Close on the heels of the Governor’s arrest for, in part, trying to sell the President-elect’s Senate seat, the state’s senior Senator, Dick Durbin called loudly for a special election to be held to fill the position. Soon, Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky joined the chorus. State House Speaker Michael Madigan called for a special session of the legislature to change the state’s law that allowed the Governor to fill a Senate vacancy and give the decision to the voters. Even Barack Obama chimed in, saying he thought the people should decide the fate of his former position. Democrats were falling over each other to present themselves as champions of openness and advocates for the people.
The Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times editorialized that a special election was the best option for filling the vacancy in light of the crippling effects of the scandal and the public’s desire to break from the culture of sleeze in Illinois politics.
But a funny thing happened on the way to empowerment of the people. Democrats realized that a special election would create a remote possibility that a non-Democrat could win the seat. It dawned on them that the voters seemed really miffed about all this third-world-style corruption and that they could prefer a senator who was not a product of their machine.
They then heard rumblings that suburban Congressman Mark Kirk, a moderate who was just elected to his fifth term in the House was seriously considering a run in the special election. Kirk has fought off several multi-million dollar challenges from the national Democrats, holding a district that voted overwhelmingly for Al Gore, John Kerry and Barack Obama. The naval intelligence officer, know for his smarts, clean image and fundraising prowess, was just the kind of candidate who could take advantage of the situation.
Add to the presence of at least one formidable GOP candidate the likelihood of a brutal Democratic primary and the politicians began trying to cram the genie back in the bottle.
Chicago politics from the “retail” level:
Since the eighties, Chicago can claim progress in terms of new public landscaping, yuppification of vintage neighborhoods, and other exterior upgrades, but its underlying power structure is same old, same old. The neighborhood association still exists, still fighting for the same issues, its newsletter now on a website. The Alderman is still The Alderman of his ward. Daley is still mayor, with no opposition, other than federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, the guy who put a wire on the governor and whose office is rumored to have a wire on practically every office holder. Most of the public schools are lousy, the murder rate is sky high, pay for play is the norm, and other than those nabbed by Fitzgerald, no officials are held accountable.
In recent years, the Chicago machine has metastasized, capturing the Illinois governorship and now, the presidency. I’ve never met President-Elect Obama, but what I’ve written here gives you an honest description of the political culture from which he arose.
Obama’s Secretary of Education Nominee offered idea for gay-friendly high school.
So Illinois democrats turn out to be closet conservatives (of their own power………). Who knew?
That’s a very cynical point of view Dan. You just have to put yourself in the frame of mind of an Illinois Democrat. They are merely trying to save the taxpayers of Illinois the expense of a special election, a figure currently ass pulled at $50 million.
The logic is as follows:
The Democrats wouldn’t agree to a special election without knowing or being able to rig the outcome in advance.
With a predetermined outcome there is no need for a special election.
Voila – Public service minded officials saving the taxpayers money by skipping the special election and appointing the predetermined winner to the seat.
I read that the true cost of a special election could be as little as a few hundred thousand, assuming that the primary was skipped (with the candidates being chosen by the party committees) and the senatorial race added to the normal April election ballot.
More Blagomania:
Eric Holder, Obama’s AG nominee, worked with Blago on the Illinois gambling commission.
That somehow slipped his mind when he was filling out his questionnaire for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
There is a fierce internal Democratic Party debate about which child of which politician will get the seat… Hynes, Madigan, etc. Welcome to the Grand Duchy of Illinois.
Was that a Henny Youngman-ish “welcome to it” MAJ John? If so, thanks, but no thanks.
Slight correction: Blago wanted to make him a “special investigator” for the Gaming Board, but the board apparently refused to hire him.
Rezko was also involved, to the surprise of none.
I’ve referred to my state as “The Kleptocracy” or the “Banana Republic,” but “the Grand Duchy of Illinois” is quite good, too.
Welcome to Thigh High.
Isn’t it funny that the mantra of, “Let the people decide” was just reaching a crescendo, when the champions of the people! discovered that those same people might just be thinking about installing different leadership…
Then, presto!, it was back to our betters deciding what was good for us, what we wanted; saving us from ourselves once again…
Same old, same old indeed…
Same old state, same old statists!
BTW Major,
I simply love your turn of the phrase, “Grand Duchy of Illinois”…
May I feel free to use it when appropriate?
Be my guest!
I think some here take the label “County” too literally, at least in Cook County, Madison County, etc. Richard Daley, Count of Cook, does have a more noble sound to it than “Da Mayor”.
I agree! Especially in view of the Daley’s aristocratic line…
But, isn’t “Count of Cook” awfully close to “Count of Crook“? At least for Daley’s sensibilities?
Unless, of course, Fitzgerald has some really good stuff on hizz-ahner!
Hugh Hewitt — thinking like a lawyer — points out that once Blago is formally indicted, all of the tapes and transcripts with Blago on them must be given to his lawyers under discovery rules, which in turn means that any conversations between Rahm and Blago may be presumed to be leaking out to the press shortly thereafter. (And not just Rahm’s bits, I should think.) Surely these cannot be comforting thoughts to anyone whose had a conversation with Blago over the phone during the last couple of years.
who’s, not whose — doltage is mine.
Bush’s popalaruty is less then 20%! & Arab guy truw a sheo at him so Illinos poiliticans CAENT be corrrupt. Anyway Obama dint know thoes gyus &if hedid hewas workning w/Fzitzgelraldto xpoes htmem. PAELIN SUX! hahahaha!
I havas ahot rusana girlfriand so yosu are all stttpaupd reDUMMnlciancs HHAHAHAHAHHAHA
Toilet overflow at #16! Need clean-up.
Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Illinois
Duke, Duke, Duke of Illinois
Duke, Duke, Duke of Illinois
Duke, Duke, Duke of Illinois…
mOF6Ve hi! how you doin?