For all of the tongue-in-cheek approval of Chicago and Illinois corruption that we are going through, it should be reminded that, free from any romantic notion of crooks being “Our Crook“, this is the actual Chicago way.
But Democrats, fearful they might lose the Senate seat if it was put up for a vote, essentially stalled talk of a special election. They cited concerns about the multi-million dollar cost of holding the election with state finances in shambles. The lack of action means that Blagojevich still retains the power to appoint Obama’s successor.
From the Chicago Tribune — who has good reason to be the loudest anti-Balgo voice in the world.
That’s right — despite having the most obviously corrupt official in decades, the party with a massive majority both in Illinois and national government is still too afraid of losing a Senate seat through the democratic process it loudly champions when no opportunity is at hand, now turns tail and lets its elite choose another of its elite. This shirking of manly virtue, ironically, demonstrates Blago’s statement about who is packing the proper testicular fortitude to make the right decisions. It wasn’t Blago, and it isn’t the Illinois Democrats.
Their argument about a special election being prohibitively expensive is especially transparent, since there will already need to be a regional special election to replace Rahm Emmanual, who is shirking his elected duty to wield Obama’s Rod of Power as Chief-of-Staff. A Senate run-off will be more expensive than a Representative election, but given the circumstances, (and the golden child of light who vacated the Senate seat when he was bodily assumed into Office), they ought to open that seat up to an election as well.
Truth be told, sending the decision to the Lt. Governor is the constitutional process in Illinois, but notice that is not one of the arguments forwarded by the Illinois Democrats. When Illinois corruption makes the news, it makes it big. But it’s the spineless, worthless, neutered corruption which never makes the news that is the real Chicago way.
The 12 Angry Men Blog 
December 16, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I wouldn’t call the Chicago way “spineless” it’s more like a filter feeding whale, eating lots of small stuff.
The canonical Illinois crook was the late Paul Powell, who had $800,000 in shoeboxes in his closet when he keeled over dead. This was in the late ’60s when $800,000 was real money.
December 16, 2008 at 3:22 pm
The current group who is already back to maneuvering rather than doing the right thing even during this clear-cut moment is exhibiting invertebrate tendencies.
There’s definitely plenty worse than Rostenskowski, but he stole for the benefit of his district. So, though he was definitely a crook, he was “our crook” to his constituents, who were never in a big hurry to give him the boot.
Blago, by contrast, sought to soak his constituents to line his own pockets, which used to be a ‘cement shoes’ offense when it was uncovered.
I’d be happy with just sentencing him to 40 hours a week working at the DMV for minimum wage until he’s 75. It’d be cheaper than prison.
December 16, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Oh I think Blago’s going to be lucky to be working as the security guard at the Serbian-American Cultural Heritage Museum when all is said and done.
Look for his sorry ass to relocate to the mother country?
December 16, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Belgrade has a Serbian-American Cultural Heritage Museum?
December 16, 2008 at 11:04 pm
No I don’t think it does, I just figure that a corrupt European “transitional” state might have a need for the services of a corrupt ex-chief executive.
But if he wants the security guard job, he could check out: http://www.sacchall.com/
They would be right not to trust his ass, though.
He could try here:
http://sane-boston.org/events.html
But as he’s pretty detached from reality, I’m not sure an organization named SANE would want to hire him, just on general principle.
He could always sell his hair, or take up hustling at the Greyhound station….