Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Getcher geneology charts here -OR- Can't tell your "Elected" Officials Without One

"Don't make no waves; Don't back no losers"
"Don't worry if they're Democrats or Republicans. Give them service and they'll become Democrats."
"The strength of the Democratic Party of Cook County is not something that just happened."
"What is inherently wrong with the word 'politician' if the fellow has devoted his life to holding public office and trying to do something for his people?"

"What would you think of a father who refused to help his own children?"

Deese are da woids of da mare. Hizzoner. Da Boss.
Richard J. Daley
If he were alive today, he'd be a feisty 107 years old.
He would also be busy bustin' heads in Illinois.
Actually, if he'd lived a little longer, we might not be living the present nightmare.

It's a mixed bag. For every Richie Daley or Lisa Madigan, who sort of understood the purpose and haven't totally embarrassed the family names, you risk a Dan Lipinski, Rod Blagojevich, Todd Stroger, Jesse Jr., Ethan Hastert...

Now another familiar name is coming out in Illinois. KENNEDY! RFK's 8th child Christopher is "exploring" the 2010 Illinois Senate Race. Where better to launch a new Kennedy into national politics than the city/state that made Uncle Jack's defeat of Tricky Dick possible?

Unlike some of his brothers, sisters, cousins, Chris has largely stayed out of the fray. I'm sure he was just sittin' in his office minding his own business running the Chicago Merchandise Mart property when somebody what somebody sent stopped by to
have a little chat.

"Got dis here Senate seat coming up for election and, frankly, we gots nobody who isn't gonna have baggage issues. You been around here, quiet like, you knows what's what. Plus you got da Kennedy thing. "We" tink you can be a strong candidate. Da door is wide open for ya."

Kennedy considering a run in Illinois

A kind woid from da mare... dat oughta do it.

That's the jaded view. OTOH, Dad Daley did manage to manage the corruption that seems to have run amok since his passing. No way in hizzoner's reign would a piker like Blago have been considered ready for prime time. For all his mythic powers, at the end of the day, the people of Chicago and Illinois were serviced well by Daley's clout. It wasn't the lopsided fleecing that's marked the post-Boss era.

2010 is starting to look like a big turning point that could restore the out-of-whack balance of powers being abused.

If dey do okay and we do okay, does it really matter if dere names are the same?

1 comment:

Cirze said...

Wasn't there some telling quote about absolute corruption that Chicagoans could reference now and then?

As a renewed-interest student of Illinois politics (after head-buster Daley disappeared, I must have lost focus for some reason), I'm just more and more stunned as to how far downhill this snowball has rolled. And they still look better than the Rethugs. Right?

A Kennedy I'm guessing would even out the mix?

I'm looking for humor - after all we're winning! (even the dark kind would do) but finding little.

Thanks for the reporting!

S