A Chicago Story

Of all of the summaries and impressions we’ve gotten in the last ten days about tarnished Illinois governor Blago, this one may be the most detailed and insightful:

All About the Benjamins--and the Hairbrush

Several things have been jumping out at me as this evolves. One of the most remarkable, and largely uncommented upon, has been the fact that this governor of a major state eschews the state capitol and the governor’s mansion. He set himself up in an office across the street from Chicago’s City Hall and Cook County Building on Daley Square. And, he doesn’t apparently show up there very often! He apparently feels no need to be in regular contact with the legislature, or even to be available to major departments of the state executive branch. It is apparently more important to him to be close to the power levers which are the Daley machine and all of that is in Chicago, not Springfield.

Then there was the language, of both the Guv and his wife. Now, I’m not isolated from the patois of the streets. I’ll venture that the language in a typical tactical fighter squadron is as gritty, although slightly more articulate and varied, as that which you’ll hear on the edges of Cabrini Green. Yet, there is a time and a place for everything and when one is the governor then it is a time to communicate in a slightly more formal language. You can still be aggressive and even insulting, but you need to detach from the crude and seek the more sophisticated forms of expression. Maybe the Guv should spend some time reading the quotes of Winston Churchill to get some hints on the richness of the English language.

Consider from that link above the focus on $$$. A poor staffer comes back and says there is serious illness and loss in his immediate family. Sympathetic Blago says, “oh, too bad. Get me a big campaign contribution…and I’ll send a get-well card.”

You know what’s next, I’m sure. This is when the governor holds the tearful press conference with loyal frau standing beside him and announces that he’s had a problem with drugs, alcohol, lusting for nubile women or teen-aged boys, gambling, or all-night sessions with his PlayStation. He’ll beg our forgiveness, denounce his evil behavior and go into “rehab”, preferably at a Caribbean resort for six weeks, after which all will be back to normal. Then he’ll appoint Bernadette Dohrn to the vacant Senate seat.