Mr. Blagojevich, a two-term Democrat who was arrested last week on federal charges of conspiracy and soliciting bribes and accused, among other things, of trying to sell the Senate seat, did not appear before the impeachment inquiry committee.

Image The second day of impeachment hearings on Wednesday at the State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Credit... Kristen Schmid Schurter for The New York Times

But his team of lawyers, including Edward Genson, a fiery criminal defense lawyer well-known in Illinois after more than four decades in Chicago courtrooms, made its first appearance here, describing the lawmakers’ efforts as a “real witch hunt” and offering a series of pointed objections about the state’s vague standards for impeachment, the lawmakers’ use of the federal criminal complaint against the governor as evidence in their inquiry, and at least three lawmakers he said could not be fair.

“This is Alice in Wonderland,” Mr. Genson announced at one point, in a series of contentious, snippy exchanges in the public hearings at the Capitol. “I think it’s unfair to put in hearsay,” he said at another point, referring to the 78-page criminal complaint against Mr. Blagojevich, which lawmakers heard read aloud much of the day. “I think it’s unfair to put in anonymous people. I think it’s unfair to deprive him of confrontation. I think it’s unfair to do all those things.”

The day’s events seemed to mark the first upbeat developments for Mr. Blagojevich in what has been an avalanche of accusations and criticisms against him for more than a week. It was enough, it seemed, that a lighthearted Mr. Blagojevich, who had until now been avoiding reporters and the public, invited a Chicago Tribune photographer to join him on his jog (offering his commentary on the head-clearing benefits of running), and suggested that he will soon tell his story  as early, Mr. Genson said, as Friday. Already, Mr. Genson provided one insight into Mr. Blagojevich’s thinking: the governor will not now, he said, try to appoint someone to fill Mr. Obama’s Senate seat. “Harry Reid said they’re not going to accept anybody he picks,” Mr. Genson said of Mr. Blagojevich. “Why would he do that?”