The old Mayor Richard Daley sure may have been the Boss of Chicago back in the day, but back then being a political boss meant you usually knew how, when and where to use patronage.
It seems as though Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) has more than lost his way, must have misread some Machiavelli, or even Royko, and will soon have the official moniker Federal inmate R. Blagojevich, 65619.
There have been a rash of dumb things that big state Governors have done over the past few years. Former Connecticut Governor John Rowland seemed to start the trend for this century by selling out his office, redecorating his house both on the public dime and on a contractor, and also dipping in for trips to Las Vegas, among other places.
There's former New Jersey Governor Jim McGrevey, who didn't think that fucking his wife was enough for him, he also wanted, and had, often, his former driver and advisor along for ride. This story got much better when it was learned that his wife was not actually a woman ignored, but a woman invited, and active, in their occasional three ways. And on their honeymoon weekend, no less. Gotta love the Garden State.
And no one among us can forget former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, client #9, I believe, who found pleasure in $2000 call girls and the fast delivery that only Acela could provide. Hadn't this guy heard about wide screen television and the NBA All Access plan? Helluva lot less than 20 large.
Note to the Blagojevich camp: all of these men are now former Governors.
Of course there have been others, and I leave out former Governors from Rhode Island and Louisiana from this list. Hell, going to jail after a term as Governor is de rigour in those states after all. And of course Blagojevich's predecessor George Ryan went off to the slammer, but people know that, of course.
Yet Blagojevich has certainly raised the bar on corruption. Selling a United States Senate seat, a Senate seat vacated by an incoming President, a man who purports to be about message, and not urban politics, is truly priceless. He may well have shaken down one of the President-elect's closest friends, explaining her early withdrawal from consideration. And who knows who else he has dug into on this, over these past few weeks.
And there's still a great part to this story. Blagojevich does not have to resign his office, and reportedly has the authority to make an appointment for the vacant seat as long as he holds office. Only resignation, conviction, or impeachment would take away the authority, not indictment, under which Blagojevich now has been arrested.
How's that for starting at the bottom.
Perhaps the soone to be former Governor should get this over, drop the bidding process, and do something that could gain him some credibility, perhaps, in Illinois. He should just go ahead and nominate Sammy Sosa to the seat. That's about the only thing that might unite Chicago and Illinoians, and spare Blagojevich some skin. Imagine this scene at the next baseball steroids hearing!
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