to look the people of Illinois in the eye and tell them the truth about the ongoing hiring scandals in his administration," said Topinka spokesman John McGovern.

Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or 782-1249.