Illinois Politics, Chicago Corruption...I Told You So
By Frank Salvato
December 19, 2008
Prior to the November General Election I wrote an article called This Is What a Vote for Obama Gets You. (web site) It highlighted the state of affairs here in Democrat controlled Illinois. Beyond that it introduced the reality that most Democrat politicians (and some Republicans for that matter) who emanate from Illinois -- and especially Chicago -- have a problem with ethics, demonstrating, almost on a daily basis, an inherent penchant for corruption. The recent influence peddling and profiteering scandal involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich demonstrates the Chicago/Illinois Democrat Machine in action.
By now, those who pay attention to the news are well aware that Illinois' governor was caught on FBI wiretaps attempting to sell President-Elect Barack Obama's vacated US Senate seat to the highest bidder. That -- in and of itself -- should produce a noticeable shade of embarrassment on the faces of everyone from Illinois, especially those who voted for Blagojevich.
But what most around the country are just now starting to realize is that those who voted for Blagojevich are not embarrassed. In fact, if they could yawn any deeper over the matter they probably would. This is because political corruption is generational in Chicago politics. Once the Chicago Machine captured power in Springfield -- Illinois' capitol -- the cancer that is political corruption spread from Cook County to infect the state. In fact, political corruption has become so ensconced in Illinoisans' daily lives that acts of bribery, where elected officials are concerned, are even less noteworthy than a conservative point of view in a Chicago newspaper. The people of Illinois -- especially Democrats -- have accepted political corruption as part of the deal. Why else would they continue to vote into office those who have enjoined in corrupt activities year after year?
To better illustrate the point you need look no further that two inactions by Illinois government: the failure of the Illinois Legislature to strip our embattled governor of the power to appoint a replacement for President-Elect Obama and the failure of the Illinois Supreme Court to declare the future cell block H resident unfit to hold office.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Supreme Court denied an effort (web site) initiated by Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, to remove Governor Blagojevich from power. They did so without comment. It could be argued that the justices didn't want hand a political victory to Madigan, herself a gubernatorial candidate for 2010 and the daughter of Illinois House Speaker and Chicago powerbroker Michael Madigan. It could also be argued that the justices had a problem with removing a sitting governor without an indictment being in place. But what is certain is that Illinois remains a state with a corrupt governor -- if only in the spirit of the law -- who has the power to appoint a replacement to President-Elect Obama's US Senate Seat. By its inaction, did the Illinois Supreme Court effectively serve the people of Illinois by protecting the Illinois Constitution? Or did they succumb to politics?
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